Dana White compares UFC 328 rivalry to Khabib vs McGregor

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Dana White believes there’s just one UFC feud in history that tops the one fans are about to witness in Newark this weekend.

The Octagon returns to the Prudential Center for UFC 328, set for May 9. In the main event, Sean Strickland challenges middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. Strickland is aiming to regain the title, while Chimaev looks to notch his first defence.

And given their ongoing tension and comments towards each other, there are fears things could escalate during fight week. According to White, it’s not something he sees often.

UFC president Dana White says Sean Strickland vs Khamzat Chimaev is the most heated rivalry since Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Dana White’s seen his fair share of bitter rivalries in the UFC over the years, but he still puts Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor at the top of the list.

Their feud peaked after UFC 229, when Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor and chaos broke out inside T-Mobile Arena.

That one’s usually mentioned alongside Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, whose rivalry included a press conference brawl that only added to their tension.

But according to White, Saturday’s main event between Chimaev and Strickland has now become number two on that list.

“Khamzat vs Strickland, bad blood,” White said during an appearance on WFAN’s The Carter Show.

“When you talk about top five UFC fights of all time where the guys have serious hatred between them, I put this number two behind Conor and Khabib.”

The rivalry between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland has grown throughout fight week. Security concerns led to Chimaev being pulled from a face-off with Strickland earlier this week, following an altercation with Nate Diaz in New York City.