UFC 328 delivered one of the biggest upsets of 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Sean Strickland survived Khamzat Chimaev’s early wrestling pressure and pulled off a split-decision win to become UFC middleweight champion again.The card also featured a brutal flyweight title fight, where Joshua Van stopped Tatsuro Taira late in Round 5. Alexander Volkov, Sean Brady, and King Green also picked up major wins on a packed night that shifted multiple divisions.
UFC 328 results & Highlights: Sean Strickland hands Khamzat Chimaev his first MMA loss after a five-round title battle and more
Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev to win the middleweight title
Khamzat Chimaev started fast and looked dominant in the opening round. He secured an immediate takedown, controlled Strickland on the ground, and repeatedly attacked from the back position. Strickland spent most of Round 1 defending choke attempts and trying to escape dangerous grappling spots.The momentum changed in Round 2. Strickland started landing his jab more often and defended takedowns with better timing. He reversed grappling exchanges twice and forced Chimaev to work harder than expected. As the fight moved into deeper rounds, Chimaev’s pace dipped while Strickland controlled distance with steady boxing combinations.Round 3 stayed mostly on the feet. Strickland continued to pressure behind the jab and landed cleaner shots during long exchanges. Chimaev still found success with power punches and opened up damage around Strickland’s nose, but he struggled to regain full control of the fight.Chimaev answered in Round 4 with body shots and another late takedown near the fence. Still, Strickland stayed composed heading into the final round. Both fighters looked exhausted in Round 5, but Strickland defended late wrestling attempts and finished stronger with sharp jabs and counter punches.The judges scored the fight 48-47, 47-48, and 48-47 for Strickland. The loss marked the first defeat of Chimaev’s professional MMA career. Official UFC stats showed Chimaev landed 9 of 13 takedowns but managed only 6:04 of control time in five rounds.
Joshua Van retains flyweight title after late finish
Joshua Van defended his UFC flyweight title with a fifth-round TKO win over Tatsuro Taira in the co-main event. Taira found success with takedowns early, but Van answered with sharp boxing and nonstop pressure on the feet. The fight ended late in Round 5 after Van overwhelmed Taira with punches near the cage. After the fight, Van said during his UFC 328 Octagon interview, “It feels damn good to be the champion again.”
Highlight moment: King Green submits Jeremy Stephens in an opening-round finish
One of the fastest moments on the main card came when King Green stopped Jeremy Stephens in the first round. Green mixed quick punches with strong grappling before locking in a rear-naked choke. Stephens tried to fight the hands, but Green tightened the hold and forced the tap early, giving fans one of the cleanest finishes of the night.
Other key UFC 328 results
Alexander Volkov defeated Waldo Cortes Acosta by unanimous decision after controlling range and pace throughout the fight. Also, Sean Brady dominated Joaquin Buckley with grappling and top control to secure a clear decision win.UFC 328 ended with Sean Strickland once again proving he performs best when counted out. Meanwhile, Joshua Van strengthened his growing reputation with another tough title defense on one of the biggest cards of the year.