The build-up to Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev has been fascinating. Given the bad blood and genuine animosity between the two, it feels like the nastiest rivalry the UFC has seen in quite some time. There’s a legitimate concern that the aftermath could become chaotic, in a way reminiscent of the aftermath of McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.That said, bad blood and trash talk do not always produce an exciting fight. Remember Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape at UFC 304? 

Stylistically, it’s difficult to see this being a truly competitive fight. The mental pressure of Chimaev’s takedowns alone should force Strickland onto the back foot early. We have already seen Strickland struggle under sustained pressure from Dricus du Plessis, where DDP’s striking power pushed him back in the majority of their two fights. Secondly, Strickland’s best weapons are his jab and teep kicks, but those teep kicks are not viable against Chimaev. Throwing those teep kicks at an elite grappler such as Chimaev is dangerous. The last place Strickland wants to spend extended time is on the ground underneath Chimaev. If he has a chance to win this fight, it’s in the stand-up. 

To Strickland’s credit, he has shocked the world before. His title-winning performance against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 remains one of the greatest upsets in recent UFC history. His recent third-round TKO victory over Anthony Hernandez may have been the sharpest version of Strickland we have seen to date. Still, Chimaev presents an entirely different challenge. His combination of relentless wrestling pressure, physicality, and finishing ability is unlike anyone in the Middleweight Division.

Prediction: Chimaev via round 1 submission

Co-Main Event Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira

UFC 328 Co-Main event between Tatsuro Taira and Joshua Van presents a unique opportunity to look into the future of the flyweight division. Van 24, and Taira, 26, have yet to reach their respective primes but they already are fighting for a UFC championship. MMA Math will convince people that Joshua Van will win his first title defense at UFC 328. Last year, at UFC 317, the world learned how explosive Joshua Van’s striking was, in his fight with Brandon Royval, a fight Van won via unanimous decision. On the other hand, Taira lost a split decision to Royval at a UFC Fight Night in 2024. 

MMA Math doesn’t always work. Styles make fights and I believe Taira has the style to win this fight. I always assumed Tatsuro Taira would be the man to eventually dethrone Alexandre Pantoja. Similar to Pantoja, Taira has the versatility to mix things up with both high level grappling and striking. Taira also possesses a strong size advantage over Joshua Van. At 5 foot 6, Taira has two inches in height on Van but Taira’s real advantage is the 5 inches in reach he will have on Van. Taira can manage the distance in this fight with his reach advantage and potentially use his size to prevent takedowns. As impressive as Van has looked in his UFC career, his grappling has not been tested by elite competition. I believe Taira has more paths to victory in this fight. His standup is more than formidable but if he can secure some takedowns and mix things up, I expect him to win this fight handily. 

Prediction: Taira via Unanimous Decision

Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley

Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley is a fascinating clash of styles, as both fighters’ styles appear to be their opponents’ kryptonite. Neither fighter looked strong in their last outing. Kamaru Usman landed four takedowns in his twenty-five-minute match with Buckley, securing 12:57 of control time, and at least two minutes of control time in each of the first four rounds. In your classic striker vs grappler matchup, Sean Brady has the clear edge. However, I question if Brady can have the same success that Usman did against Buckley. Sean Brady is an elite grappler, but he does not possess the same size and strength as Kamaru Usman. In fact, he is three inches shorter and four inches shorter in reach. Brady does not have the attributes to bully Buckley as easily as Usman did. On the flip side, Buckley has a four-inch reach advantage over Brady in this fight. He can control the distance on the feet, and if he’s comfortable in the octagon, he can look dynamic in the stand-up game. Buckley does not have the same massive size advantage that Morales had against Brady at UFC 322, but I think it’s enough to give Brady problems. I lean Buckley in this fight, and if that happens, I would like to see Sean Brady move down to lightweight, where he would have a lot of success. 

Prediction: Buckley via KO Round 2

Alexander Volkov

The UFC heavyweight division needs some new blood at the top of the division, and Waldo Cortes-Acosta could be just that. The 34-year-old has an excellent stand-up game, devastating power, and a fun, marketable personality. 

However, I think Alexander Volkov is a nightmare matchup for him. The 37-year-old Volkov has 50 professional Mixed Martial Arts fights, while Cortes-Acosta has just 19. Volkov also has a strong size advantage, with 3 inches in height and two inches in reach. If Volkov can control the distance and keep this fight at kickboxing range, he will have a lot of success in this fight. Waldo Cortes will need to close the distance to land his signature overhand punch, and to do that, he has to handle Volkov’s power, which is a tall task. Volkov has more knockouts than Waldo-Cortes has fights. People forget Volkov is an elite heavyweight.

Prediction: Volkov via Unanimous Decision