UFC 328 Main Card Is Live Tonight at 9:00 PM ET
(Main card picks listed at the bottom of the article)
Introduction
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Brick City this weekend as the promotion turns up the heat on a long-brewing beef. Live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Chechan Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev and American Sean Strickland will clash in the octagon after waging an internet war of unsavory words.
Beyond the settling of a bitter acrimony, the main event at UFC 328 involves the most decorative of implications. The victor takes home the middleweight championship belt.
Saturday night’s matchup will follow in an established tradition of the UFC cashing in on sour relations between contending fighters. It remains a brutal truth that the public is simply more intrigued by bouts which contain genuine bad blood.
Combat sports leagues are sanctioned arenas in which individuals have the legal right to come to blows. Thus, it seems most sensible for the participants to have a personal dispute to physically quarrel over.
Throughout the 33 years since the genesis of the UFC, fans of the organization have witnessed a handful of ugly feuds. The majority of such rivalries sprouted from the verbal discrediting of an opponent’s talent. Others were amplified by scuffles at anticipatory press conferences, and very few crossed into extremely personal attacks on religious or familial matters.
Yet, the rancorous relationship between undefeated champion Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev and former middleweight titleholder Sean Strickland has garnered an influx of media attention as their competitive animosity has transversed into uncharted waters.
Last week, a media scrum was conducted for Strickland. In the midst of a plethora of unappetizing comments (which will remain censored on a rated-E program such a Club Underground), Strickland threatened to employ a firearm if an encounter with Borz were to occur in the days leading up to their championship contest.
The American fighter has certainly cultivated a reputation of being distastefully unhinged, and the remarks were delivered with an air of sarcasm. Chimaev calmly brushed off the dire claims in his own address to reporters. However, even if jokingly expressed and unseriously received, such threats are a step darker than any other psychological games played in preceding UFC beefs.
Moreover, neither combatant offers a historical record of simply letting even the slightest displays of disrespect slide down his “waterproof back.” On one occasion, Strickland infamously initiated a physical altercation with fellow foe Dricus Du Plessis in the crowd at UFC 296.
As for Chimaev, the champion recently found himself in a heated confrontation with welterweight Ian Machado Garry this past November.
Though the two unpredictable personalities contribute to dramatic appeal, the imminent spectacle still raises concerns of dangerous escalations. The promotion would be wise to bolster security and keep the competitors distantly separated during any pre-fight or post-fight ceremonies.
Introducing the Headliners
All this talk of verbal attacks outside the octagon has run its course. A discussion of the gladiatorial battle commencing once the cage door shuts is now most appropriate.
Oddly enough, both fighters possess technical approaches that directly contrast their external personalities. The often cold, quiet Chimaev is a ball of unfettered aggression on the canvas. Conversely, the wild, nutty persona of Sean Strickland transforms into an extremely calculated and patient combatant amid competition.
The upcoming title opportunity is presented to Strickland after securing a knockout victory over top contender Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez. The finishing performance embodied the highest form of the American’s unique style.
He lulled Hernandez into a slow-paced chess match. By maintaining a comfortable middle distance on the feet, Strickland peppered his target with his patented jab and trust teep kick. As Hernandez slowly endured an accumulation of damaging strikes, the former champion geared up to ambush with a flurry of different attacks.
An entertaining climax was reached when Strickland landed a ripping knee to the body. He followed up with a series of uppercuts and right-hands which ultimately put an enthralling end to the night.
As it pertains to applying predictive powers to the impending bout with Chimaev, the beatdown of Hernandez is not all that useful. The gameplan for the reigning Borz is no secret. He will wrestle…then wrestle some more…then keep on wrestling.
Though Fluffy Hernandez is no slouch on the ground himself, he resorted to very few takedowns against Strickland. To his credit, the American denied each of these grappling attempts. In fact, over the course of his lengthy career, Strickland has effectively defended against takedowns at a 77% success rate. Yet, the ground skills of his former opponents pale in comparison to the wrestling pedigree of Khamzat Chimaev.
In August, the Chechan sensation outclassed former champ Dricus Du Plessis to claim the middleweight throne. His performance was utterly dominant. The undefeated fighter realized twelve takedowns, and he sustained close to twenty-two minutes of control time (over 85% of a five-round duration).
Although Chimaev’s signature procedure has received critiques in regards to its entertainment value, his winning formula has proven absolutely faultless. It seems simply inevitable that, upon the ringing of the opening bell, Borz will charge at his prey and secure a takedown. The fight will then remain in his control until the round ends or a submission is actualized.
Perhaps the scariest component of the tremendous challenge Chimaev presents is that he is also an impeccable striker. He is very technically sound in the art of boxing, and he possesses dynamic power in both hands. Two of his nine victories in the UFC came by first-round knockout.
Main Event Pick and Predictions
With all due respect to the talent of Sean Strickland, this championship affair will likely return a lopsided contest in favor of the defending Chimaev.
The crystal ball here at Club Underground Studios foresees Strickland surviving early wrestling exchanges. Striking trades may bear some fruit for the American who could temporarily baffle Borz with his awkward boxing.
Yet, the grappling expertise of the middleweight king persists. A particularly bloodthirsty Chimaev, fired up due to Strickland’s recurring trash talk, incessantly hunts a finish on the ground.
Ultimately, Khamzat Chimaev silences his bitter rival with a submission victory in the third round. Borz retains gold and remains unbeaten.
Underground Pick: Chimaev wins by submission.
Complete List of Main Card Picks:
Middleweight Title Fight: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland – Underground Pick: Winner – Khamzat Chimaev
Flyweight Title Fight: Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira – Underground Pick: Winner – Tatsuro Taira
Heavyweight Fight: Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes Acosta – Underground Pick: Winner – Waldo Cortes Acosta
Welterweight Fight: Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley – Underground Pick: Winner – Sean Brady
Lightweight Fight: King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens – Underground Pick: Winner – King Green
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