UFC 328 went down last night (Sat., May 9, 2026) inside Prudent Center in Newark, New Jersey, which saw Sean Strickland upset Khamzat Chimaev in the headlining bout to one again become the UFC Middleweight champion of the world (scorecards). In the co-headlining act, Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira went to war in a thrilling Flyweight title fight that resulted in Van retaining his strap thanks to a fifth-round technical knockout (TKO) victory (see it again here).
Biggest Winner: Sean Strickland
Strickland
talked the talk and once again he walked the walk after pulling off a major upset win over the man many considered UFC’s Boogeyman. After getting dominated in the first five minutes in the grappling department, Strickland showed off his takedown defense in the rounds that followed that had Chimaev thinking twice about going for a takedown, ultimately forcing him to keep the fight on the feet. And while Strickland didn’t exactly the striking changes, he did have success — as did Chimaev. But it was Strickland who did enough in the eyes of the judges, who awarded him the razor-thin split-decision win. Now, not only does he become the first man to tame “Borz.” but he is once again sitting at the top of the Middleweight mountain. Not many gave him a shot in this fight, but he once again proved his doubters wrong in one of his best performances to date.
Runner Up: Joshua Van
Van caught some flack — through no fault of his own — for the way he became champion due to Alexandre Pantoja suffering a fluke injury in their title fight. But the 125-pound champion silenced a lot of doubters with his performance against Taira. Throughout the near 25-minute battle, Van showed off his all-around arsenal, especially his ever-improving striking attack that was on point all night. And Taira’s bloody face was all the proof needed. In the end, Van secured a stoppage in the fifth and final round to retain his 125-pound strap, leaving no doubt that he is the best 125-pound fighter in the game at the moment.
Biggest Loser: Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev started off like his usual dominant self in the opening round, but after Strickland upped his takedown defense the ballgame changed, which helped the American-born champion get his belt back. For Chimaev, his performance left a lot to be desired, though he did pick up the intensity in the championship rounds. But that’s what happens when you’re a dominant fighter, people expect that night after night. Last night was not a vintage Chimaev performance, but credit has to be given to Strickland for taking him out of his game. A lot of people will also blame it on the brutal weight cut “Borz” had to endure to his his mark, but making weight in a healthy manner is part of being a fighter. With his first loss in the books all Chimaev can do is learn from it and try to bounce back. According to UFC CEO, Dana White, Chimaev’s comeback performance might not come at 185 pounds, but rather the Light Heavyweight division.
For complete UFC 328 results and play-by-play, click here.
