Khamzat Chimaev labelled 'coward' after kicking Sean Strickland in heated face-off before UFC 328
Published 08/05/2026 at 14:48 GMT+1
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Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev kicked Sean Strickland during their face off before UFC 328 on Saturday night.
Highlights: Chimaev dominates Du Plessis to claim middleweight title at UFC 319
Video credit: TNT Sports
The duo headline the latest UFC card, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max, with the unbeaten Chimaev defending his title, and Strickland looking to reclaim the belt he lost in 2024.
And their face off was heated, with the pair exchanging words before Chimaev kicked the shin of his American counterpart.
Security then swooped in, dragging Chimaev away and restraining Strickland, as UFC CEO Dana White watched on.
Eventually, Strickland abandoned his attempts to charge through security to reach Chimaev, with the pair instead trading insults from afar.
Strickland subsequently wrote on social media: "Exactly what I expected a coward to do."
Meanwhile, Chimaev said during the event: ”He can try whatever he wants to try, but it’s not going to work with me.
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‘Why not?’ - Chimaev wants to box McGregor after Strickland UFC 328 bout
Video credit: TNT Sports
”I see him only doing like jab, jab, right hand, jab. So, if we do just a boxing fight, I can beat this guy up.
”But, I never think about my opponent’s style. Why should I think about what he’s going to do?
”He has only one thing. Just hope. You see UFC 328, I'm going to go there to smash that guy.”
UFC 328 will also feature a flyweight championship title bout as champion Joshua Van goes up against Japan’s Tatsuro Taira.
The fight had initially been scheduled for UFC 327 last month but Van withdrew because of an injury.
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UFC 328: Chimaev v Strickland fight card
Main card
- Khamzat Chimaev v Sean Strickland
- Joshua Van v Tatsuro Taira
- Alexander Volkov v Waldo Cortes Acosta
- Sean Brady v Joaquin Buckley
- King Green v Jeremy Stephens
Preliminary card
- Ateba Gautier v Ozzy Diaz
- Joel Alvarez v Yaroslav Amosov
- Grant Dawson v Mateusz Rebecki
- Jim Miller v Jared Gordon
Early preliminary card
- Roman Kopylov v Marco Tulio
- Pat Sabatini v William Gomis
- Baisangur Susurkaev v Djorden Santos
- Clayton Carpenter v Jose Ochoa
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Khamzat Chimaev of Russia is seen on stage during the UFC 328 press conference at Prudential Center on May 07, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey.
Image credit: Getty Images
How to watch UFC 328: Chimaev v Strickland in the UK
UFC 328 is live on TNT Sports 1.
The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is HBO Max, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports and entertainment in one destination.
You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.
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