Published May 10, 2026
Sean Strickland won the Ultimate Fighting Championship 185-pound championship for the second time in his career, defeating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision in a bout that never reached the level of violence and threats of violence outside the cage that both fighters engaged in prior to the main event of UFC 328.
In front of 17,783 fans at the Prudential Center on Saturday, Strickland took two scorecards, 48-47, and Chimaev took the third, 48-47.
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Strickland, the second former middleweight to regain his title, mimed wrapping a belt around his waist after the fifth round, ending a bout in which neither fighter was in serious danger. When Chimaev honored him in the cage, he helped out with a shiny new fashion accessory.
In the wake of one of the most abhorrent trash talks in recent fight history, particularly the Strickland fight, the UFC has increased security at hotels, public events, and around the cage leading up to the fight. Strickland threatened to shoot Chimaev and labeled him a “terrorist” because of his ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Chimaev, who lost his first 16 professional fights, is ethnically Chechen and fights under the flag of the United Arab Emirates. He retorted by saying he would “remove” Strickland’s head.
The fighters began the match by clapping their gloves to prove they were professionals, but the pre-fight hostility never spilled into the cage.
Strickland, 35, who won the 185-pound belt in September 2023 and lost in his first defense, apologized to fans of all races after the fight and admitted he “tried too hard” in weaponizing stereotypes to promote the fight.
The UFC held its final major card before the June 14 White House show hosted by US President Donald Trump.
The show, which UFC CEO Dana White called a “1 of 1 event,” is timed as part of President Trump’s 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump frequently attends major UFC events, but did not attend the event in New Jersey.
Van retains flyweight title in co-main event
Joshua Vann defended his 125-pound (56.6 kg) title in the first UFC title fight contested between two Asian fighters, putting Tatsuro Hira in a bloody mess in the co-main event.
Vann dominated with his superior boxing skills, earning a stoppage victory at 1:32 of the fifth round, sending the crowd into a roar as he defended his title for the first time since defeating Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323.
Bang (17-2) took control in the second round by knocking him down with a right hand to the jaw, and repeatedly punched Taira (18-2) in the face. Vann was unable to finish the round, but continued to land shots to the face and body for the rest of the rounds, leaving Taira’s face and chest covered in blood.
Van and Tyra marked the first time the UFC has held a title fight between two fighters born in the 2000s.
Van, a 24-year-old from Myanmar, has won seven straight fights and 10 of 11 since signing with the UFC. And few fights were bigger wins than the co-main event of the UFC’s 11th run in Newark.
Taira failed in his quest to become the first Japanese UFC champion.
In other notable matches on the main card, Sean Brady defeated Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision. King Green choked Jeremy Stevens. Alexander Volkov defeated Waldo Cortez Acosta by unanimous decision.
Miller wins first victory since teenage son’s battle with cancer
On the undercard, 42-year-old Jim Miller used a submission win to return to the cage for the first time since his teenage son overcame a rare childhood cancer, boosting his UFC fight record and career win total.
Miller, a New Jersey native, defeated Jared Gordon by rear-naked choke in 3 minutes, 29 seconds of the first round in a lightweight bout at UFC 328 with his family cheering him on at the Prudential Center. Miller amassed a career record of 47 fights and 28 wins under the UFC banner.
Miller also earned his 20th finish, the second-most in UFC history.
Wyatt Miller, 14, was diagnosed last year. rhabdomyosarcomaa rare type of cancer that begins as a growth of cells in soft tissue and is often seen in childhood. Wyatt underwent two courses of chemotherapy and five weeks of proton beam radiation at Rutgers University Cancer Institute, and eventually received a clean bill of health.
“My son has had a really tough time the last few months,” Miller said inside the Octagon.
“He’s doing well today. Cancer-free. One of the things I told him when he was first diagnosed was that the Millers have been called a lot of bad names over the years, but Fragile was not one of them. He fought through it.”
Because of his son’s cancer scare, Miller was kept out of the cage for 13 months, an eternity for a fighter who had a habit of competing multiple times a year. Miller lost his last fight to Chase Hooper at UFC 314 in April 2025.
