UFC 328: B/R Main Card Staff Predictions

UFC 328 goes down this Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, and it's easily the most stacked card of the year so far.

The event will be topped by a middleweight title fight, with undefeated champion Khamzat Chimaev taking on trash-talking former champ Sean Strickland in a hotly anticipated grudge match.

The bookmakers have a lot of confidence in the champion, but many fans and pundits believe Strickland, who possesses a unique style of striking and underrated wrestling, could have the tools to pull off the upset.

There will also be gold on the line in the co-main event, as flyweight champ Joshua Van takes on streaking challenger Tatsuro Taira.

It will be Van's first fight since he claimed the belt with a flukey, injury-induced victory over flyweight great Alexandre Pantoja, and a chance to legitimize his reign at the expense of one of the division's very best fighters.

Outside the title fights atop the bill, the UFC 328 main card will be rounded out by two high-stakes contender clashes and a fan friendly clash of veterans.

At heavyweight, we'll see Alexander Volkov and Waldo Cortes-Acosta collide in hopes of earning a crack at the belt—whether it's the interim title, or the undisputed belt held by Tom Aspinall.

Before that, we'll get a compelling welterweight clash as Joaquin Buckley and Sean Brady duke it out in hopes of setting themselves apart in a division that is thronging with fresh contenders.

The main card opener will go down at lightweight, where fan-favorite veterans Jeremy Stephens and King Green collide in a bout that should be very entertaining.

Here's how the B/R combat sports squad sees it all shaking out at Prudential Center in Newark.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland

Jack Gorman/Getty Images

Tom Taylor: I have never been very impressed with Sean Strickland. Yes, he's a former champion, and yes, his style tends to stump a lot of his opponents, but he's very beatable.

I feel the opposite about Khamzat Chimaev. Outside of a couple of close calls against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, he has been utterly dominant for every second he's been in the Octagon. He made Dricus Du Plessis and Robert Whittaker look average, and I'd argue they're both way better than Strickland.

You can see where I'm going with this. I'm not expecting a close fight. I'm expecting Chimaev to quickly and easily take Strickland down, and finish him inside a round or two. Call it a rear-naked choke.

Prediction: Chimaev by submission, Rd. 1

Lyle Fitzsimmons: I'm with Tom on Strickland. I know he beat Adesanya. I know he beat Hernandez. So he's not without worth. But Adesanya's subsequent fights indicate that he was caught at the right time. And Strickland's own performance against Alex Pereira, for example, indicates he's hardly infallible. 

Chimaev doesn't resemble "Poatan" stylistically, but he's every bit as good at what he does. That's bad news for Sean, and I can't see a scenario where he wins and barely one where he lasts more than five minutes.

Prediction: Chimaev by submission, Rd. 1

Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira

Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Tom Taylor: Joshua Van is one of my favorite fighters to watch right now, but he's going to have his hands full with Tatsuro Taira. The Japanese challenger is an excellent grappler—possibly good enough to win this fight inside the distance. 

That being said, Van has dealt with strong grapplers before, such as Brandon Royval, Rei Tsuruya and Cody Durden, and he has emerged more or less unscathed each time.

I'm not super confident about this prediction, but the champion should be able to keep this fight standing as he's done in similar matchups in the past, forcing Taira into a prolonged kickboxing contest.

If that's the way things go, he should win a clear-cut decision after five fun rounds—if his ferocious punching power doesn't end things sooner.

Prediction: Van by unanimous decision 

Lyle Fitzsimmons: To me, this one is about Taira and how good he is.  No disrespect to Van, but it feels like the challenger is simply on a higher trajectory. 

Frankly, I don't think Van would have beaten Pantoja had it not been for the injury.  In my forecast, Taira gets it to the mat early and often, eluding a firefight, and wins a pretty workmanlike decision over 25 minutes.

Prediction: Taira by unanimous decision 

Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Tom Taylor: Waldo Cortes-Acosta is on fire right now, but I've got to go with Alexander Volkov in this heavyweight matchup.

The Russian, a former Bellator champ, might be the second-best heavyweight in the UFC right now outside undefeated champ Tom Aspinall. He certainly beat No. 1 contender Ciryl Gane last time they fought, contrary to an egregious judges' decision. 

Volkov will need to be careful against a power-puncher like Cortes-Acosta, but his experience and ability to keep things at range with his jab and kicks will carry him to victory. 

Prediction: Volkov by unanimous decision

Lyle Fitzsimmons: I'm not suggesting Volkov is a transcendent talent, but he is a pretty good heavyweight and keeps the gate for the top tier. 

While I am a fan of Cortes-Acosta, his backstory and ability to end fights on a moment's notice, I don't think he's got the comprehensive skill set to win beyond the level he's already on.

Prediction: Volkov by unanimous decision

Joaquin Buckley vs. Sean Brady

Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Tom Taylor: The welterweight division is full of high-level contenders right now. Joaquin Buckley and Sean Brady are two of them, though I don't rate either as high as the likes of Ian Machado Garry, Michael Morales or Carlos Prates. 

This one is going to come down to who can set the terms of the fight.

Brady, whose only losses have come via stoppage on the feet, will be looking to get the fight to the ground and keep it there. Buckley, meanwhile, will be looking for a standup fight, which will allow him to capitalize on big advantages in striking technique and raw power.

It's hard to say who will be successful, but I'm leaning toward Buckley. I think he will come out aggressive and put Brady on the back foot, much like Morales did last year.

That will give him opportunities to trap and hurt his opponent, and from there, it's probably just a matter of time.

Prediction: Buckley via TKO, Rd. 2

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Brady had all sorts of issues with Morales, as Tom pointed out. And while it's certainly possible that aggressive fighters can continue to give him problems, I don't think Buckley is that guy. 

I think Brady is successful in getting it to the ground and having it his way for most if not all of 15 minutes. But I don't think either of them will be winning a title anytime soon.

Prediction: Brady by unanimous decision

King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Tom Taylor: It's pretty amazing that these guys are still on the UFC roster in 2026. That said, both still possess the tools that carried them through their primes— speed and footwork in Green's case, and ferocious knockout power in Stephens'. 

The big questions are whether Green is still quick and defensively sound enough to avoid Stephens' power shots, and whether he's durable enough to survive if he does get hit. It's hard to have a lot of faith in him at this stage of his career, but I think he's still good enough to scrape by a bruiser like Stephens. 

Snappy jabs and footwork carry him to a well-deserved, late-career W.

Prediction: Green by unanimous decision 

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Is it just me or does it feel like Green is fighting every 10 days? Obviously not, but he does seem to be around a lot, well past his sell-by date beyond an ability to talk trash and fight in an unorthodox manner.

Stephens is no gem himself these days, but based on body of work, I'll take a power hitter against Green.

Prediction: Stephens by TKO, Rd. 2