UFC 328: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland Middleweight Title Fight Set for May 9 as Matt Damon Hosts SNL
Matt Damon returns to host Saturday Night Live on May 9, 2026, with Noah Kahan as musical guest for his second appearance. The same night, Khamzat Chimaev puts his UFC middleweight championship on the line against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
VarietyMatt Damon is hosting Saturday Night Live for the third time on the May 9, 2026 episode, with Noah Kahan appearing as musical guest for his second time. m. m.
Post by @MarioNawfal on X
ET on NBC. Viewers can livestream the episode on DirecTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV or Peacock. DirecTV offers a five-day free trial. 99 yearly without ads.
Instacart+ and Walmart+ subscriptions include Peacock Premium, with Instacart+ offering a 14-day free trial and Walmart+ a 30-day free trial. 99 per month with a three-day trial. UFC 328, headlined by the Middleweight title fight, takes place the same night at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Khamzat Chimaev is defending the UFC Middleweight Championship against Sean Strickland in the main event, scheduled for five rounds. m. m. m.
M. m. PT, all on Paramount+. Joshua Van is the UFC flyweight champion facing challenger Tatsuro Taira on the card. Carlos Ulberg defeated Jiri Prochazka to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 327 in April 2026.
Khamzat Chimaev holds a professional record of 15-0-0. Sean Strickland stands at 30-7-0 and is ranked No. 3 in the UFC middleweight division. Opening betting odds listed Chimaev as a -400 favorite and Strickland as a +300 underdog.
On May 9, 2026, those odds had shifted to Chimaev at -500 and Strickland at +375. At BetMGM, the most bet prop bets include Sean Strickland by KO/TKO or DQ at +800, Sean Strickland by Decision/Technical Decision at +850, Khamzat Chimaev by Submission at -110 and Khamzat Chimaev by Decision/Technical Decision at +300.
Chimaev made his UFC debut in July 2020 with a second-round submission win over John Phillips.
He achieved a first-round TKO over Rhys McKee 10 days after his debut, then knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in September 2020. Chimaev submitted Li Jingliang at 3:16 of Round 1 in October 2021, defeated Gilbert Burns by decision, submitted Kevin Holland, defeated Kamaru Usman by decision in October 2023, defeated Robert Whittaker by first-round submission via face crank at UFC 308 in October 2024 and defeated Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision with scores of 50-44 three times and 21:40 of control time.
Strickland joined the UFC in March 2014 after winning and defending the King of the Cage middleweight title four times.
He was knocked out by Alex Pereira in 2:36 in July 2022. Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya by unanimous decision with scores of 49-46 three times to win the UFC middleweight title on September 10, 2023. He lost the title to Dricus du Plessis by split decision at UFC 297 on January 20, 2024, defeated Paulo Costa by split decision at UFC 302 in June 2024, lost to Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision at UFC 312 in February 2025 and defeated Anthony Hernandez by third-round TKO in 2026 to earn a Performance of the Night bonus and the title shot.
The main event pits an undefeated champion with a grappling-heavy résumé against a veteran striker who has held and lost the same belt. Chimaev’s path to the title included dominant performances against former champions, while Strickland’s route featured high-profile wins over Adesanya and Hernandez after earlier setbacks.
Both fighters enter with extensive Octagon experience spanning more than a decade combined.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
5 events- May 9, 10:03 PM ET
1 new source added: @MarioNawfal
1 source@MarioNawfal - 2026-05-09 17:00 ET
UFC 328 early prelims begin at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
3 sourcesVariety · Forbes · unattributed facts - 2026-05-09 20:00 ET
UFC 328 preliminary card starts on Paramount+
2 sourcesForbes · unattributed facts - 2026-05-09 20:30 PT
Matt Damon hosts SNL with musical guest Noah Kahan, airing live on NBC and streaming platforms
2 sourcesThe Hollywood Reporter · unattributed facts - 2026-05-09 21:00 ET
UFC 328 main card begins, featuring Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland
3 sourcesVariety · Forbes · unattributed facts
Potential Impact
- 01
Sports betting volume rises on high-profile title fight with active prop bet interest
- 02
Paramount+ and NBC/Peacock compete directly for combat sports and comedy audiences
- 03
Streaming services see increased viewership from overlapping major events on same Saturday night
Transparency Panel
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