Darren Till believes Sean Strickland possesses the best opportunity to defeat Khamzat Chimaev in their upcoming UFC 328 middleweight championship bout. However, the former UFC title challenger does not foresee an upset.
“Anyone can be beaten. Khamzat knows that himself, that’s why he trains so hard, he is not stupid. I don’t see anyone beating him, but maybe Sean has got the best chances,” Till stated in his analysis of the middleweight title matchup to MMA Full Mount.
Chimaev enters UFC 328 as a significant favorite (-500) with an undefeated 15-0 record. He claimed the middleweight title by defeating Dricus du Plessis. The Swedish fighter is known for his decisive finishes, averaging just over eight minutes per fight. His wrestling prowess is a key component of his success, boasting a 55% takedown accuracy and 85% takedown defense.
Sean Strickland presents a different challenge compared to Chimaev’s recent opponents. Following a suspension and recovery from injury, Strickland returned in February 2026 with a knockout victory over Anthony Hernandez. This win re-established him as a title contender after what he described as a disappointing title loss to Dricus du Plessis in early 2025.
Against Hernandez, Strickland landed 92 significant strikes and demonstrated perfect takedown defense, mirroring the defensive strategy that defined his 2023 title win over Israel Adesanya. At 34 years old, Strickland’s fight history averages 15 minutes and 54 seconds, suggesting he has the endurance to go the distance with Chimaev if the fight extends beyond the initial rounds.
The contrasting fighting styles offers Strickland viable paths to victory. Chimaev’s strengths lie in closing the distance and imposing his wrestling, whereas Strickland relies on volume striking and evasion. Till’s comments imply he views Strickland’s striking output and cardio as potential countermeasures to Chimaev’s grappling dominance, though the betting markets largely favor Chimaev.
Meanwhile, Darren Till has shifted his focus to new endeavors outside of the UFC. The Liverpool native recently signed with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) on a multi-fight contract. He is scheduled to make his BKFC debut on May 30 at BKFC 90 in Birmingham, England, where he will face former MMA fighter and reality television personality Aaron Chalmers. This move to bare-knuckle boxing follows Till’s successful stint with Misfits Boxing, where he won the bridgerweight title by knocking out Luke Rockhold in August 2025.
Till’s BKFC fight is set to occur just three weeks after the Chimaev-Strickland main event, keeping him involved in the combat sports discourse even as he competes in a different discipline at 185 pounds.