Eblen and Strickland Mapped Chimaev’s Path to a UFC 328
Sean Strickland and former Bellator champion Johnny Eblen discussed how Khamzat Chimaev could approach their UFC 328 middleweight title fight during a media workout on April 29, 2026. Strickland later won the May 9 bout by split decision.
The pre-fight read
Eblen’s comments carried perspective from a fellow elite middleweight with extensive wrestling experience. He and Strickland considered the possibility that Chimaev would rely on takedowns and top control, a strategy that had defined several of the champion’s earlier UFC performances.
Strickland’s own answer reflected the central tactical question: could he keep the contest standing long enough to use his jab and volume? The matchup placed his boxing-oriented pressure opposite Chimaev’s ability to force grappling exchanges.
The discussion was a prediction, not a report of a completed fight. At the time of the workout, Chimaev remained unbeaten and Strickland was preparing for a championship opportunity after returning to contention.
What happened in the title fight
When the fighters met at Prudential Center in Newark, Chimaev controlled much of the opening round with wrestling. Strickland defended the next takedown attempts and took top position in the second, then the championship rounds featured extended striking exchanges.
The judges awarded Strickland a split decision, 48–47, 48–47 and 47–48. The result gave him a second UFC middleweight title reign and handed Chimaev his first professional defeat.
The eventual outcome made the media-workout exchange a useful record of the questions surrounding the fight, while the official scorecards establish the result. Eblen was not a participant in the bout; his role was to assess the matchup publicly.
Sources
- UFC: UFC 328 results and fight report
- UFC: official UFC 328 scorecards
- MMA Junkie: media-workout discussion
Tags
Sean Strickland, UFC, MMA News, Fight Analysis, UFC 293, UFC 297, Israel Adesanya, Dricus du Plessis, MMA Training, Combat Sports Industry, UFC, MMA
