UFC 328: Expert Picks for Chimaev vs. Strickland from Newark

UFC 328 odds, lines, predictions, time: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland picks from elite MMA expert

SportsLine's Kyle Marley reveals his picks for the UFC 328 card from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Paramount+, featuring Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland in a middleweight matchup

By Daniel Kohn

May 8, 2026 at 10:11 am ET • 4 min read

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Defending champion Khamzat Chimaev will battle third-ranked Sean Strickland in a middleweight title bout in the main event at UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland on Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The five-bout main card is scheduled to start at approximately 9 p.m. ET on  Paramount+ . Chimaev is coming off a unanimous decision win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 last August. Strickland, meanwhile, won by knockout over Anthony Hernandez in his last match at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez this past February.

In the main event, Chimaev is the -590 favorite (risk $590 to win $100) in the UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. Before locking in any UFC 328 picks,  make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Kyle Marley .

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Over the past three-plus years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up nearly $10,000, and since May 2018, he has returned well over $21,000. The accomplished MMA analyst has provided consistent winners for SportsLine members for the past five years. His accomplishments include hitting five consecutive main-event underdog winners in 2020 following the UFC's brief pause in action because of the pandemic. Anyone who has followed Marley's UFC betting picks could have seen huge returns.

Now, Marley has studied Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland from every angle and revealed his top  betting  picks and best bets.  Head to SportsLine to see them .

Chimaev vs. Strickland preview

Chimaev, 32, is 15-0 in his career, including wins in all nine bouts since joining UFC. He has six wins by knockout, six by submission and three by decision. He is a six-time Performance of the Night winner and is a one-time Fight of the Night recipient. He is the first Chechen-born fighter to win a UFC championship.

He holds a number of UFC records, including most total strikes landed in a UFC fight with 529, the most total ground strikes landed in a UFC fight with 517 and most total head strikes landed with 411. He has the second-most total strikes attempted in a UFC fight with 567. He also has won numerous awards. Among them included 2020 Newcomer of the Year, Fan's Choice Debut of the Year and 2024 President's Choice Fight of the Year.  Check out SportsLine to see Marley's picks and analysis.

Strickland, 35, has also had a lot of success in his MMA career. He has posted a 30-7 career mark, including 12 wins by knockout. He also has registered four wins by submission and 14 by decision. He has won five of his last seven bouts. He is a former UFC middleweight champion.

He is a four-time Performance of the Night winner, as well as a one-time Fight of the Night recipient. He has the most significant strikes landed in UFC middleweight division history with 1,575. He also had the second-most significant strikes landed in UFC history with 2,307. He recorded the 2024 Upset of the Year against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293.  You can only see Marley's picks and analysis at SportsLine .

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UFC 328 predictions

One of of Marley's UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland picks: He is backing Pat Sabatini (-180) to win via submission against William Gomis (+150) in a featherweight bout on the early preliminary card.

"This is a striker vs. grappler matchup with Gomis needing to keep it on the feet," Marley said. "He has great defense and is very good at range, so if he can keep it there, then he should win. Sabatini should be closing the distance any time it's on the feet, and he should dominate the fight once on the mat. I'll take Sabatini by sub."  See who else to back here .

How to make UFC 328 picks

Marley also has strong picks for Chimaev vs. Strickland and other bouts on the UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland card. He's also backing a fighter who is "the cleaner striker," to emerge with a big victory.  He's sharing who it is only at SportsLine .

Who wins Chimaev vs. Strickland, and how exactly does the fight end?  Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $21,000 on his UFC picks since May 19, 2018 , and find out.

UFC 328 main fight card, odds

See picks at SportsLine . (Odds from DraftKings and subject to change)

Khamzat Chimaev (-590) vs. Sean Strickland (+390) Josh Van (+152) vs. Tatsuro Taira (-196) Alexander Volkov (-174) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (+136) Sean Brady (-180) vs. Joaquin Buckley (+140) King Green (-340) vs. Jeremy Stephens (+270)

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-328-odds-lines-fight-card-predictions-time-khamzat-chimaev-sean-strickland-picks/)._