UFC 328 Gets Banger Fight to Support Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland Main Event

A huge welterweight matchup that’s sure to excite hardcore MMA fans has been added to UFC 328 on May 9.

Scheduled to take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, UFC 328 is headlined by a middleweight title bout between undefeated titleholder Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland, who is looking to become a two-time UFC middleweight champion after he previously claimed the division’s title from Israel Adesanya in 2023.

The card is shaping up to be one the stronger offerings of the UFC’s recent slate of events, and Alvaro Colmenero was the first to report that UFC 328 has received another significant boost in the form of a welterweight clash between Joel Alvarez and Yaroslav Amosov.

Joel Alvarez Won His First Decision In Welterweight Debut

Now in his seventh year as a member of the UFC roster, Alvarez initially dropped his promotional debut to Damir Ismagulov in 2019 before finishing four-straight opponents, three of them inside the opening round.

Joel Alvarez (red gloves) fights Danilo Belluardo (blue gloves) at Ericsson Globe. | Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

After being stopped by current #2-ranked lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan in 2022, the Spaniard once again rebounded with a trio of stoppages against Marc Diakiese, Elves Brenner, Drakkar Klose to add to the staggering finishing rate that's helped establish him as a fan favorite.

Marc Diakiese (red gloves) fights Joel Alvarez (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. | Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

Alvarez extended his winning run to four fights last year when he defeated perennial top UFC contender Vicente Luque via decision. The fight marked the 33-year-old’s debut in the welterweight division, and it was also the first time that he's ever gotten his hand raised after going the three-round distance.

Yaroslav Amosov Arrived In The UFC Last Year

Likely just one more win away from a crack at the welterweight rankings, Alvarez’s next outing at 170 lbs. pounds will see him square off with a proven championship-caliber welterweight in Amosov.

Yaroslav Amosov during his fight with Jason Jackson. | (Bellator MMA)

Boasting an impressive 29-1 record in professional MMA, Amosov is a former Bellator MMA welterweight champion. After suffering his first career loss in a title bout with Jason Jackson at Bellator 301, the Ukrainian was out of action for a significant period before he submitted UFC veteran Curtis Millender at CFFC 140 and went on to ink a contract with the UFC.

Yaroslav Amosov submitted Neil Magny in his UFC debut. | (Zuffa LLC)

The 31-year-old made short work of welterweight mainstay Neil Magny in his promotional debut last December, and now he and Alvarez will square off in a fan-friendly addition to a UFC 328 card that is currently shaping up like this.

UFC 328 Fight Card

• Main Event: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland

• Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta

• Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley

• King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens

• Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov

• Ateba Gautier vs. Ozzy Diaz

• Roman Kopylov vs. Marco Tulio

• Clayton Carpenter vs. Jose Ochoa

• Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Djorden Santos

• Joel Alvarez vs. Yaroslav Amosov