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Opening Odds for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland at UFC 328

Opening Odds for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland at UFC 328

UFC Sports Betting Picks DraftKings Sportsbook Insights Rail

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By: Ciaran Doyle

Khamzat Chimaev’s first middleweight title defense will take place on May 9th at UFC 328 against the #3 contender Sean Strickland.

Chimaev comfortably beat Dricus Du Plessis by unanimous decision at UFC 319 to claim the middleweight throne and improve his undefeated record to 15-0. Chimaev is a monster on the ground, and Sean Strickland feels like a great matchup for the new champ. Strickland is known for his standup game, and the American will need to get plenty of takedown defense practice in between now and this fight.

Chimaev is 15-0 as a professional fighter and nine of those wins have come in the UFC. In those nine victories, he has six finishes and three wins by decision.

Strickland is more of a mixed bag. The former champ beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 to claim the title back in 2023, but then lost the belt in his first defense against Dricus Du Plessis. He then beat Paulo Costa to earn himself another bite at the apple before losing to Du Plessis once again for the title. The American beat Anthony Hernandez back in February to earn yet another title fight, this time against Chimaev.

It’s no surprise that Chimaev opens as a -410 favorite to win this fight on DraftKings Sportsbook, with Sean Strickland listed as a +320 underdog to get his hands back on the belt.

Nobody in the UFC has had an answer for Khamzat Chimaev in his career so far. Can Sean Strickland figure him out, or will Chimaev continue to dominate this division?

Ciaran Doyle
Ciaran has been an editor for the DraftKings Network team since 2023. He graduated from the University of Arizona before attending Arizona State University for his master’s degree in sports journalism. Ciaran previously covered Phoenix Rising FC for Cronkite News before joining DraftKings. He is passionate about sports betting, and his biggest focus has always been on the NFL and soccer. You can find him on X at @Ciaran_Doyle7.
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