UFC 328 is set for this Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The main event will feature Khamzat Chimaev defending his middleweight championship against Sean Strickland.
Another title is on the line as Joshua Van defends his flyweight championship against Tatsuro Taira.
Chimaev vs. Strickland: Bad Blood in the Octagon
The build to the fight between Chimaev and Strickland has been aggressive. Their bad blood is expected to spill over into the Octagon on Saturday night.
Main Card Best Bets and Predictions
With such big fights on the card, there is plenty of interest at the sportsbooks. Best bets for each of the five main card fights have been identified.
After going 1-4 with best bets for UFC 327, the record for the year is 9-11. The goal is to get back in the black this weekend, with all bets at odds of -250 or better.
Green vs. Stephens: Striking Match Anticipated
A striking match is anticipated for Green vs. Stephens. There isn’t much of a chance of submission in this fight.
Green and Stephens are both on the deep back side of their respective careers and are both happy to stand and trade strikes. There is certainly a chance that either man could be stopped in one of those exchanges, as both men have suffered some brutal stoppages in their careers and have delivered the same.
Still, this feels like a fight where neither man fully breaks the other and the fight drags along to the scorecards, where Green should get the win. The over feels like a safer bet than taking Green by decision (+110).
Brady vs. Buckley: Wrestling Match Expected
Brady averages 3.53 takedowns per 15 minutes of Octagon time. Buckley sports a respectable 72% takedown defense, but better wrestlers have been a real problem for him.
Kamaru Usman took Buckley down four times in his most recent fight. Once the fight hit the floor, Usman held top control for nearly 13 minutes.
That’s the blueprint, and it’s one Brady can easily follow if he sticks to the game plan. As long as Brady can safely navigate space on the feet, close distance and get to Buckley’s body, this should be a fairly straightforward fight.
Volkov vs. Tybura: Volkov by Decision?
Alexander Volkov via decision (+130).
Volkov is in a weird place. He is among the most consistent heavyweights in the world but is rarely talked about as such.
Since the start of 2021, Volkov has gone 7-3, with the three losses coming to Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane (twice). The second Gane loss was highly controversial, with only one media member tracked by MMA Decisions scoring the fight for Gane, versus 19 media members.
UFC 328 can be viewed live with a subscription. Every UFC numbered event and UFC Fight Night is included with a Paramount+ subscription.