UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland fight time in South Africa, full card and where to watch

UFC 328 is set to deliver one of the most heated title fights of 2026 as undefeated middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev defends his belt against former champion Sean Strickland.

The event takes place on Saturday, 9 May 2026, at the Prudential Center in Newark.

For South African fans, the action will air in the early hours of Sunday morning.

UFC 328 South Africa start times

South African broadcast schedule (SAST)

The event will also be available on:

• SuperSport
• UFC Fight Pass

UFC 328 main card

Main Event

• Khamzat Chimaev (c) vs Sean Strickland
  Middleweight title fight

Co-Main Event

• Joshua Van (c) vs Tatsuro Taira
  Flyweight title fight

Other featured fights

• Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes Acosta
• Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley
• King Green vs Jeremy Stephens

Why Chimaev vs Strickland is trending

The middleweight title fight has become one of the UFC’s biggest storylines following growing tension between the two fighters.

Their rivalry reportedly stems from past sparring sessions at Xtreme Couture and escalated further after a physical altercation during the UFC 328 press conference.

Security has reportedly been increased around both fighters during fight week, with limited faceoffs between the pair.

Searches related to:

• Chimaev vs Strickland
• UFC 328
• Sean Strickland press conference
• UFC Newark

have surged globally ahead of the fight.

Chimaev enters as heavy favourite

Khamzat Chimaev enters UFC 328 unbeaten with a 15-0 professional record.

He captured the undisputed middleweight title after defeating Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in August 2025.

That performance became one of the most dominant title fight displays in recent UFC history.

According to fight statistics:

• Chimaev secured 12 takedowns
• recorded more than 21 minutes of control time
• landed a record-breaking 529 strikes
• won via unanimous decision

All three judges scored the bout 50-44 in his favour.

Current betting odds reportedly place Chimaev as a strong favourite heading into his first title defence.

Sean Strickland looking to shock the champion

Sean Strickland enters the fight as the underdog but remains one of the UFC’s most unpredictable personalities.

His recent results include:

• TKO win over Anthony Hernandez in February 2026
• loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312
• split-decision win over Paulo Costa in 2024

Strickland’s aggressive striking style and relentless pressure are expected to create a very different challenge for Chimaev compared to previous opponents.

Flyweight title fight also making history

The co-main event between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira is also historic.

The bout marks the first UFC championship fight between two competitors born in the 21st century.

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