(Photo credit score: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
Things have reached a boiling level within the middleweight division forward of Saturday’s UFC 328 occasion in Newark, N.J., as newly minted UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev appears to be like to deal with unfinished enterprise in opposition to former champion Sean Strickland within the headliner of a 13-fight card.The friends-turned-enemies let the racial insults fly Thursday night on the Prudential Center in entrance of a rambunctious crowd on the pre-fight press convention.The UFC allowed each males to do the normal ceremonial faceoff earlier than safety pulled each off the stage after Chimaev kicked Strickland within the leg, marking a darkish climax to a chaotic week of separation earlier than the combat.Strickland (30-7 MMA) was visibly annoyed the whole press convention, screaming all through at Chimaev (15-0 MMA) about his Russian heritage and the way he is now categorized as preventing from the United Arab Emirates. Chimaev, in flip, invoked Strickland’s abusive father and childhood trauma.’He’s going to be lifeless in two days,’ Chimaev mentioned. ‘ … I’ll be your daddy within the cage. I’ve been all day, every single day, your daddy. You learn about it. I’m your daddy. Listen to your daddy.’UFC CEO Dana White mentioned the rivalry has unhealthy blood, which has made it a top-three rivalry within the promotion’s historical past.Unlike Dricus du Plessis, who misplaced to Chimaev at UFC 319 after Chimaev used a dominant wrestling base, Strickland made one factor clear.’They do not wish to watch a boring-ass f****** combat,’ Strickland mentioned. ‘I would like you to wrestle. I’ll outwrestle you.’Strickland described Chimaev’s sparring session in opposition to him, which has since resurfaced on social media, as a 2022 ‘warm-up match’ that set Chimaev off.Hostility apart, Chimaev enters the combat with 4 submission wins in 9 UFC matches. Strickland earned the title shot off a third-round TKO defeat of Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston in February.The combat is ready as a five-rounder, marking Chimaev’s first title protection whereas Strickland makes an attempt to regain the title after relinquishing it to du Plessis in January of 2024 at UFC 297.The co-main occasion sees a re-booked flyweight title combat between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira. The pair had been supposed to fulfill at UFC 327 final month in Miami, Fla., however Van sustained an undisclosed minor damage that shifted the combat to this occasion.Van (16-2 MMA) grew to become the brand new UFC flyweight champion in December at UFC 323, as an arm damage to then-champion Alexandre Pantoja ended the combat after simply 26 seconds. He is the primary fighter born this century to develop into a UFC champion, whereas Taira (18-1 MMA) goals to be the primary UFC champion from Japan with a win over Van, who’s from Myanmar.The major card will get underway on Paramount Plus at 9 p.m. ET.
Main card (topic to alter)
— Main Event: (C) Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) vs. Sean Strickland (30-7) for UFC middleweight title
— Co-Main Event: (C) Joshua Van (16-2) vs. Tatsuro Taira (18-1) for UFC flyweight title
— Alexander Volkov (39-11) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (17-2), heavyweight
— Sean Brady (18-2) vs. Joaquin Buckley (21-7), welterweight
— King Green (34-17-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (29-22), light-weight
–Field Level Media