UFC328 was the 12th visit to Newark, New Jersey. The last was under a year ago in June 205 at UFC316.
It was the first of the last five major events and the last fifteen in total to have two titles on the line in the same event. During the event, there were two inductees into the Hall of Fame: former middleweight champion Chris Weidman in the modern wing and UFC writer Thomas Gerbasi into the contributor wing.
There were 13 fights on the card. Seven were stoppages, including five submissions. With six going the distance, including one split decision.
TOP PERFORMER: JOSHUA VAN:
Van was making the first defence of his flyweight title against Japanese fighter Tatsuro Taira, who brutally stopped Brendon Moreno in his last outing.
Tairo had a game plan early and scored several takedowns during the fight, but Van showed his heart and wrestling ability by constantly getting up. When he did, he showed his explosive hands and scored a big knockdown in the second.
As the rounds went on, Tairo tried to maintain his game plan, but Van kept getting to his feet, and when he did, he became increasingly dangerous. Van began to catch Tairo with heavy blows, and eventually it was one too many as the ref stopped the fight in the fifth.
TOP PERFORMER 2: YAROSLAV AMOSOV
In just his second fight in the UFC, the Ukrainian-born wrestler once again demonstrated his exceptional grappling skills with a dominant dismantling of Joel Alvarez, who was on a four-fight winning streak and had thoughts of a title challenge.
Amosov, a former Bellator welterweight champion, followed up a superb first-round submission of Neil Magny in his UFC debut with an equally impressive arm triangle choke in the second round. After a mammoth take-down and transition to the choke with ease.
In the first round, Amosov was aggressive from the first bell, scoring an early take down and smothering Alvarez throughout. He continued this for the rest of the round, softening up Alvarez up to take full advantage with a superb submission victory in the second.
TOP PERFORMER 3: SEAN STRICKLAND
Strickland became a two-time middleweight UFC champion with a tight split decision victory over the previously unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev in a gruelling five-round display.
After a lot of needle and controversy in the build-up, we were expecting more fireworks in the fight. However, Chimaev was weight drained, and after a good first round where Chimaev took Strickland down and had a few submission attempts, Strickland rallied.
He surprisingly got the better of Chimaev on the ground in the second round, then the fight became a stand-up battle as Strickland stopped several takedown attempts. It was 2-2 going into the fifth, where Strickland’s heart and desire won through to take the title.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Jim Miller, a New Jersey native, continued his history-making run in the UFC with a first-round submission victory over Jared Gordon.
He extended his record to 28 career wins in 47 fights in the UFC, and second in UFC history for most finishes. With a picture-book guillotine choke which forced Gordon to tap after a struggle.
King Green opened the main card with a first-round submission of Jeremy Stephens via a rare naked choke. He is now on a three-fight winning streak, after previoulsy being stopped in three of his four fights.
But looked good early with his trademark low hands and quick strikes against Stephens, who missed weight.
