Tom Aspinall, the UFC heavyweight champion, has weighed in on one of the most anticipated matchups of the year—and he's not betting against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328.

Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) puts his middleweight title on the line against Sean Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) in Saturday's main event at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., airing live on Paramount+. The undefeated Chimaev enters as a heavy favorite, and Aspinall sees the logic behind those odds.

"I think Khamzat, to me, looks pretty unstoppable at the moment with his takedowns and stuff," Aspinall said on his YouTube channel. "His striking, obviously, he's really dangerous with his striking, as well. I think Sean Strickland probably has a little bit of an edge in the striking department, but Khamzat's grappling, I don't know if Sean Strickland will be able to get up off the bottom enough times."

While Strickland has never been submitted in his UFC career, Aspinall believes Chimaev's relentless ground game could be the difference-maker. The British heavyweight acknowledged that Strickland's camp has been hyping up his ability to escape from bad positions, but he's skeptical about how long that can hold up against a wrestler of Chimaev's caliber.

"I know Sean's coach. I've actually trained with Sean a little bit, as well—only a tiny bit, though. But I know a lot of people who are close to him and everyone keeps saying how good he is at getting up off the bottom," Aspinall explained. "So I think it's going to be real interesting. That's the big question for me: how many times can he get up off the bottom without getting caught in a submission, without getting tired? Khamzat will just rinse and repeat for the full five rounds, like in his last fight against Dricus du Plessis."

Aspinall did leave the door open for a Strickland upset, pointing to the challenger's unorthodox striking style and proven cardio. "If Strickland can come through that, not be exhausted—which, he's never shown any signs of that before, in my opinion—and put him on the end of that awkward style that he's got with striking and really unorthodox standup, I think there's definitely a chance for Strickland. But in my opinion, I'm leaning a little bit toward Khamzat."

Chimaev made quick work of Dricus du Plessis, who has twice defeated Strickland, but Aspinall expects a tougher test this time around. "The verdict is, for me, Khamzat by decision, I think," Aspinall said. "I think it will be a lit fight."

For fight fans looking to gear up for the big event, now is the perfect time to stock up on your favorite MMA apparel and show support for your pick—whether you're backing the champion or the challenger.