Brett OkamotoMay 10, 2026, 11:45 AM ETCloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Sean Strickland stuns Khamzat Chimaev, becomes new champ (2:21)Sean Strickland stuns Khamzat Chimaev, becomes new champ. (2:21)
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 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.
Chimaev is an emotional fighter, which is part of what has 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 long shot.
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.
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.
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 four 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 has 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.
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.
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 said 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.
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.
Sean Strickland stuns Khamzat Chimaev, becomes new champ (2:21)Sean Strickland stuns Khamzat Chimaev, becomes new champ. (2:21)
Brett OkamotoMay 10, 2026, 11:45 AM ETCloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.Follow on X
Those and other thoughts on what’s next for the winners and losers on the main card:
Wild card: Winner of Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi on June 20
Sean Strickland stuns Khamzat Chimaev, becomes new champ. (2:21)