Las Vegas – UFC’s returns to Newark, N.J. with an exciting middleweight championship grudge match that will see Khamzat Chimaev defend against former titleholder and current No. 3 ranked contender Sean Strickland. Also, heavyweight contenders collide when No. 2 ranked Alexander Volkov battles No. 4 Waldo Cortes Acosta.
UFC 328: CHIMAEV vs. STRICKLAND takes place Saturday, May 9 at Prudential Center with the main card starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on Paramount+. The late prelims will begin at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Paramount+. The early prelims will kick off at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Paramount+ and UFC Fight Pass.
UFC 328: CHIMAEV vs. STRICKLAND will mark the twelfth UFC event at the famed arena dating back to 2007. UFC® 302 headlined by Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier in 2024 still holds the venue’s live event gate record.
UFC 328: CHIMAEV vs. STRICKLAND tickets will go on sale Friday, March 20 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET and are available atTicketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club ® will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 18 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET via the website UFCFightClub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 19 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET. To access the pre-sale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC Octagon Girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.
Chimaev (15-0, fighting out of The United Arab Emirates by way of Chechnya, Russia) plans to kick off his 2026 campaign with a vintage performance. An undefeated competitor, he holds impressive wins against former UFC champions Dricus du Plessis, Robert Whittaker and Kamaru Usman. Chimaev looks to stop Strickland to begin a dominant title reign.
Strickland (30-7, fighting out of Corona, Calif.) has his sight set on regaining the UFC middleweight championship. Known for his relentless pressure, he has delivered memorable victories over Anthony Hernandez, Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov. Strickland intends to become a two-time titleholder by handing Chimaev his first career loss.
Volkov (39-11, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) hopes to continue his momentum following his October win against Jailton Almeida. A 16-year MMA veteran, the Russian striker has also earned victories over Sergei Pavlovich, Tai Tuivasa and Alexander Romanov. Volkov looks to defend his spot in the rankings by halting Cortes Acosta’s momentum.
Cortes Acosta (17-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz. by way of Fundacion, Barahona, Dominican Republic) intends to secure his fourth consecutive KO victory. A heavy-handed boxer, he has earned notable finishes over Derrick Lewis, Shamil Gaziev and Ante Delija. Cortes Acosta now hopes to stake his claim for a title shot with a show-stealing performance against Volkov.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- No. 6 ranked welterweight contender Sean Brady (18-2, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) locks horns with No. 9 Joaquin Buckley (21-7, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.)
- Former UFC light heavyweight champion and current No. 5 ranked contender Jan Blachowicz (29-11-2, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) rematches No. 8 Bogdan Guskov (18-3-1, fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan)
- King Green (34-17-1 1NC, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.) squares off with Jeremy Stephens (28-20 1NC, fighting out of San Diego, Calif. by way of Des Moines, Iowa) in a clash of lightweight veterans
- Ateba Gautier (10-1, fighting out of Yaounde, Cameroon) takes on Ozzy Diaz (10-3, fighting out of Downtown Los Angeles, Calif.) at middleweight
For the latest information on bout announcements and additional information for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are subject to change.
