UFC 328 Countdown: Chimaev vs. Strickland title fight gets video preview

The UFC rolled out its latest Countdown episode ahead of Saturday’s UFC 328 middleweight title fight between champion Khamzat Chimaev and former champ Sean Strickland at Prudential Center in Newark.

Chimaev won the belt with a dominant showing against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 last August, per MMA Fighting. Strickland earned his shot by stopping Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston in February and gets another crack at becoming a two-time champion.

Chimaev dismisses Strickland gun talk ahead of Newark showdown

The video traces the bad blood between the two fighters, much of it stemming from recent verbal exchanges. Chimaev addressed Strickland’s threats in a recent interview. “Clowns always talk,” he said, according to MMA Mania. “I don’t think the guy wants a war outside the cage. If he wanted it, he’d be dead already. Bro, in New Jersey, this is a Muslim community, it’s my home.”

The Countdown also features the co-main event between flyweight champion Joshua Van and Japanese contender Tatsuro Taira. That bout was bumped from UFC 327 in April after Van picked up an injury. MMA Fighting noted it marks the first UFC title fight between two fighters born in the 2000s.

UFC 328 airs Saturday night from Newark. The main card streams on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — ‘UFC 328 Countdown’ video | MMA Fighting
• mmamania.com — Watch ‘Countdown to UFC 328’ ahead of Chimaev-Strickland | MMA Mania