Five back-and-forth rounds were needed to determine the winner of Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland’s middleweight championship fight on Saturday at UFC 328 — and even then, only two of the three judges agreed on Strickland’s win.
Knowing all of that, you might be tempted into thinking that an immediate rematch will be next, but like that third judge, you’re in the minority. Instead, Chimaev left the Octagon and immediately told UFC CEO Dana White he was ready to move up a division to light heavyweight. If that happens, Strickland’s opponent for the first title defense becomes clear fairly quickly. In fact, Strickland, Chimaev and the other champion on the card, Joshua Van, have their paths clearly marked for the near future.
Those and other visions for the winners and losers on the main card are below.
Sean Strickland, middleweight champion
Who should be next: Nassourdine Imavov
With Chimaev possibly leaving the division, Imavov is the no-brainer No. 1 contender. Frankly, Strickland jumped the line to even get this title fight against Chimaev, but no one can complain about that now, given what he did with the opportunity. Imavov was the odd man out, and that wasn’t really fair, but we’re here now and the next title shot should (and almost assuredly) will go to Imavov.
Wild card: Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev is an emotional fighter, which is part of what’s made him so popular. I believe he is headed to light heavyweight next. It’s where he wanted to be already, before this title defense. It would be pretty shocking if he chooses to stick around. But when the dust settles, if he decides he wants to avenge this loss — whether because of his competitiveness or a belief that he was robbed on the scorecards — he might get the opportunity. I see this as a longshot.
Khamzat Chimaev, middleweight
Who should be next: Paulo Costa
Editor’s Picks
UFC 328 takeaways: Van cements his champ status; Chimaev has to deal with defeat
Brett Okamoto and Andreas Hale
UFC 328 results and analysis: Strickland narrowly defeats Chimaev to claim the belt
ESPN Staff
1 Related
I wrote this same thing after Costa’s successful move to light heavyweight against Azamat Murzakanov in April. This one was already booked years ago and fell through because of an injury to Costa. These two have had animosity toward each other, and they are both geniuses at getting under opponents’ skin during fight week. This would be an entertaining fight buildup and a fascinating, relevant fight at 205 pounds.
Wild card: Sean Strickland
As I mentioned, if Chimaev goes home and suddenly becomes obsessed with the idea of avenging this loss, which happens in MMA, he should pursue it and I believe the UFC and Strickland would be interested.
Joshua Van, men’s flyweight champion
Who should be next: Alexandre Pantoja
What a superstar performance by Van against Tatsuro Taira. Will this one fight actually make him a superstar in the sport? Probably not, but it should. Van carried on the momentum of his breakout year in 2025 and silenced the doubters who stated he won the belt because of a freak injury to Pantoja. Van cannot be denied after this one, though. The way he stuffed Taira’s takedowns in the later rounds and overwhelmed him on the feet is probably the best performance of his career. Van wants the Pantoja rematch to remove any lingering doubts. Pantoja is recovering from the elbow injury he suffered in December. As long as he’s 100%, this is the only one to make.
Wild card: Winner of Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi on June 20
Van has a “take on all comers” mentality. He’s looking to fight anyone and everyone. Kape has been circling a UFC title shot for years. Horiguchi is an incredible story, having fought Demetrious Johnson for the UFC title 10 years ago. Either option is good, and every option is good because Van is a must-see.
Sean Brady, welterweight
Who should be next: Carlos Prates
This was an enormous win for Brady. Yes, he rebounded well from his 2022 loss to Belal Muhammad, but since last year, it has felt like Brady has needed a signature win to give himself a shot at fighting for a title. And when the fight to make that statement came along last November, Brady lost to Michael Morales in under 4 minutes. A second loss here to Joaquin Buckley would have really set Brady back.
Now, he’s right back where he was before the loss to Morales. He’s cemented himself in the title picture but needs one more win. The only matchup that makes sense for him is Prates. Should the UFC make that fight? There’s an argument it absolutely should not, given how hot Prates is. Why risk him losing to Brady? But Prates isn’t fighting for the belt next, so unless the UFC wants to put several fighters on the shelf, it has to book them in non-title fights. This one makes the most sense.
Wild card: Jack Della Maddalena
If Prates were to draw another opponent, such as Morales, the next obvious option for Brady is Della Maddalena, who is reeling from back-to-back losses but is still highly ranked. This one is a no-brainer with the right timing and matchmaking around him.
Ateba Gautier, middleweight
Who should be next: Jacob Malkoun
I can’t help but think the UFC is high on Gautier, but also sees something that is causing hesitation. There’s no reason to rush the 24-year-old prospect, who has been fighting professionally for less than five years, but we’ve seen the UFC move similar prospects faster than this. Gautier is a highlight machine, and it appears as if the UFC is in favor of feeding that machine. Gautier was a near 12-to-1 betting favorite on Saturday. In previous fights, he’s been anywhere from 10-to-1 to 20-to-1. Can he maybe get a harder test? Malkoun would be a step up, but perhaps not a huge leap, which the UFC appears to prefer. Malkoun, who has been in the UFC since 2020, is on a three-fight win streak and is far more battle-tested than Gautier.
Wild card: Jared Cannonier
If the UFC is ready for Gautier to take a big jump, this is the fight to make. Cannonier, 42, is presumably in the twilight of his career. He’s still hanging on to the No. 11 spot in the UFC’s rankings. He’s 1-3 in his past four bouts, but those have come against some of the best in the division. His last fight was a decision loss to Michael “Venom” Page in a lackluster fight that left fans disappointed. That wouldn’t be the case here. Cannonier could prove he’s still got it in a fight that would be entertaining. This fight is a perfect matchup in many ways.
