UFC 328: Strickland vs. Chimaev – A Title Fight for the Ages

The Octagon is set to ignite on May 9th as Sean Strickland challenges Khamzat Chimaev for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 328. This highly anticipated bout pits Strickland’s striking prowess against Chimaev’s dominant grappling, promising a captivating clash of styles. Former Bellator MMA/PFL champion Johnny Eblen believes Strickland has a legitimate path to victory.

Eblen’s Insight: Strickland’s Path to Upsetting Chimaev

Eblen, a highly regarded middleweight himself, recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming title fight. He believes Strickland’s resilience and ability to avoid being controlled on the ground are key to his success. “I think Strickland has a good chance at beating Chimaev with his style,” Eblen stated [via Bowks Talking Bouts]. “You can’t just manhandle Strickland like that. You can’t just hold him down. Can’t just wrestle him like he fought DDP.”

Eblen draws parallels to Chimaev’s fight against Gilbert Burns, noting that Chimaev appeared to allow Burns to stand up at times, potentially to avoid grappling exchanges. “I think if he makes it a fight like when he had a fight with Gilbert [Burns], where there was moments that; I mean, honestly, I think Chimaev kind of let Gilbert up a couple times because he didn’t want to deal with the grappling, deal with the BJJ on the ground.”

The Dogfight Factor: Strickland’s Strengths

According to Eblen, the more the fight resembles a chaotic brawl, the better Strickland’s chances become. “But the more of a dog fight it is, I think it’s better for Strickland and I think he can make it a dog fight. Especially if he keeps the fight on the feet, I think he has better odds at winning.” Eblen even offered to help Strickland prepare for the fight, recognizing their complementary training styles. “I’m gonna try to go out. I’m actually going to go out and help him after my fight and get him prepared for Chimaev.”

“I think I’m a good look for him. I think we push each other and it’s always great training. So, as long as Sean’s healthy and focused, I think he has a really good shot at winning the title again, man.”

Other UFC News & Updates

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• Shevchenko & Barber Tension: Valentina Shevchenko responds to Maycee Barber’s comments ahead of Barber’s fight against Alexa Grasso.
• Featherweight Title Picture: Henry Cejudo questions Movsar Evloev’s claim to the next featherweight title shot, while Alexander Volkanovski shows no interest in facing Jean Silva.
• Pereira’s Heavyweight Debut: Alex Pereira is moving up to heavyweight and will challenge for the interim title against Ciryl Gane.
• Joshua Van’s Flyweight Reign: Joshua Van prepares to defend his flyweight title against Tatsuro Taira.
• UFC White House Event: Israel Adesanya initially considered participating in the UFC’s event at the White House but has since decided against it.

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