Colby Covington Analyzes Khamzat Chimaev's Potential Dominance Over Sean Strickland at UFC 328

Colby Covington confidently asserts that Khamzat Chimaev will demonstrate clear superiority over Sean Strickland in their upcoming bout.

Chimaev is preparing for his first middleweight title defense against former champion Strickland. This fight will headline UFC 328, scheduled for May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

"Borz" captured the 185-pound title by securing a decisive unanimous decision victory over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in August 2025, heavily relying on his wrestling skills. The 31-year-old Chechen fighter remains undefeated with a 15-0 MMA record, including a perfect 9-0 run in the UFC. Many experts believe he will extend his winning streak against Strickland, owing to his aggressive style.

Meanwhile, the 35-year-old American fighter returned to the octagon after a year-long hiatus following his unanimous decision loss to Dricus du Plessis in their title fight at UFC 312 in February 2025. Strickland made an emphatic comeback, knocking out rising contender Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston last month.

Strickland's Octagon record now stands at 17 wins and 7 losses, and he will be aiming to reclaim the belt he first won by defeating former champion Israel Adesanya via decision at UFC 293 in September 2023.

Colby Covington Predicts a Tactical Approach from Khamzat Chimaev Against Sean Strickland

During a recent interview, Colby Covington was asked to share his thoughts on the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland title clash. "Chaos" characterized the fight as a stylistic mismatch, suggesting that "Borz" will most likely rely on his elite grappling to neutralize Strickland's striking threat.

"No, I'm not giving him [Strickland] any chances," Covington stated. "Hernandez and Khamzat are completely different levels of grapplers and approaches to strategy. So, I think Khamzat will take him down and submit him."

The former UFC welterweight champion also revisited the widely discussed 2022 sparring session between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland, about which both parties gave conflicting accounts. Covington claims that the reigning champion dominated Strickland back then and is likely to replicate that performance on May 9.

"Schmo went and watched them spar at Extreme Couture a couple of years ago, and he essentially said it wasn't competitive. Khamzat was just taking him down and submitting him. So, I expect the same game plan."

Covington asserted that "Borz" would adopt a well-thought-out game plan and is likely to decisively control the fight.

"He's not going to be foolish enough to strike with Sean and turn it into a kickboxing match. He's just going to turn it into pure grappling, and I think he's going to put Strickland in really bad positions and either submit him or just hold him down for all 25 minutes."