(Photo credit score: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
UFC 328 will likely be headlined by Khamzat Chimaev making his first protection because the middleweight champion towards former champion Sean Strickland on the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Saturday night time.
Chimaev will enter because the heavy favourite, together with his odds shifting from -525 to -550 at BetMGM by Friday. However, the cash was largely cut up, with Chimaev backed by 51%, whereas Strickland had drawn 89% of the entire bets at +400.The UFC allowed each males to do the normal ceremonial faceoff Thursday night earlier than safety pulled each off the stage after Chimaev (15-0 MMA) kicked Strickland (30-7 MMA) within the leg, marking a darkish climax to a chaotic week of separation earlier than the battle.UFC CEO Dana White mentioned the rivalry has dangerous blood, which has made it a top-three rivalry within the promotion’s historical past.Hostility apart, Chimaev enters the battle 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 battle is about as a five-rounder, marking Chimaev’s first title protection whereas Strickland makes an attempt to regain the title after relinquishing it to Dricus du Plessis in January of 2024 at UFC 297.The co-main occasion sees a re-booked flyweight title battle between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira. The pair had been supposed to satisfy at UFC 327 final month in Miami, Fla., however Van sustained an undisclosed minor damage that shifted the battle to this occasion.Van (16-2 MMA) turned the brand new UFC flyweight champion in December at UFC 323, as an arm damage to then-champion Alexandre Pantoja ended the battle after simply 26 seconds. He is the primary fighter born this century to turn out to be 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.
Taira opened because the -175 favourite however has seen these odds shift a bit to -160. He has been backed by 52% of the battle cash, whereas Van has drawn 61% of the bets at +135.The foremost card will get underway on Paramount+ at 9 p.m. ET.
OTHER MAIN CARD FIGHTS
–Alexander Volkov (39-11) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (17-2), heavyweight
Volkov opened because the -190 favourite however has been flippantly backed with 33% of the entire bets and 44% of the cash. Meanwhile, Cortes-Acosta has seen his odds shift from +155 to +125, setting this up as one of the tightly-contested fights on the cardboard.
–Sean Brady (18-2) vs. Joaquin Buckley (21-7), welterweight
This is a battle of highly-ranked contenders who’re each coming off losses — Brady to Michael Morales and Buckley to 38-year-old Kamaru Usman.
Buckley has been a very talked-about underdog, garnering 73% of the entire bets and 70% of the cash whereas shifting from +155 to +140. Brady is now -170 after opening because the -185 favourite.
–King Green (34-17-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (29-22), light-weight
Stephens didn’t make weight, coming in at 160 factors. It’s the second miss at 145 kilos for Stephens, who hasn’t received a UFC battle in eight years. He returned from a 1-2 stint within the PFL to lose to Mason Jones final 12 months, and can now be combating for a 30% discount in pay Saturday night time.
Both fighters are 39, however Green is coming off wins over Lance Gibson Jr. and an upset of Daniel Zellhuber.
Green is among the heaviest favorites on the cardboard, sitting at -400 on Friday whereas backed by 62% of the cash. Stephens’ +310 underdog odds has drawn 72% of the entire bets.
–Field Level Media