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• 35-Year-Old from California Earns Split Decision Victory to Reclaim UFC Middleweight Title
• 24-Year-Old Myanmar-Born Joshua Van Defends Flyweight Championship Against Tatsuro Taira, Both Fighters Earn $100,000 Fight of the Night Bonus

NEWARK, N.J., May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- One night, two UFC champions! Monster Energy congratulates MMA athlete Sean Strickland on defeating Khamzat Chimaev to claim the UFC Middleweight World Championship at UFC 328 in Newark on Saturday night. In the highly anticipated main event fight, the 35-year-old from Corona, California, earned the victory via split decision after five grueling rounds.

In the night's co-main event, 24-year-old Joshua Van successfully defended the UFC Flyweight World Championship title against 26-year-old Tatsuro Taira from Okinawa, Japan. Van secured the victory with a brutal TKO in Round 5. The heated battle earned both fighters the $100,000 Fight of the Night Bonus.

UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland was contested in front of a live crowd of 17,783 spectators inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Featuring a total of five bouts on the Main Card, the entire event, including Prelims, was broadcast live on the Paramount+ service.

In Saturday night's main event, Monster Energy's Strickland (31-7), came to Newark hoping to reclaim the UFC Middleweight Championship belt. Strickland was coming off a third-round TKO win over Anthony Hernandez at a UFC Fight Night in February 2026, eager to dethrone undefeated Chimaev.

Chimaev (15-1) stepped into the Octagon in Newark looking to make the first defense of the UFC Middleweight title. In August 2025, he had captured the belt from Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago and came to Newark on a 15-fight unbeaten streak. Could Strickland turn the tide?

The UFC Middleweight Championship fight opened with Strickland defending against Chimaev's notorious grappling, escaping several rear-naked choke attempts during the first round and fighting to bring the fight back to standing. In Round 2, Strickland managed to defend against the champion's takedown attempts while landing precise jabs that dealt damage.

In the third round, Strickland found his rhythm and shut down Chimaev's wrestling entirely, while outlanding his opponent in terms of significant strikes. Although Chimaev rallied in Round 4 and secured a takedown close before the bell, Strickland continued to dominate the fight on the strength of precise jabs and combos that slowed down the champion. In the final round, Strickland survived more takedown attempts while peppering Chimaev with heavy hands until the final bell. 

When the judges went to their scorecards, Strickland emerged as the winner by Split Decision after five back-and-forth rounds (48-47, 47-48, 48-47). The American thereby reclaimed the UFC Middleweight Championship title two years after surrendering the belt and became the first fighter to deal Chimaev a loss in his professional MMA career.

"I'm hitting him with everything, and he just keeps coming forward. Crazy. He may have broken my nose," said Monster Energy's Strickland upon capturing the UFC Middleweight Championship title.

In the co-main event fight at UFC 328, two Monster Energy fighters battled for the Flyweight Championship title: Reigning champion Van (17-2) faced his first-ever title defense, less than six months after one of the most shocking championship victories in recent UFC history. The Myanmar-born champion, fighting out of Houston, Texas, captured the UFC Flyweight title at UFC 323 in December 2025 with a victory over longtime champion Alexandre Pantoja. The win made Van the second-youngest champion in UFC history, behind Jon Jones, and the first-ever UFC champion born in Myanmar.

Saturday night's opponent, Japanese MMA phenomenon Taira (18-2), came to Newark looking to bring his country its first-ever undisputed UFC championship. Most recently, Taira earned a second-round TKO over former two-time champion Brandon Moreno at UFC 323 in December 2025 and was ready to face Van for the belt.

Early in the fight, Taira pressured Van with dominant grappling, taking the champion to the canvas after just one minute and assuming control from top position. But Van continued to bring the fight to the feet and found openings for his superior striking. Near the end of Round 2, Van stung the challenger with a heavy right hand, sending Taira to the canvas.

The third round unfolded with Van visibly damaging Taira by landing fast combinations, but Taira remained dangerous on the ground and looked to submit the champion in Round 4. Ultimately, Van asserted his dominance in Round 5 by rocking the challenger with heavy shots to the body, followed by sharp combinations to the head that left Taira defenseless.

At 1:32 minutes of the final round, Referee Vitor Ribeiro stepped in to end the fight, pronouncing Van the winner by TKO. The spectacular fight earned both Van and Taira the UFC's $100,000 Fight of the Night Bonus.

"I said I was going to finish him inside of three rounds, and I was almost there. My coach said go to the body and finish him, and as soon as I did that, it was over," said Monster Energy's Van upon defending the UFC Flyweight Championship title.

Asked about his next fight, Van said he would welcome a rematch against former champion Pantoja: "We can run it back if you want." Stay tuned!

Monster Energy's elite UFC athletes include Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Dricus Du Plessis, Merab Dvalishvili, Valentina Shevchenko, Weili Zhang, Marlon Vera, Justin Gaethje, Brandon Moreno, Johnny Walker, Sean Strickland, Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Daniel Zellhuber, Derrick Lewis, Alexa Grasso, Raul Rosas Jr., Tatsuro Taira, Shara Magomedov, Maycee Barber, Aaron Pico, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Kayla Harrison, Malcolm Wellmaker, Mansur Abdul-Malik, Manuel Torres, Joshua Van, Reinier de Ridder, Alessandro Costa, Esteban Ribovics, Youssef Zalal, Jiri Prochazka, Manel Kape, Payton Talbott, and Mikey Musumeci.

For more on Monster Energy's MMA athletes, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.

For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser.

About Monster Energy

Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock-and-roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy, including all of its drinks, at www.monsterenergy.com.

CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: kim.dresser@indiepragency.com

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