UFC 328 MMA KO Staff Predictions: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland Main Card Picks

The wait for UFC 328 is nearly over, and the MMA Knockout staff have made their picks for all five fights on the event’s main card.

The main event will see Khamzat Chimaev attempt to defend his middleweight belt for the first time when he takes on the division’s former titleholder Sean Strickland. Joshua Van will also kick off his flyweight title reign in the co-main event, where he’ll face the division's #3-ranked contender Tatsuro Taira.

The main card is rounded out by Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley, and King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland Predictions

Drew Beaupré: As impressive as Strickland’s win over Anthony Hernandez was, there’s really no reason for him to have been given another title shot this quickly beyond the UFC wanting to capitalize on the bad blood between him and Chimaev. That isn’t to say that the former champion has no chance here, but it’s hard to see an avenue to victory other than him just selling out for a TKO finish in the later rounds if Chimaev starts to get tired.
(Pick: Chimaev)

Zain Bando: The hype for this fight has been incredibly dark for reasons that would take me a very long time to describe. But, in a nutshell, from a fight perspective only, this is Khamzat Chimaev's fight to lose. It's his first title defense. He has all the momentum going for him at the moment, and Strickland is in a position where the middleweight division is going through a bit of a rough patch with its contenders and was he able to finagle his way to a title shot once again. Whether it's deserved or not is up for debate, but what is true is that neither of these guys likes the other. And, at the end of the day, Chimaev's wrestling far outweighs Strickland's striking ability. It would be unsurprising if this fight were boring, even a little bit. But only time will tell. (Pick: Chimaev)

Verdict: Unanimous for Chimaev

Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira Predictions

Drew: Van presumably spent a large part of his last training camp preparing to try and shut down arguably the best back take specialist in the sport, but we didn’t get to see the fruits of that work due to Alexandre Pantoja injuring his arm just 26 seconds into their title fight. He’ll likely get a chance to show off those skills here against another dangerous grappler in Taira, and Van should hold a considerable advantage if he is able to keep things standing.
(Pick: Van)

Zain: Van vs. Taira: Arguably one of the biggest fights in flyweight history, Joshua Van became the first fighter born in the 2000s to win a title last December, despite the unfortunate circumstances from Alexandre Pantoja that led up to it. It appears Van is dead set on beating Tatsuro Taira, making it clear that this Saturday's fight is a business trip and nothing else. If Van can put his combinations together, it could be a short night. On the contrary, though, Taira's ability to drag the fight into deep waters could be the key to him becoming the new champion. Either way, the possibility of a rematch between these two is entirely on the table, given how skilled they both are and how much they've run through the 125-pound division over the last couple of years. As with the main event, the judges will likely be needed after 25 minutes of action, too. (Pick: Van)

Verdict: Unanimous for Van

Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta Predictions

Drew: This would pretty clearly be a title eliminator fight under normal circumstances, but the heavyweight division is currently in a bit of a holding pattern with Tom Aspinall’s ongoing absence and the upcoming interim title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane. Volkov could have found himself matched up with Pereira at The White House if one more scorecard had gone his way against Gane, and I expect he’ll be able to stifle Cortes-Acosta’s rise towards title contention. (Pick: Volkov)

Zain: Alexander Volkov and Waldo Cortes-Acosta recognize what's in front of them come fight night. In the logjam that is the UFC's heavyweight division, the winner of this fight more than likely will get a
title shot once the mess of Alex Pereira-Cyril Gane and Tom Aspinall's return finally completes its cycle. Volkov is under much more pressure, especially considering that the judges have not been kind to him in recent years as he's worked his way up the heavyweight division. In order for him to win Saturday night, he needs to take them out of the equation and make sure that he's giving Cortes-Acosta his hardest fight. If he can do that and find an opening, I think it could be a short night at the office. The same can be set for the opposite, but either way, heavyweight is going to get some clarity come Saturday night as to who the next contender is going into the second half of the year, and into 2027 and beyond. (Pick: Volkov)

Verdict: Unanimous for Volkov

Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley Predictions

Drew: Buckley’s lengthy win streak was derailed in his last matchup with Kamaru Usman, but he was also facing a former champion and one of the most dominant wrestlers the welterweight division has ever seen. Brady might prove me wrong and throw “New Mansa” all around the Octagon, but I’m not convinced that he’ll be able to find enough success with his takedowns to avoid trading with Buckley on the feet. (Pick: Buckley)

Zain: Even with the location change, Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley still has the same implications. The winner of this fight is going to remain a contender in a very deep welterweight division, while the loser is more than likely staring down the barrel of a long road back to a title shot opportunity or potentially getting released, as Buckley harshly indicated in interviews this week. Brady already has a résumé that stacks up against most top contenders, making this fight potentially easy should he follow his game plan. As long as Buckley doesn't let his hands go, Brady should secure a win that reminds everyone that he deserves to be in title contention later this year. (Pick: Brady)

Verdict: 1-1 Split

King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens Predictions

Drew: It’s not a great look that Stephens missed weight by several pounds when he’s already competing a weight class above where he spent the vast majority of his fighting career. The UFC’s decision to bring him back was pretty clearly tied to the fact that the promotion was holding a UFC Fight Night in Des Moines. Even though this is a well-matched fight, it’s still one that Green should win. (Pick: Green)

Zain: A fight between two UFC OGs kicks off the main card. There's no doubt that it is going to be all action. But the question remains whether Jeremy Stephens has one more left in him, given the lack of UFC action in his sample size over the last eight years. If King Green drags the fight on long enough, it could be a rough night for the Iowa native. (Pick: Green)

Verdict: Unanimous for Green

Be sure to check back on our homepage for predictions for the UFC 328 preliminary card, a betting guide, and live coverage of the event on fight night.

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