Sean Strickland will attempt the reclaim the middleweight crown when he challenges reigning 185-pound titleholder Khamzat Chimaev atop the UFC 328 event on Sat. night (May 9, 2026) at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. While nobody expects “Borz” fans to be picking “Tarzan,” the sportsbooks have made it seem like Strickland has absolutely no chance to pull the sword from the proverbial stone.
One “expert” sees things differently.
“Strickland is one of the best fighters on planet Earth — so is Khamzat,”
longtime UFC color commentator, Joe Rogan, said on his ”Experience” podcast. “But Strickland is also a legitimate world champion. He’s a guy who’s accustomed to five-rounders. He’s got phenomenal cardio. He’s one of the hardest guys to hit in the sport. One-hundred percent, he has a shot. (He has) underrated grappling. Listen to me as an expert, allegedly: He’s got some of the best takedown defense in the game, underrated grappling. Strickland has a legit chance.”
Strickland stops 79% of the takedowns that come his way.
That said, Dricus du Plessis was able to score six takedowns in their UFC 297 title fight back in early 2024. By comparison, Chimaev is successful in about half of his shots (55%) and set a career high for takedowns when he dragged “Stillknocks” to the canvas in their UFC 319 main event showdown last summer in Chicago.
Perhaps the stage is set for Strickland to shock the world for a second time in his UFC career.
