Headlined by Sean Strickland taking on Khamzat Chimaev for the UFC Middleweight Championship, UFC 328 showcases five great fights that include the likes of Joshua Van, Tatsuro Taira and Alexander Volkov.
UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland
Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland
Chimaev – 15-0 (6 wins by KO/TKO)
Strickland – 30-7 (12 wins by KO/TKO)
Chimaev def du Plessis – Decision (unanimous) – UFC 319
Strickland def Hernandez – TKO (punches) – UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez
Defending the UFC Middleweight Championship for the first time, Khamzat Chimaev will face Sean Strickland in the main event at UFC 328 and will not only look to keep the belt but also keep his unbeaten streak alive.
A master at takedowns, Chimaev will go after Strickland quickly and try and get him off his feet. In previous fights, Strickland has only defended takedowns 75% of the time, while his opponent is averaging approximately 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes at the moment.
Best Now MATCH RESULT - KHAMZAT CHIMAEV @ $1.16Joshua Van (c) vs Tatsuro Taira
Van – 16-2 (8 wins by KO/TKO)
Taira – 18-1 (6 wins by KO/TKO)
Van def Pantoja – TKO (arm injury) – UFC 323
Taira def Moreno – TKO (punches) – UFC 323
With only three losses between them, there are plenty of unanswered questions on both fighters – Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira – heading into the bout as they have yet to face the upper echelon of fighters that the UFC has to offer.
Expect to see a lot of big exchanges between both fighters early in the match-up, but it is likely to transition into a more technical fight later on. While Taira is the clear favourite, don’t be surprised if the fight goes the distance, as the duo will look to outdo each other in the ring but also remain cautious of their positioning.
Best Now WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? - YES @ $2.42Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta
Volkov – 39-11 (24 wins by KO/TKO)
Cortes-Acosta – 17-2 (9 wins by KO/TKO)
Volkov def Almeida – Decision (split) – UFC 321
Cortes-Acosta def Lewis – TKO (punches) – UFC 324
Waldo Cortes-Acosta has been on a thrilling run as of late, but expect his winning streak to come to a close this weekend as he faces the experienced and skilled veteran Alexander Volkov, who continues to be one of the most consistent heavyweights in the world.
Over the past five years, Volkov has held a record of 7-3, but his only defeats have come from stars Ciryl Gane (twice) and Tom Aspinall. Known for his hard-hitting style, the veteran uses his length and patience to frustrate his opponents before taking them down with ease.
Best Now MATCH RESULT - ALEXANDER VOLKOV @ $1.65Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley
Brady – 18-2 (3 wins by KO/TKO)
Buckley – 21-7 (15 wins by KO/TKO)
Brady def by Morales – TKO (punches) – UFC 322
Buckley def by Usman – Decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN: Usman vs Buckley
It should be an easy fight for Sean Brady to emerge victorious if he is able to follow the same blueprint that was used by Kamaru Usman to stun Joaquin Buckley at one of the recent UFC on ESPN events.
With Brady averaging 3.53 takedowns per 15 minutes, all he needs to do is take Buckley (who holds a 72% takedown defence) to the mat. This was evident in Buckley’s previous fight against Usman when he was taken down on four occasions as his opponent controlled him on the floor for nearly 13 minutes.
Best Now MATCH RESULT - SEAN BRADY @ $1.57King Green vs Jeremy Stephens
Green – 34-17-1 (1) (12 wins by KO/TKO)
Stephens – 29-22 (1) (19 wins by KO/TKO)
Green def Zellhuber – TKO (punches) – UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Kavanagh
Stephens def by Jones – Decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo
On the back side of their respective careers, expect a striking fest from King Green and Jeremy Stephens as they will be happy to trade punches rather than trying to grapple and takedown one another for a submission.
While both have suffered some stoppages throughout their respective fighting careers, either one could very easily walk away with the victory, but Green is the safer bet considering his form compared to Stephens at the moment.
Best Now METHOD OF VICTORY - KING GREEN BY KO/TKO @ $3.70