Las Vegas –UFC’s returns to Newark, N.J. with an exciting middleweight championship grudge match that will see Khamzat Chimaev defend against former titleholder and current No. 3 ranked contender Sean Strickland. Also, heavyweight contenders collide when No. 2 ranked Alexander Volkov battles No. 4 Waldo Cortes Acosta.
UFC® 328: CHIMAEV vs. STRICKLAND takes place Saturday, May 9 at Prudential Center with the main card starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on Paramount+. The late prelims will begin at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Paramount+. The early prelims will kick off at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Paramount+ and UFC Fight Pass.
UFC® 328: CHIMAEV vs. STRICKLAND will mark the twelfth UFC event at the famed arena dating back to 2007. UFC® 302 headlined by Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier in 2024 still holds the venue’s live event gate record.
UFC® 328: CHIMAEV vs. STRICKLAND tickets will go on sale Friday, March 20 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET and are available atTicketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club ® will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 18 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET via the website UFCFightClub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 19 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET. To access the pre-sale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC Octagon Girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.
Chimaev (15-0, fighting out of The United Arab Emirates by way of Chechnya, Russia) plans to kick off his 2026 campaign with a vintage performance. An undefeated competitor, he holds impressive wins against former UFC champions Dricus du Plessis, Robert Whittaker and Kamaru Usman. Chimaev looks to stop Strickland to begin a dominant title reign.
Strickland (30-7, fighting out of Corona, Calif.) has his sight set on regaining the UFC middleweight championship. Known for his relentless pressure, he has delivered memorable victories over Anthony Hernandez, Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov. Strickland intends to become a two-time titleholder by handing Chimaev his first career loss.
Volkov (39-11, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) hopes to continue his momentum following his October win against Jailton Almeida. A 16-year MMA veteran, the Russian striker has also earned victories over Sergei Pavlovich, Tai Tuivasa and Alexander Romanov. Volkov looks to defend his spot in the rankings by halting Cortes Acosta’s momentum.
Cortes Acosta (17-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz. by way of Fundacion, Barahona, Dominican Republic) intends to secure his fourth consecutive KO victory. A heavy-handed boxer, he has earned notable finishes over Derrick Lewis, Shamil Gaziev and Ante Delija. Cortes Acosta now hopes to stake his claim for a title shot with a show-stealing performance against Volkov.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- No. 6 ranked welterweight contender Sean Brady (18-2, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) locks horns with No. 9 Joaquin Buckley (21-7, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.)
- Former UFC light heavyweight champion and current No. 5 ranked contender Jan Blachowicz (29-11-2, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) rematches No. 8 Bogdan Guskov (18-3-1, fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan)
- King Green (34-17-1 1NC, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.) squares off with Jeremy Stephens (28-20 1NC, fighting out of San Diego, Calif. by way of Des Moines, Iowa) in a clash of lightweight veterans
- Ateba Gautier (10-1, fighting out of Yaounde, Cameroon) takes on Ozzy Diaz (10-3, fighting out of Downtown Los Angeles, Calif.) at middleweight
For the latest information on bout announcements and additional information for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are subject to change. Please click?here?to apply for the event.
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About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 259 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 975 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.
About Prudential Center
Prudential Center is a world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, Professional Women’s Hockey League’s (PWHL) New York Sirens and more than 210 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Ranked in the Top 10 worldwide by Pollstar, Billboard and various other industry publications, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over 2 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit prucenter.com and follow the arena on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a HBSE property.
About Paramount, a Skydance Corporation
Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY) is a leading, next-generation global media and entertainment company, comprised of three business segments: Studios, Direct-to-Consumer, and TV Media. The Company’s portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, CBS – America’s most-watched broadcast network, CBS News, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Showtime, Paramount+, Pluto TV, and Skydance’s Animation, Film, Television, Interactive/Games, and Sports divisions. For more information please visit www.paramount.com.
