Potential matchups after UFC 328

Sean Strickland defends the belt against Nassourdine Imavov in a rematch

Strickland had one of the biggest upsets of all time, beating the undefeated champion Khamzat Chimaev. Strickland first won the belt as a huge underdog against Israel Adesanya. 

Imavov is on a five-fight win streak and seemingly is most deserving of the next title shot. Imavov’s last loss was against Strickland in 2023. 

There’s some bad blood between Strickland and Imavov, so the lead-up to the fight could end up being entertaining like the lead-up to 328.

Both guys are volume strikers who can batter their opponent all five rounds. It’ll be interesting to see how both of them have sharpened their skills since their last meeting in the Octagon.

Khamzat Chimaev moves to light heavyweight

After the loss, UFC president Dana White stated that Chimaev wants to move to the 205 division. That would make sense. Chimaev looked drained at the weigh-in, and his cardio looked as though it suffered throughout the fight as a result. 

With champion Carlos Ulberg out for an extended period of time after surgery on his leg, it seems there will be an interim title fight in the meantime. Chimaev should get a shot to fight for the interim belt. A great matchup would be Paulo Costa. 

Costa had his first fight at light heavyweight at UFC 327. He was able to beat the undefeated Azamat Murzakanov by knockout. Costa and Chimaev have bad blood in their history as well. They were supposed to fight in 2023, but Costa had to pull out for medical reasons.

With all the bad blood, this fight would sell itself, and it makes perfect sense.

Joshua Van defends his belt against Alexandre Pantoja

Van was able to prove his championship status against Tatsuro Taira. Van encountered adversity early on against Taira in the grappling. But he was able to use his incredible boxing to finish Taira in the fifth round. 

Van fought Pantoja at UFC 323, but won because Pantoja hurt his arm in the first round. It was unfortunate, but the rematch would make sense to get closure on how the fight would play out. 

Pantoja is the second-longest reigning flyweight champion after Demetrious Johnson. He deserves a chance to get his belt back right away.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta fights Josh Hokit

Cortes-Acosta couldn’t really get going against Alexander Volkov. Volkov was using his length to stay on the outside and avoided Cortes-Acosta from getting big combinations off. 

Hokit is set to face Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom Fights 250 in June. Win or lose, Cortes-Acosta makes sense. Both guys are brawlers who are sure to make an interesting fight. The winner would position themselves very high in the race for the next title shot after the belt is unified. 

Sean Brady takes on Kamaru Usman

Brady dominated Joaquin Buckley. For three rounds, Brady was able to grapple Buckley, getting off ground and pound and searching for submissions. Usman hasn’t fought since summer 2025. 

Two of the best grapplers in the welterweight division would be sure to make a great fight as either a Fight Night main event or a main card fight on a numbered event. 

Ateba Gautier faces the No. 12-ranked Gregory Rodrigues

Gautier was able to knock out Ozzy Diaz in the second round at UFC 328. He’s undefeated in the UFC and is one of the hottest prospects.

Gautier has earned his chance at a ranked position in the middleweight division. Rodrigues would be the hardest test of Gautier’s young career. He is a vicious striker with lights-out power. Both guys can put someone to sleep quickly in the Octagon. 

Yaroslav Amosov takes on the No. 7-ranked Leon Edwards

Amosov was in the driver’s seat throughout the entire fight with Joel Alvarez. He was able to get the submission with an arm-triangle choke in the second round. 

Amosov should get a top-10-ranked opponent to breathe life into the welterweight division. Edwards is coming off his first knockout loss to Carlos Prates at UFC 322. Edwards needs to prove his rank in the top 10, having been on a three-fight losing streak. 

This is a winnable fight for both fighters. Amosov has slick grappling ability and the potential to submit anyone. Edwards is one of the cleanest strikers in the entire UFC. This fight would be an amazing one to see.