Shortly after revealing the White House card scheduled for June 14 later this year, Dana White delivered another surprise for fans. On Thursday, the UFC CEO revealed the promotion’s next set of events and their headliners, and the lineup quickly grabbed attention. Leading the announcements was the company’s return to Newark for UFC 328, where Khamzat Chimaev will make the first defense of his middleweight title against Sean Strickland on May 9.
The Chechen star returns after dismantling Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in one of the most one-sided title fights in recent memory. Strickland, meanwhile, earned his shot by halting Anthony Hernandez’s eight-fight winning streak and leapfrogging Nassourdine Imavov in the title race. With two of the promotion’s most outspoken and controversial stars set to headline the card, White will likely have security on high alert for what promises to be a heated fight week.
Bad Blood Between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland Threatens to Boil Over Before UFC 328
Fans are well aware of the long-standing tension between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev. The friction dates back to 2022, when Chimaev visited Xtreme Couture alongside Darren Till for a training session.
The Las Vegas gym is Strickland’s home base, where he trains under head coach Eric Nicksick. At the time, the fighters even posed for a group photo with several athletes, and sparring footage featuring the pair also surfaced online. However, the narrative surrounding that session has evolved over the years.
Early accounts largely suggested that Chimaev dominated the exchanges, but more recent retellings have painted a far more balanced picture. Regardless, whatever camaraderie once existed between the two has long since deteriorated, with both fighters now regularly trading heated insults across social media.
With that history in mind, Dana White joked that security may need to be on high alert to prevent any chaos during fight week. In the announcement video posted on YouTube, He said, “Fun card and obviously the main event is the fight that people have been waiting for for a long time. Strickland looked incredible in his last performance, and you know, how much security do you think we’re gonna need for Chimaev vs Strickland?”
“How much security you think we’re gonna need for Chimaev vs Strickland?”
– Dana White 😂😂😂
via @ufc
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) March 13, 2026
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Given the personalities involved, the concern is not unfounded. Chimaev has previously been involved in backstage altercations, most notably during the lead-up to UFC 279 with Kevin Holland.
For the unversed, reports at the time claimed the reigning 185-pound champion, who was competing at welterweight in 2022, kicked Holland backstage, which quickly escalated into a larger scuffle and a major security issue. The involvement of multiple fighters in the altercation ultimately forced the cancellation of the event’s pre-fight news conference.
That chaotic week took another turn when Chimaev famously missed weight by a massive 7.5 pounds, tipping the scales at 178.5 pounds. The miss led to a last-minute reshuffling of the card, resulting in Tony Ferguson facing Nate Diaz in the new main event, while Chimaev was moved to the co-main event, where he went on to defeat Holland.
Strickland, meanwhile, is no stranger to controversy himself. The former middleweight champion notably exchanged several blows cage-side ahead of his UFC 297 title fight with Dricus Du Plessis. On top of that, the American’s unfiltered, piston-like trash talk has often stirred headlines, something fans witnessed once again during the recent UFC Houston fight weekend.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.