UFC 328 takes place at the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday the 9th of May (Sunday the 10th in SA) with a middleweight title fight headlining the event as Khamzat Chimaev looks to defend his belt against Sean Strickland. We take a look at the Main Event as well as two supporting fights on the Main Card from a betting angle below.
Click here to bet on the full fight card.
KHAMZAT CHIMAEV vs SEAN STRICKLAND
Middleweight – Main Event – Title Fight:
Khamzat Chimaev enters this championship bout with a perfect UFC record of 9 wins without defeat. He has developed into one of the most dominant forces in the division with elite grappling, relentless pressure and dangerous finishing ability on the canvas.
He captured the middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Dricus Du Plessis in August 2025 after submitting Robert Whittaker in the opening round the year prior. Before that he edged Kamaru Usman by majority decision and also recorded dominant finishes against Kevin Holland and Li Jingliang.
Sean Strickland arrives in Newark holding a tally of 17 wins and 7 losses as well as ample fight time under the institution. The American is a highly durable fighter with tons of gas in the tank and he possesses a jab heavy style.
He heads into this clash after a third-round knockout victory over Anthony Hernandez in February 2026 while prior to that he suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Dricus Du Plessis in their rematch but had secured wins over Paulo Costa and Israel Adesanya while also pushing Du Plessis to a split decision in their first title encounter in the last few years.
BETTING – click here to bet
Chimaev 1.18
Strickland 5.25
PREDICTION:
This bout features a matchup between Chimaev’s wrestling pressure and Strickland’s volume striking and durability. Strickland has the cardio and toughness to extend the fight but Chimaev’s grappling control and explosiveness should allow him to dictate where the contest takes place. I am expecting Chimaev to secure multiple takedowns and retain his title with a decision victory.
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JOSHUA VAN vs TATSURO TAIRA
Flyweight – Title Fight:
Joshua Van his first title defence with 10 UFC fight behind him of which he has won 9 and lost 1. He has rapidly climbed through the rankings thanks to his sharp boxing and impressive finishing ability as well as his solid performances against high level opposition.
He recently picked up a first-round knockout victory over Alexandre Pantoja to capture the title in December 2025 although Pantoja had broken his arm just seconds into the fight. This followed a dominant unanimous decision win over Brandon Royval and before that he stopped Bruno Silva late in the third round.
Tatsuro Taira, the Japanese born fighter comes into this bout holding a UFC record of 8 wins and 1 loss. He is one of the most technically sound flyweights on the roster with slick grappling, improving striking and calm fight management.
He arrives this weekend with confidence after knocking out Brandon Moreno in the second round of their fight held at UFC 323 while before that he had beat HyunSung Park by second-round submission. His only setback since joining the organisation was when he slipped a decision to Brandon Royval three fights ago.
BETTING – click here to bet
Van 2.40
Taira 1.61
PREDICTION:
Van carries the sharper striking and momentum while Taira offers excellent grappling and technical versatility. Although Van is priced as the underdog, I believe his pace and ability to control exchanges on the feet should help him edge and if he is able to avoid Taira’s takedowns he will retain the belt on the scorecards.
ALEXANDER VOLKOV vs WALDO CORTES ACOSTA
Heavyweight – Main Card Bout:
Alexander Volkov enters this heavyweight clash with a UFC resume of 13 wins and 5 losses as well as a total of 50 professional fights across all promotions. The Russian veteran remains one of the most experienced and technically polished heavyweights with strong kickboxing fundamentals and underrated grappling ability.
His latest action saw him secure a split decision victory over Jailton Almeida in October 2025 following a narrow loss to Ciryl Gane. Before that he recorded wins over Sergei Pavlovich and Tai Tuivasa while also stopping Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexandr Romanov in impressive fashion.
Waldo Cortes Acosta is a fighter from the Dominican Republic and holds a record of 10 wins and 2 losses since he made his UFC debut in 2022. He has has built strong momentum through brutal striking and he has showed he can go the distance when needed.
He most recently knocked out Derrick Lewis in the second round when they fought January 2026 after first-round stoppage victories over Shamil Gaziev and Ante Delija. The last time Cortes Acosta was on the wrong end of things was in August last year when he suffered a decision defeat to Serghei Pavlovich.
BETTING – click here to bet
Volkov 1.69
Cortes Acosta 2.25
PREDICTION:
Volkov brings a massive experience gap and should have success controlling range with his movement and reach. Cortes Acosta possesses real knockout power and confidence but Volkov’s composure and technical edge make him the safer pick. I am backing Volkov to wear his opponent down and claim a points victory.
SUGGESTED BETS:
Chimaev vs Strickland
Chimaev by Decision at 4.50
Van vs Taira
Joshua Van by Decision at 5.00
Volkov vs Cortes Acosta
Volkov by Decision at 2.45
The TREBLE comes in at a massive 55.13 – here is the code if you want to follow 6225858
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but subject to change.
