UFC 328 STRICKLAND BACK ON TOP!

UFC 328 STRICKLAND BACK ON TOP! – Complete Recap and Analysis

What’s up, fight fans? UFC 328 went down last night, and let me tell you, it was a wild card full of twists, action, and pure grit. Whether you missed it or just want to relive all the best moments, I’ve got you covered with a detailed breakdown—fight by fight, round by round. We’ll dig into the performances, strategy, and all the little things that made this event so memorable.
Let’s get into it!

Main Card Recap

First things first: UFC 328’s card had variety, drama, and some standout performances. Let’s kick off with the early fights and work our way through.

Jeremy Stephens vs. Bobby Green

Right out of the gate, we got a matchup between two veterans: Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens and Bobby “King” Green.

Result:
Bobby Green secures a first-round submission win via rear naked choke.

How Did It Go Down?

• Both fighters are kind of at the twilight of their careers.
  
• Green looked dominant from the start, showing he still has plenty left in the tank.
  
• Stephens didn’t have much of a chance, since Green was just that quick to take his back and lock in the choke.

What Stood Out:

• Green’s control and focus were impressive.
  
• Not a ton to break down here—a quick finish by a vet who’s still got it.

“Both older guys ending their career, you know, slowly coming to a close on their career and, you know, Bobby Green got the win.”

Takeaway:
A simple, clean win for Green. Sometimes, the old-school guys still know how to put a show on.

Brady’s Grappling Clinic

Fight: Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley

This is the fight that had every grappler and wrestling coach in the world paying attention. If you want to learn how to dominate on the mat, you study this one.

What Made Brady’s Performance Special?

• Top Pressure: The main story here was how Sean Brady rode out Buckley with top control that could make even a black belt sweat.
  
• American Grappling…The Russian Way: Brady isn’t just a good wrestler. He’s got that Russian style of control (think Khabib), where the guy on bottom is just stuck.

Let’s lay it out:

1. Traditional American Wrestling:

• Great takedowns
  
• Explosive shots
  
• But sometimes, they struggle to hold top position in MMA

2. The Russian Approach:

• Excellent at taking the back or top mount
  
• Suffocating pressure
  
• Multiple attacks once they're on top

Sean Brady brings both together

Brady’s technique on top was textbook. He wasn’t just happy to score a takedown and rack up points. He wanted to ride Buckley, shut him down, and hunt for submissions—exactly what you want to see from a true MMA grappler.

“There’s a lot of American wrestlers that are really good at wrestling, but they don’t have that black belt level top control where they can hold people down. Sean Brady has both.”

Buckley’s Struggle

• Tried everything to stand up, but Brady just glued him to the canvas.
  
• No real offense could get started for Buckley.

The Outcome

• Brady: dominant from bell to bell
  
• Grappling fans had to love it—even if it wasn’t the flashiest

Props to Brady. If you love the ground game, this one is worth a rewatch.

Volkov vs Cortez Acosta: Heavyweight Tactics

Alright, let’s talk heavyweights.

Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortez Acosta

How Did This Fight Play Out?

• Not the most action-packed heavyweight fight, but Volkov fought smart and used his reach.
  
• He threw a lot of long strikes, leg kicks, and those dangerous straight punches.
  
• Volkov looked every inch the 6’7” giant—he kept Acosta on the outside, staying clean and racking up points.

“Volkov, a lot of long strikes, a lot of leg kicks, a lot of straight punches. Fought like a six foot seven guy should do.”

Tactics and Style

• Volkov: Volume, patience, using length.
  
• Acosta: Struggled to close the distance, couldn’t get off the mark.

Final Thoughts

• Close fight, but Volkov’s ring IQ and range got him the win.
  
• Not a barnburner, but smart.

What Could We See Next?

With Volkov stringing together smart fights, he’s always a tough ask for any heavyweight looking to break into the top.

Co-Main Event: Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira

Now this was a co-main that got people on their feet.

Fighters

• Joshua Van: Never say die attitude, plenty of heart.
  
• Tatsuro Taira: The Japanese prodigy with ridiculous grappling.

This matchup came with high expectations, and both guys delivered. Though, there’s something we HAVE to discuss: the ending.

First Two Rounds: Grappling Clinic

• Taira demonstrated next-level grappling—getting mount again and again.
  
• But Van wasn’t just stuck. Each time he was mounted, he pulled off an “earthquake” escape (named for how you shake your opponent off into butterfly guard).

A Fun Coaching Note:
Van’s repeated earthquake escapes are exactly what I teach my students. It’s not flashy, but when you get good at it, you never stay stuck on your back for long.

“Van did a really good job of escaping the mount, got mounted a couple times, did a good earthquake mount escape to butterflies.”

The Turnaround

• Third round, Van just started laying it on Taira.
  
• His volume ramped up, and he was busting Taira up bad on the feet.
  
• Taira tried to hang tough and didn’t want out, but the ref decided he’d seen enough and waved it off.
  
• As much as it sucks for a title fight to end without someone getting that “warrior’s finish,” player safety comes first.

Controversy Check:

• Some fans thought it was an early stoppage.
  
• Van was in total control and Taira was taking big damage, so the result likely wouldn’t have changed.

Quote to Remember

“It’s a world title fight. You can’t stop a world title fight when a guy is willing to fight.”

My Take

• Ref probably could have let it go a bit longer, but Van earned that W.
  
• Both these guys have bright futures.

Main Event: Sean Strickland vs Khamzat Chimaev

Now for the main event—this is what everybody was waiting for!

Fighters

• Sean Strickland: Never the flashiest, but always tough as nails. Known for his iron chin and relentless pressure.
  
• Khamzat Chimaev: Hype monster. Absolute destroyer in his earlier career, never tasted real adversity—until now.

Round One: Fast Start, Fierce Exchanges

Chimaev came out hot, trying to assert himself early. His wrestling is as close as you get to “unstoppable,” but Strickland’s calm defense kept him from running away with it.

What stood out?

• Strickland was already doing that classic pressure walk-down, jabbing Chimaev literally in the face over and over.
  
• Chimaev landed some good shots, but couldn’t break through.

Round Two: The Turning Point

• Big Moment: Strickland tags Chimaev with a clean right hand—Chimaev wobbles.
  
• Chimaev played it off, faked that he was fine, but you could tell he was hurt.
  
• Scramble ensues, Chimaev shoots and tries to save face by going for a takedown… but ends up pulling guard.

“He tried to bob and weave and he tried to move a little bit and like, like, and throw some feints and act like it, like play it off. But from what I saw, it looked like he got hurt.”

The Rest of the Fight: Jab City

• Strickland’s jab was on point—over and over, doubling up, tripling up, changing the rhythm.
  
• Chimaev slowed down, his gas tank starting to empty.

Interesting Coaching Detail:
I actually shot a video for my students about this, breaking down Strickland’s jab. He wasn’t doing crazy combos—mostly just 1-2’s and 1-2-3’s—but his timing and effectiveness were off the charts.

Breaking Down the Numbers

• Strikes Landed: Strickland outstruck Chimaev by about 40 total strikes (rough numbers: 133 to 95).
  
• Power Shots: Chimaev landed some nice kicks and a few hard shots, but nothing close to taking Strickland out of the fight.
  
• Damage: Chimaev had ground control for part of the fight, but he never damaged Strickland, just held position.

“He controlled the ground for a couple of rounds for sure, but he did no damage. He didn’t really almost finish Strickland. Strickland, he had Strickland's back the majority of the first round and Strickland did a good job…”

Did Chimaev Get Robbed?

No way. The numbers and the damage tell the story. Strickland landed more, defended well, and was never really in danger of getting finished.

“And the reason why I say there's no way Strickland Chimaev got robbed is because Strickland outstruck him by like 40 strikes…”

Chimaev’s Bright Spots:

• Good kicks
  
• Strong opening round

Strickland’s Keys to Victory:

• Jab, jab, jab
  
• Keeping it simple and effective (no wild tricks)
  
• Staying composed under early pressure

Coach’s Corner: Why The Jab STILL Wins Fights

Here’s a quick side note for all my martial arts students and fans reading—Strickland’s game plan is a perfect example of why simple can beat fancy.

What Strickland Did:

• Lots of out and in movement (faking distance, then coming in with a jab)
  
• Kept his combos short but crisp
  
• Walked into dangerous territory (circling towards Chimaev’s right) and still made it work

“He’ll fake out, he’ll go in. And he was, he was doing that with a jab where he fakes out and then he goes in and it was over and over. He probably landed 30 jabs like that.”

Lesson:

You don’t need every technique in the book. If you can land your go-to shots, do it well, and do it over and over, that’s enough to win even at the highest levels.

Why This Wasn’t a Robbery: The Breakdown

Let’s dig a little deeper, since a lot of fans on Twitter and Reddit are saying Chimaev was robbed.

The Case For Strickland

• Significant strikes: Clear edge for Strickland
  
• Ground control: Chimaev had it, but no damage—no near finishes
  
• Composure: Strickland never looked in deep trouble
  
• Answered every change Chimaev threw at him

The Case For Chimaev

• Flashier kicks
  
• Some flashy takedowns and back takes
  
• Controlled moments on the ground—but again, can’t win on control alone

End of the day, the right guy got the nod.

Wrap Up & What’s Next for the Top Fighters

Alright, so what’s next after UFC 328? A couple of big questions are floating around.

Who Does Strickland Fight Next?

• He’s proven he can hang with just about anyone.
  
• Potential next fights:

Adesanya rematch?
Dricus Du Plessis?
Cannonier?

• The division is stacked, and Strickland’s got all the momentum.

What’s Next for Chimaev?

• He’s still a beast. Took his first “real” UFC loss, but he’s right at the top of the heap.
  
• Will need to work on cardio and composure for later rounds.
  
• Don’t be surprised to see him bounce back even meaner.

Dark Horses

• Van could be a big force at flyweight if he keeps this up.
  
• Brady has set a new benchmark for American MMA grapplers.

How To Study These Fights (For Fighters and Fans)

I always recommend that students, coaches, and hardcore fans watch the details.

What should you look for on rewatch?

1. How Strickland sets up the jab (it’s all in the timing and distance)
   
2. Brady’s body positioning on top – watch how he controls wrists, hips, and posts
   
3. How Van uses the earthquake escape from mount—simple but effective
   
4. Strategy: Volkov’s patience vs Acosta’s trouble closing distance

And if you want some visual breakdowns…

Useful Tips if You’re New to Martial Arts

You watched the fights and now you want to train? Awesome. Finding a good gym and instructor makes all the difference.

My Top Tips

• Get my book: The Ultimate Guide To Choosing Your Martial Arts School Instructor 
  
• Try multiple gyms—feel the vibe before committing
  
• Watch a class before joining, see if the culture fits
  
• Don’t stress being a beginner, everyone starts somewhere

“You don’t need a million weapons, guys. You just need to be effective at these weapons. And he’s so effective at them. So amazing performance from him for sure.”