{"id":38122,"date":"2026-05-06T14:08:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Former-foe-says-first-round-will-be-critical-in-UFC-328-main-event-201086"},"modified":"2026-05-06T14:08:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:08:52","slug":"former-foe-says-first-round-will-be-critical-in-ufc-328-main-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/former-foe-says-first-round-will-be-critical-in-ufc-328-main-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Former foe says first round will be critical in UFC 328 main event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

Dricus Du
\nPlessis<\/a>\u2019 opinion certainly holds water when it comes to
\nKhamzat
\nChimaev<\/a> and Sean
\nStrickland<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Chimaev is set to put his middleweight title on the line against
\nStrickland in the main event at
\nUFC 328<\/a> on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
\nHaving shared the Octagon with both Chimaev and Strickland, Du
\nPlessis recently broke down how the fight might play out.<\/p>\n

\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

While Du Plessis doesn\u2019t doubt that Strickland will be taken down,
\nhe believes the American is physically stronger than Chimaev and
\nhas the skills to return to his feet. While Chimaev hits hard, Du
\nPlessis believes he is too predictable to catch someone like
\nStrickland, who is known for his defense, with a lucky shot.
\nAccording to Du Plessis, if Strickland gets up more than a couple
\nof times in the first two rounds, the fight won\u2019t go Chimaev\u2019s way.
\nHowever, Du Plessis thinks Chimaev will dominate if he can control
\nStrickland on the ground throughout the first round.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know Khamzat\u2019s going to get him down,\u201d Du Plessis told Fight
\nForecast. \u201cI\u2019ve taken Strickland down so many times, I know
\nKhamzat\u2019s going to get him down. But to keep him there, that\u2019s
\ngoing to be the big question. Because Strickland\u2019s ability to get
\nup, the technique he uses, the strength he has; he is a strong guy,
\na lot stronger than Khamzat, physically. I think he is going to
\nsurprise some people. If Strickland gets up two or three times in
\nthat first round or the first two, it\u2019s not going to get any easier
\nwith the sweat and fatigue, trying to keep a guy down that gets up\u2026
\nOnce Khamzat has to fight Strickland\u2019s fight, I just don\u2019t think he
\nhas a chance. Khamzat hits hard, kick hard, but not scary hard. And
\nhe is kind of predictable; you can see the shots coming. If Khamzat
\ntakes him down, holds him down that first round, and Strickland
\ncannot get up, it\u2019s Khamzat\u2019s fight\u2026 I think that first round is
\ngoing to tell us how that fight is going to play out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Du Plessis (23-3) dethroned Strickland (30-7) via a controversial
\nsplit decision to win the title in their first clash at
\nUFC 297<\/a> in 2024. Du Plessis defended his title more decisively
\nin a rematch against Strickland at UFC 312<\/a>
\nlast year. Meanwhile, Chimaev (15-0) dominated Du Plessis on the
\nground for five rounds to win the title at
\nUFC 319<\/a> this past August.<\/p>\n