Is Sean Strickland going to beat Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 328 main event? Suddenly, a far greater number of fans seem to believe it’s possible.

Chimaev is the reigning UFC middleweight champion. He is a big favorite to beat the former champ Strickland ahead of Saturday’s UFC 328 card in New Jersey, but the money line is likely to see some last minute movement after the card’s weigh-ins on Friday.

While both Strickland and Chimaev made weight for the fight, Chimaev was the last fighter on the scale, and looked very lethargic — and perhaps downright compromised.

See the champ make weight for UFC 328 below, with a clip of his weigh-in for his last fight for comparison.

Khamzat Chimaev looks rough during UFC 328 weight-cut

Khamzat Chimaev’s body language in his last weight cut compared to today 😕 #UFC328 https://t.co/OoXoufaKMu pic.twitter.com/8Q1CadaDIw

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 8, 2026

While nobody but Chimaev knows how difficult his weight cut was, or how he’s feeling after the fact, he certainly looks rough. Rough enough that many fans are now predicting an upset for Strickland tomorrow night.

“I’m sniffing an upset,” one fan wrote on X. “If Strickland can get up a couple times from the takedowns it’s looking great for him in the later rounds.

“His body is speaking the language of acute dehydration,” another fan wrote. “Hope he doesn’t get sick…again.”

“Yeah he looks drained af this time,” a third fan wrote.

Some fans even posited that Chimaev failed to make weight, and that the UFC covered for him, but there is no evidence to support this claim.

Chimaev won the UFC middleweight title with a wide decision win over Dricus Du Plessis last year. Before that, he choked out Robert Whittaker in less than four minutes.