UFC 328 fight fallout: Best bouts for Sean Strickland, Khamzat Chimaev, Joshua Van and more after Saturday
Strickland and Chimaev should go their separate ways after a hostile road to UFC 328
Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev seem ready to move on from each other. The energy heading into UFC 328 was incredibly hostile. Post-fight, they found closure despite the narrow scorecards.
Let's get one thing out of the way: there's no need for a rematch. Chimaev vs. Strickland was built on their deep disdain for each other. Once the fight started, that hatred melted away. Chimaev gleefully wrapped the title belt around Strickland after an unmemorable fight. Furthermore, despite being undefeated, Chimaev didn't notch a single title defense. Fortunately, there are opportunities on the horizon that are more exciting than they first appear.
Strickland is one of the best underdog fighters in MMA. He's upset Chimaev, Israel Adesanya, Anthony Hernandez, Brendan Allen and Nassourdine Imavov. Speaking of Imavov, he's the rightful No. 1 contender with a lot of animosity towards the new champ.
UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van is a breath of fresh air in the division. His all-action style has already produced several memorable fights. He has a chance to elevate the often-overlooked weight class with plenty of dance partners.
There's finally room to breathe after one of the tensest builds in UFC history. Breathe in, breathe out and take a look at the fights worth making after UFC 328.
Middleweight
Sean Strickland (c) vs. Nassourdine Imavov: Strickland's win is the best thing for Imavov. UFC already passed over Imavov in favor of the bigger box office attraction. Furthermore, Chimaev didn't want to fight someone from the Caucasus. Strickland and Imavov have legitimate beef dating back to 2023. Strickland beat Imavov in a short-notice light heavyweight main event. Imavov hasn't been shy about how much he dislikes Strickland or how badly he wants the rematch. There's ammo for a feud, and it's legitimately the best worthy fight.
Light Heavyweight
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa: Chimaev told UFC CEO Dana White after the fight that he wants to move up to 205 pounds and White acknowledged that it's an exciting proposition. With that said, there's a lot of uncertainty at light heavyweight right now. The current champ, Carlos Ulberg, is on the mend for at least six months with a torn ACL. The No. 1 ranked fighter, Magomed Ankalaev, would likely turn down a fight with a fellow countryman. No. 2, Alex Pereira, is moving up to heavyweight. And No. 3, Jiri Prochazka, was just knocked out by Ulberg. You could put Chimaev in with Prochazka for pure chaos, but Costa seems like a more doable proposition. Costa just recently moved up as well and probably needs at least one more fight before being considered title fight material. Chimaev gets to take on a brutal striker where he can test out how his game translates up 20 pounds in weight.
Flyweight
Joshua Van (c) vs. Alexandre Pantoja: The current and former champ have unfinished business. Van rightfully won the title, but wasn't definitively the better man. Pantoja suffered a fight-ending arm injury after being pushed over. After UFC 328, there's no denying Van is a world-class fighter. The rematch will be bigger than the first go. Between Van's defensive skills and Pantoja's durability, there's good reason to think it'll live up to Van vs. Taira.
Tatsuro Taira vs. Manel Kape or Kyoji Horiguchi: Taira elevated himself in defeat. Everyone respected his skill, but few comprehended his toughness. Van nearly knocked him out in Rounds 2 and 3. Remarkably, Taira endured and likely won Round 4. Next month, Horiguchi and Kape headline UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. The winner will knock on the door of a title shot. The loser will need an opponent. Either matchup is great, but taking Taira vs. Horiguchi to Japan is a no-brainer.
Heavyweight
Alexander Volkov vs. Alex Pereira or Ciryl Gane: Volkov is in an unfortunate and undeserved position. He should have fought for the heavyweight title after a 2024 loss to Gane, widely considered a robbery. Now he's stuck waiting for the dust to settle. Pereira and Gane will fight for the interim heavyweight title at Freedom 250 in June. The winner is expected to unify with heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. There are two best-case scenarios for Volkov: replacing an injured party on June 14 or challenging the interim champ if Aspinall isn't cleared to fight. Otherwise, Volkov is stuck with scraps.
Waldo Cortes Acosta vs. Curtis Blaydes: Cortes Acosta has work to do after losing a potential title eliminator. Several newer heavyweights are rising through the ranks. The division needs a facelift, so it's best to avoid having new contenders fight each other. Blaydes is coming off a high-profile loss to Josh Hokit in one of the all-time best heavyweight fights. There's a valuable scalp to collect in either direction.
