Finishes galore and all wars in New Jersey for UFC 328. New champions crowned, dominant title fight victories, masterclasses in both striking and grappling, etc. An amazing night of fights, with the headliner being one of the most anticipated title fights the UFC has seen in a long time.

UFC 328 Recap:

King Green vs Jeremy Stephens: Lightweight

King Green put on another one of his patented performances with his domination of Jeremy Stephens in the first round, where he capped it off with a submission win. Green, who isn’t known for his grappling, showed the levels of his game on the ground against Stephens, who is a long-time veteran of the game. It didn’t take long for Green to get going, and once he did, Stephens had nothing in response. King would get the takedown and submit Stephens inside a round, and got another performance bonus as he tries to break into the top 15 rankings of the lightweight division.

Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley: Welterweight

In the most dominant performance of the night of his career, Sean Brady put on a clinic of grappling that Buckley could do nothing about. From the very first bell, Brady took Buckley down and smashed him while actively looking for submissions the entire time. Brady showed the levels of MMA and what the highest level of grappling looks like in the sport. Buckley was taken down at will, and there was nothing he could do about it, despite knowing it was coming.  Brady needed this win too, as he was next in line for a title shot before being knocked out by Michael Morales, so this win is massive for his championship aspirations.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Alexander Volkov: Heavyweight

This was one of the closest fight of the night and one that could decide who is next for a heavyweight title opportunity. Volkov got to work with managing the distance on the feet with leg kicks and a nice jab. While Cortes-Acosta was a little slow to get going, he eventually found his footing and started to land clean shots on the feet. Both fighters have the ability to grapple but there was no question that this one would stay on the feet. Both fighters caught a rhythm standing, but Volkov did enough to edge out the win by decision. Volkov has lived as one of the most talented heavyweights on the roster, and he is one step closer to a shot at the belt.

Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira: Flyweight Championship

Joshua Van proved a lot of people wrong with his performance against the number one contender, Tatsuro Taira. From being unranked last year to champion who just successfully defended his title, Van proved he is here to stay, and at just 24 years old. Taira had a good first round, going right to work on the ground, where his strong suit is. Van did manage to find his way back to his feet before being taken again. Taira would take round one, but Van figured him out as the fight went on.

The second round was also competitive, but the fight changed in the third round when Van dropped Taira with a massive shot and nearly got the finish before being saved by the bell. Taira was still hurt all throughout the fourth round, where he was dropped again, but his grappling did enough for him to escape the fourth. In the fifth, however, Van would crack Taira one more time and finish the fight for good. Van proved that he is championship-caliber and will be awaiting Alexandre Pantoja, who will return from injury soon enough.

Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland: Middleweight Championship

Sean Strickland shocked the world once again with another underdog win in a championship setting to win the second belt of his career. The thought to be unbeatable Chimaev was handed the first loss of his career in a fight that was razor thin going into the last round, and there is debate around who the true winner is, but the judges spoke, and Strickland walked out with the belt around his waist. The first round started in typical fashion for Chimaev as he took Strickland down in moments and held him down for a dominant round one performance.

Chimaev seemed to gas out in the second round, though, and was even caught with a right hand by Strickland that wobbled him. Sean stuffed Khamzat’s takedowns and even got on top in full guard, which fans have really never seen Chimaev in that position. With a weening Chimaev gas tank, it played into Strickland’s game perfectly, and he began to develop his trademark jab. The rest of the fight was primarily on the feet, and Khamzat actually showed that he is no slouch in the striking department, despite being such a dominant grappler. Strickland got the better of Chimaev for the rest of the fight and walked out with a split decision win over the thought to be invincible Khamzat Chimaev.