Sean Strickland's Next Fight: When He Faces Khamzat Chimaev At UFC 328

Strickland is challenging the undefeated Chimaev in a five-round title bout. Chimaev enters 15-0 with a 9-0 UFC mark, coming off a one-sided title win over Dricus du Plessis that was so dominant, it pushed him into the pound-for-pound conversation despite only having major success in one weight class.

Strickland (30-7) is the ex-champ who shocked Israel Adesanya as a heavy underdog in 2023 before losing the belt to du Plessis. He earned this shot by stopping grappler Anthony Hernandez in February and now sits at +410 to Chimaev's -550 favorite price, per CBS Sports' opening lines.

How Can You Watch Sean Strickland's Next Fight?

In the United States, UFC 328 streams live on Paramount+ with no additional pay-per-view fee. The full schedule runs early prelims at 5 p.m. ET, prelims at 7 p.m. ET, and main card at 9 p.m. ET, with Strickland vs. Chimaev closing the night.

In the United Kingdom, prelims begin at midnight BST and the main card kicks off at 2 a.m. BST on Sunday, with TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max carrying the broadcast. Most other supported markets get the card via Paramount+ at the same ET schedule, with local time conversion required.

What's Next for Strickland After UFC 328?

If Strickland pulls the upset, the entire middleweight conversation flips. A win over Chimaev sets up either an immediate rematch with Chimaev, a DDP trilogy or another high-profile title defense, and it instantly resets his case as one of the most disruptive champions of the modern 185-pound era.

If he loses, this is likely his cleanest shot at the belt for the foreseeable future, and he'd probably slot into a high-end gatekeeper role against rising contenders rather than getting stacked back into another title fight.

Either outcome keeps him central to a middleweight division that's been one of the UFC's most volatile in years.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com