Cooper Albers breaks down his DraftKings Pick6 selections for UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland.
The middleweight division reaches a boiling point Saturday night, as the undefeated boogeyman Khamzat Chimaev defends his 185-pound title against boisterous former champion Sean Strickland at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey.
Chimaev (15–0, 9–0 UFC) is an enormous -575 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Strickland (30–7, 17–7 UFC) sits as a +425 underdog.
Along with traditional sports betting and daily fantasy, you can now have more action than ever for UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland. Check out DraftKings UFC Pick6 for my favorite picks for Saturday’s UFC event.
Saturday’s main event should hit the ground before Sean Strickland can blink. Khamzat Chimaev is arguably the most dominant grappler in UFC history and doesn’t waste time imposing his will on the mat.
“Borz” is fresh off snatching the middleweight championship from Dricus du Plessis, who has twice defeated Strickland. He landed 12 takedowns for 21:40 of control time across the five-round bout, needing only 37 significant strikes — 529 total (a UFC record) — to secure the 50–44 decision victory. He could just as well do the same to Strickland.
Given the heated nature of the fight’s buildup, it’s equally likely that Chimaev aggressively hunts a finish — as seen in his October 2024 clash against former champ Robert Whittaker. He landed only three significant strikes before literally shattering his opponent’s jaw with a first-round face crank.
No fighter in UFC history has landed more significant strikes per minute than flyweight champion Joshua Van (16–2) at 8.84. After capturing the belt in anticlimactic fashion, “The Fearless” finally has a chance to shine on the championship stage against Tatsuro Taira (18–1).
While known for his elite boxing, Van has also shown his mettle against bigger opponents and elite grapplers; he owns an impressive 81% takedown defense inside the Octagon. He should keep the fight standing against Taira and leverage his clear striking advantage, soaring beyond 75.5 significant strikes in his first true five-rounder.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta (17–2) has injected new life into the heavyweight division. “Salsa Boy” has gone 5–1 since the beginning of 2025 with four knockouts, including three straight. Most recently, he finished UFC knockout king Derrick Lewis in the second round at UFC 324 in January.
The former semi-professional pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization appears poised to stop another aging veteran Saturday night. The 37-year-old Alexander Volkov (39–11) has twice been knocked out in his career, including in 2018 against Lewis.
Former No. 1 welterweight contender Sean Brady (18–2) is looking to rebound from his first-round knockout loss to undefeated prospect Michael Morales at UFC 322 in November. Before that defeat, the jiu-jitsu black-belt had burnished his resume with three straight wins — racking up heavy control time against the likes of Kelvin Gastelum (9:06), Gilbert Burns (10:34), and former champion Leon Edwards (11:10).
Brady will likely employ a similar strategy Saturday night against another dangerous striker in Joaquin Buckley (21–7). While he wields knockout power, “New Mansa” tends to swing for the fences and can become vulnerable against elite grapplers. Buckley hasn’t fought since June 2025, when he got taken down four times for 12:57 control in his five-round main event against former champ Kamaru Usman.
King Green (34–17–1) has enjoyed an impressive run in the twilight of his career. The veteran lightweight has won back-to-back fights, most recently knocking out rising prospect Daniel Zellhuber in the second round of their February clash. Green landed all three of his takedown attempts before securing the stoppage.
Green will likely employ his strong jiu-jitsu base against the returning Jeremy Stephens (29–22). The last time we saw “Lil’ Heathen” in the Octagon was May 2025, when he got taken down eight times in a unanimous decision loss to the debuting Mason Jones.
Surging middleweight prospect Ateba Gautier (10–1) currently holds such high odds of knocking out the grizzled Ozzy Diaz (10–3) that it’s not even an option on Pick6. Alternatively, let’s roll with “The Storm” clearing 106.5 fantasy points — just as achievable given the heavily expected outcome.
The Cameroonian striker has won nine straight bouts, eight by knockout. He got off to a flawless start inside the Octagon, finishing his first three fights in the opening round. Each performance netted him north of 106.5 fantasy points.
While Gautier’s stoppage streak came to an end in his latest bout against Andrey Pulyaev at UFC 324 in January, he should make quick work of a 35-year-old veteran who hasn’t fought in over a year. All three of Diaz’s losses have come by knockout, including a first-round stoppage in his UFC debut against Zhang Mingyang in November 2024.
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