The Octagon wagon now shifts gears to New Jersey for another numbered card, as Khamzat Chimaev defends his 185-pound title against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 at the Prudential Center in Newark. Chimaev enters the bout riding a perfect 15-0 record, most recently capturing the middleweight crown with a dominant victory over Dricus Du Plessis.
On the other side, Strickland earned his title shot by snapping Anthony Hernandez’s eight-fight win streak at UFC Houston. Ranked No. 3, Strickland was selected ahead of No. 2 contender Nassourdine Imavov, a fighter he previously defeated in 2023. Despite the compelling matchup, much of the pre-fight narrative has leaned heavily in Chimaev’s favor.
Critics have pointed to his suffocating wrestling and the way he neutralized Du Plessis in Chicago, widely considered his toughest test, as reasons to doubt Strickland’s chances. However, not everyone is convinced it will be that straightforward. Joe Rogan has highlighted potential challenges Chimaev could face, particularly against opponents with strong grappling credentials.
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Speaking on his podcast, Rogan noted that while Chimaev has looked unstoppable against fighters without elite wrestling, he has encountered resistance against high-level grapplers like Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, as seen in their bouts at UFC 273 and UFC 294. With that in mind, Rogan believes the UFC 328 main event may not play out as predictably as many expect.
Rogan said, “The Strickland and Khamzat fight is going to be very interesting. Strickland is not an easy guy to take down, and he’s not an easy guy to hold down, and he’s a very difficult guy to hit on his feet, he’s got a super awkward style. His style is very clever, it’s very different, it’s not something that’s easy to replicate as far as timing in the gym.”
He further emphasized Strickland’s striking acumen, particularly his jab and defensive approach on the feet. “His jab is so accurate… To me, it’s gonna be what can Khamzat do on the feet, can he clip him, and can Strickland stop the takedowns?”
This line of thinking isn’t without merit. Strickland boasts a 72% takedown defense, one of the strongest marks in the 185lbs division. Meanwhile, when Chimaev faced Usman on short notice, he attempted 12 takedowns but secured just four.
Expanding on that point, Rogan said, “His timing on his takedowns is insane, it’s so good. If I was going to make an argument against him, he’s handling guys that don’t have a big background in elite wrestling, they’re not elite grapplers.”
He added, “The one guy who was an elite grappler gave him problems… Kamaru Usman. That was a short-notice fight, and in the third round, Kamaru was winning. That would’ve been very interesting if it was a five-round fight.”
Joe Rogan says Khamzat Chimaev has been handling opponents without elite wrestling backgrounds 👀🤯
“Khamzat is handling guys that don’t have a big background in elite wrestling; they’re not elite wrestlers. The guy that he fought who was an elite grappler and gave him problems… pic.twitter.com/CFQpNI1wXN
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) April 24, 2026
The bout Rogan referenced took place at UFC 294 in October 2023, when Chimaev met Usman after Paulo Costa withdrew on short notice. Usman stepped in with roughly 10 days’ preparation and competed at middleweight rather than his usual welterweight division. While Chimaev ultimately secured a majority decision, the fight was far from one-sided by the final horn.
Chimaev dominated early, controlling Usman for 4:35 in the opening round and finishing with 7:16 of total control time while landing four takedowns from 12 attempts. However, Usman rallied in the third round, finding success on the feet and making the contest far more competitive than many expected. The judges’ scorecards—29-27, 28-28, and 29-27—reflected just how closely contested the fight became.
That contrast becomes even more intriguing when compared to Chimaev’s dominant title-winning performance over Du Plessis, where he overwhelmed the South African with relentless pressure, racking up 529 significant strikes and more than 21 minutes of control time across five rounds. With that in mind, the UFC 328 main event presents a compelling question: can Strickland’s takedown defense hold up and force the fight to remain standing, or will Chimaev’s suffocating grappling once again dictate the outcome?
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.