Colby Covington is confident that Khamzat Chimaev will achieve a decisive victory over Sean Strickland in their upcoming bout. Chimaev is set to defend his middleweight title for the first time against former champion Strickland in the main event of UFC 328, scheduled for May 9 in Newark, New Jersey.
“Borz” captured the 185-pound belt with a grappling-heavy performance, earning a unanimous decision victory over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in August 2025. The 31-year-old Chechen fighter remains undefeated with a 15-0 record, including a perfect 9-0 run in the UFC. He is widely expected to continue his winning streak against Strickland, leveraging his aggressive style.
Meanwhile, the 35-year-old American fighter made his return after a year-long hiatus, following a unanimous decision loss to Dricus du Plessis in their title clash at UFC 312 in February 2025. He bounced back impressively, scoring a knockout victory over surging contender Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston last month. Strickland holds a 17-7 record inside the Octagon and will be aiming to reclaim the title he first captured by defeating former champion Israel Adesanya via decision at UFC 293 in September 2023.
Colby Covington Foresees Tactical Approach from Khamzat Chimaev Against Sean Strickland
Colby Covington described the upcoming fight as a stylistic mismatch, suggesting that “Borz” will likely rely on his elite grappling to neutralize Strickland’s striking threat.
Covington stated: “No, I’m not giving him [Strickland] a chance. Anthony Hernandez and Khamzat are completely different levels of grapplers and the way they approach their strategy. So, I think Khamzat’s going to take him down and submit him.”
The former UFC welterweight champion also recalled a widely discussed 2022 sparring session between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland, which had conflicting accounts from both camps. Covington asserts that the reigning champion dominated Strickland back then and is likely to replicate that performance on May 9.
“Schmo went and watched them spar back at Extreme Couture a couple of years ago, and he pretty much said it wasn’t competitive. He was just taking him down and submitting him. So, I expect that same game plan,” Covington added.
Covington emphasized that “Borz” would adopt a calculated game plan and is likely to control the fight decisively. “He’s not going to be stupid and strike with Sean and make it a kickboxing fight. He’s just going to make it straight grappling, and I think he’s going to put Strickland in some really bad positions and either submit him or just hold him out for 25 minutes,” Covington concluded.