All articles tagged with #middleweight
Two former UFC champions, Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman, collide in the UFC Oklahoma City headliner for Fight Night 281 at the Paycom Center, airing on Paramount+. Du Plessis, a former middleweight king, hasn’t fought since last August when he relinquished the title to Khamzat Chimaev, while Usman hasn’t competed since June, returning in a marquee matchup that pits a middleweight contender against a longtime welterweight champ.
UFC announced Dricus du Plessis will face former champion Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City on July 18 at the Paycom Center. Usman is moving up to 185 pounds to pursue a second title, while Du Plessis returns to action after losing the middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev. The event marks UFC’s first in Oklahoma City in nearly a decade.
Khamzat Chimaev states he will pursue a rematch with Sean Strickland at 185 pounds after UFC 328, denying any move to light heavyweight, and awaits UFC booking while prepping for his wrestling debut against Dillon Danis in RAF 10, promising a different outcome and revenge next time.
Sean Strickland won back the UFC middleweight title with a split-decision upset of Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, then returned to Xtreme Couture to thank his teammates and celebrate with the belt, while eyeing potential next moves including a rematch with Chimaev or a ranking-aligned bout with Nassourdine Imavov.
Khamzat Chimaev suffered his first career defeat to Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event and left the arena without a post-fight interview, later posting a cryptic message on social media that suggested he might not be done in the middleweight division, leaving his future uncertain.
Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 to become a two-time UFC middleweight champion and set new division records for total and significant strikes, surpassing Michael Bisping and other legends, with a potential upcoming defense against Nassourdine Imavov.
Khamzat Chimaev's run as UFC middleweight champion ended at UFC 328 in Newark when Sean Strickland defeated him, ending Chimaev's nine-fight UFC winning streak and making Strickland a two-time 185-pound champ. The loss feeds the so-called 'middleweight champions’ curse,' as other recent nine-fight title runs—by Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Chris Weidman, and Dricus Du Plessis—have also been halted, with Anderson Silva standing as the notable exception.
Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision to reclaim the UFC middleweight title (185 pounds) in a closely contested title fight.
Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 in Newark to reclaim the middleweight title, using improved defense and takedown discipline to wear down the undefeated challenger, while Chimaev struggled with weight; the win hints at a potential move up a weight class for Chimaev and caps a high-drama week of trash talk.
Khamzat Chimaev reportedly cut about 21 kilograms (roughly 46 pounds) to make weight for UFC 328's middleweight title defense against Sean Strickland, with a late weigh-in and teammates noting the grueling reduction.
Khamzat Chimaev plans to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland at UFC 328, but signaled a future move up to light heavyweight after the bout. His team want him focused on the defense, while chatter about a 205‑pound move grows due to lack of an active light heavyweight champion and enticing potential matchups. He also noted May 9 could be his biggest payday to date, joking about pizza as a reason for the potential weight jump.
Khamzat Chimaev heads into UFC 328 in Newark to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland, insisting the bout stay inside the cage and not become a street brawl—even noting that if a fight occurred on the street, it could end badly. The heated rivalry has fueled talk ahead of the May 9 event, with UFC planning to keep the fighters separated until fight night. Chimaev, who captured the belt with a decision over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319, remains focused on training and securing another victory.
Israel Adesanya weighed in at the middleweight limit for his UFC Seattle comeback against Joe Pyfer, with fans worried by his drained look on the scales; the fight could determine whether the former champ continues in the UFC.
Ahead of UFC Seattle, Joe Pyfer and Israel Adesanya shared a classy final face-off as Pyfer thanked Adesanya for accepting the bout. The main event pits a rising middleweight in Pyfer against the former champ Adesanya, who is chasing a turnaround after recent losses, while Pyfer seeks momentum in his own winning streak.
Costello van Steenis halted Fabian Edwards in the third round to defend the PFL middleweight title in Madrid, capitalizing on Edwards’s grappling decisions and finishing with a flurry of elbows as a takedown attempt backfired; it marked Van Steenis’s second win over Edwards and his first title defense in front of a home crowd, while Edwards’ world-title hopes—after two prior defeats—were dashed.