UFC 328 Features Cracking Main Card, Two Title Fights May 9!

UFC 328 fight week continues. After a trip to Western Australia to begin the month of May, Dana White's promotion heads back to the United States for two consecutive weeks of cards before an open date on Memorial Day weekend, beginning Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Live coverage of UFC 328 begins Saturday afternoon at 5 pm ET/ 2 pm PT with the early prelims. Inside the United States, this portion of the show can be seen as a simulcast via Paramount Plus and UFC Fight Pass.

Late prelims follow at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT, but unlike the past two flagship events, there will not be a two-hour simulcast on the CBS network in primetime, with the remainder of the event exclusive to Paramount Plus. The main card caps the 13-fight schedule at 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT. 

UFC 328 Main Event: UFC Middleweight Championship: Khamzat Chimaev vs. No. 3 Contender Sean Strickland: Dissecting the Champ

At the top of the bill will be a championship doubleheader. The UFC Middleweight Championship serves as the focus of the main event of the evening when current 185-lb titleholder Khamzat Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) battles No. 3 contender and former champion Sean Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC.) As with all championship fights, this contest and the co-main event of the evening will be an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round.

Chimaev has yet to lose as a professional fighter in his career. Counting a single amateur bout in 2017, he's 16-0 across all competitions.

Back on Aug. 15, 2025 in Chicago, he bested Dricus du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) by way of unanimous decision. This was a rare method of victory for champion Chimaev, as he's only won three times by way of the scorecards.

Khamzat Chimaev became a fast-rising star at 185 after his UFC promotional debut on Fight Island during the COVID-19 pandemic almost six years ago. Now that the middleweight championship is on his mantle, can he hang onto his title?

Sean Strickland Hungry to Wrest Belt Away From Chimaev in UFC 328 Main Event

Across the way, challenger Sean Strickland enters the UFC 328 main event on Saturday night having gone 3-2 in his last five trips to the fabled Octagon. Last time out, he scored a third-round knockout (knees and punches) of Anthony Hernandez (15-3, 1 NC MMA, 9-3 UFC) during the UFC Houston main event on Feb. 21.

In so doing, Strickland pocketed a cash advance of $50,000 (USD) for the Performance of the Night Bonus at the post-fight press conference. By the time the cage door closes on Saturday night, just 76 days will have passed between fights for the challenger.

This is a man who won the UFC Middleweight Championship versus Israel Adesanya in 2023 before losing it in his next fight to Dricus du Plessis. A rematch vs. du Plessis resulted in the latter defending the title. Will he reclaim his former glory?

UFC 328 Co-Main Event: UFC Flyweight Championship: Joshua Van vs. No. 3 Contender Tatsuro Taira: Looking at Champion Van

Immediately beforehand, the first act of this championship doubleheader takes place in the flyweight ranks when incumbent titlist Joshua Van (16-2 MMA, 9-1) squares off against No. 3 contender Tatsuro Taira (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC.) This fight was slated to have occurred during last month's UFC 327 before it was rebooked for Saturday after the champion withdrew due to an injury.

Van will be making the walk this weekend on the strength of a 5-0 record in his last five contests. Most recently, he scored a first-round TKO victory in just 26 seconds' time after his opponent, Alexandre Pantoja (30-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) couldn't continue in the fight at UFC 323 on Dec. 6 upon suffering an arm injury during a takedown. 

The champion has won seven fights in a row. When a fighter is on a hot streak, as Van is right now, he's dangerous when the cage door shuts. He's even more powerful when he's got a championship on his mantle.

Tatsuro Taira Hungry for Title Win at UFC 328

Meanwhile, Taira enters the co-main event having gone 4-1 over the past five bouts. Like his opponent, he also fought Dec. 6 during UFC 323, securing a second-round TKO (ground and pound from back mount) against Brandon Moreno (23-10-2 MMA, 11-7-2 UFC.)

Each of his last two wins have ended inside the distance, both during the second round. Given that Taira is going up against the champion in the UFC 328 main event, it's safe to say that he'll be aiming for the proverbial target on Joshua Van's back.

Is a resume-building win in the offing for Taira at UFC 328? Tune in for the answer.

UFC 328: No. 2 Contender Alexander Volkov vs. No. 4 Contender Waldo Cortes-Acosta: Can Volkov Take Next Step Toward Title?

Also on the UFC 328 main card, it'll be moving day in the heavyweight division when No. 2 contender Alexander Volkov (39-11 MMA, 13-5 UFC) fights No. 4 contender Waldo Cortes-Acosta (17-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC.) This is a three-round attraction at five minutes per round. Volkov comes into UFC 328 with a 4-1 record in his last five appearances. Back on Oct. 25 in Abu Dhabi, he scored a split decision win over Jailton Almeida (22-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC.) 

Although Volkov is 37 years of age, he currently has no plans to retire. Before he does end his career, Volkov has said that he'd like to fight for and win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. 

A victory here would mark a significant hurdle cleared as he attempts to meet that critical goal. His opponent in the other corner has shown himself to be a tough customer at the shop on any given fight night, however.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta Seeks Fourth Win in a Row at UFC 328

Cortes-Acosta is sporting a 4-1 record of his own in the past five contests ahead of UFC 328. At the moment, he's won three fights consecutively.

On Jan. 24, he finished Derrick Lewis (29-13, 1 NC MMA, 20-11 UFC) with ground and pound shots in the second round of action. Cortes-Acosta has had an active stretch of late. 

The Jan. 24 win over Lewis was his third fight and third victory in 84 days' time. There's one constant with heavyweight fights: As little as one shot can spell the end of the contest.

Rest of the Card

Two other fights round out UFC 328's main card, a welterweight contest between Sean Brady (18-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and Joaquin Buckley (21-7 MMA,) and a lightweight showdown matching King Green (34-17-1, 1 NC MMA, 15-12-1, 1 NC UFC) against Jeremy Stephens (29-22, 1 NC MMA, 15-19, 1 NC UFC.)