UFC 328 builds steam as middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev and challenger Sean Strickland alternate heated phrases on-line. The occasion headlines at Prudential Heart in Newark, New Jersey, on Might 9, 2026. Chimaev captured the 185-pound belt with a unanimous determination over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 final August. Strickland held the title earlier than that, dropping it in a cut up determination rematch to du Plessis at UFC 297.
“Management Your Whore” Strickland Dares Chimaev Pre-Struggle
Strickland posted on X about UFC efforts to separate the camps. He wrote, “The @UFC is attempting to restrict my interactions with the canine. Hear I’ll say this now. I can’t be managed by a 3rd world canine…. If I discover there’s unequal remedy between our camps I’ll stroll to the foyer and watch for him. Management your whore or dont. I dont care. Let the chips fall the place they could that is America…” He adopted up, predicting handcuffs throughout battle week over threats from a “goat f—ker” who shouldn’t enter the nation.
Days earlier, Strickland escalated in a media scrum. He stated he would pull a gun from his shoe and shoot Chimaev plus his entourage in the event that they approached with numbers. The previous champion referred to as Chimaev a terrorist linked to Chechen chief Ramzan Kadyrov. Chimaev fired again that Strickland “desires conflict” and would already be useless. Later, Chimaev posted a photograph of younger Strickland along with his father, captioning it, “You may cry that’s okay, your father made you a lady.”
Chimaev, born in Chechnya and now preventing for the UAE, trains in Russia for current bouts. He boasts a wrestling background with three Swedish nationwide titles earlier than UFC dominance. Strickland, recognized for blunt speak, as soon as confronted microphone cutoff at a presser for “goat f—ker” remarks. Their path crossed not directly by du Plessis, whom each fought. UFC added safety for battle week given the tone.
The UFC 328 predominant card consists of flyweight title bout Joshua Van versus Tatsuro Taira, heavyweight Alexander Volkov in opposition to Waldo Cortes-Acosta, welterweight Sean Brady versus Joaquin Buckley, and light-weight King Inexperienced going through Jeremy Stephens. Prelims characteristic bouts like Roman Kopylov versus Marco Tulio and Jim Miller in opposition to Jared Gordon.
Followers watch shut as on-line jabs danger spilling over. Strickland vowed they “die enemies” post-fight, skipping handshakes. Chimaev’s camp downplayed speak whereas stress rises.
