Sean Strickland Next Fight: 4 Options After His UFC 328 Title Win, Including Nassourdine Imavov

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images In the headliner of UFC 328 , Sean Strickland entered as the underdog against UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev last Saturday. However, the opposing odds weren’t anything new to the native of Anaheim, California. After a dominant first round where Chimaev controlled Strickland on the ground, it seemed that the challenger was in for a long night.

Then Strickland (31-7) turned the tide in round two, as he stuffed several takedowns from the defending champion. Chimaev (15-1) suddenly looked vulnerable inside the octagon, with Strickland working the jab and landing straight right hands. After five hard-fought rounds, “Tarzan” earned a split decision win to become a two-time champion at 185 pounds and handed the Russian native his first defeat.

As Strickland enters his second reign as the middleweight kingpin, we look at who he could face in his first title defense. Joe Pyfer Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images “Bodybagz” has compiled an impressive 7-1 record since his UFC debut in 2022.

Only one of those wins has come by way of decision. Joe Pyfer hit a setback after a unanimous decision loss against Jack Hermansson in February 2024. Since then, he has been on a four-fight winning streak, with three Performance of the Night bonuses.