UFC 328 is shaping up as one of the year’s most anticipated events. To make it even more exciting, with just 37 days left until the event, Dana White and Co. added another high-profile fight. Scheduled for May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, the card promises everything fans crave, including drama, emotion, elite fighters, and is capped off by the highly anticipated headliner, Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland title fight. So, UFC now gives fans another must-watch matchup to look forward to.

Recently, “Home of Fight” confirmed that UFC 328’s 10th fight will pit former Bellator champion Yaroslav Amosov (29-1) against UFC veteran Joel Álvarez in the welterweight division. As a result, the winner of this clash could move closer to breaking into the top 15.

“Yaroslav Amosov vs. Joel Álvarez is official for #UFC328 on May 9th,” the page wrote on X. At the same time, another journalist commented on “Home of Fight,” quickly labeling the matchup a “sneaky banger,” and also noted that it could be a “style-make fight” and a potential war. And he’s not wrong.

Amosov, the legendary Ukrainian, spent nearly five years in Bellator as one of its top names and a former champion. He lost only once in his career, against Jason Jackson in his last Bellator fight in 2023. After that, he had a short stint in CFFC before making a successful UFC debut against Neil Magny.

The 32-year-old built his career on a strong Sambo foundation, winning 12 fights by submission. Moreover, Amosov dominates in the cage with a fighting style that mirrors the Sambo techniques of fellow Caucasian legend Khabib Nurmagomedov. Back in his earlier years, he represented Ukraine in numerous national and international competitions, where he won four Sambo world championships as well as two European and Eurasian titles.

On the other side, 33-year-old Joel Álvarez spent most of his career in the UFC’s lightweight division. He lost only once, to Arman Tsarukyan, but defeated top names like Drakkar Klose and Thiago Moisés in his other nine fights.

The Spanish phenom wins over 70% of his fights by submission, though he primarily strikes. Standing 6’3, Álvarez overwhelms opponents with devastating knees and elbows. In fact, he brutally outclassed Thiago Moisés in his most recent fight and then defeated Vicente Luque by unanimous decision in his last UFC welterweight outing.

Because of this, experts often describe Álvarez’s approach as “surgeon-like,” which makes his upcoming clash with Yaroslav Amosov set to be a true banger. At the same time, Dana White & Co. is taking matchmaking seriously. After critics slammed the promotion for “poor matchmaking” over the past few months, the UFC seems to be taking notes and is now adding another banger to their upcoming UFC Macau card.

UFC Macau strengthens its card with a new matchup

With the major numbered events coming up, UFC is also focusing heavily on their upcoming overseas shows. Right now, UFC Macau is drawing the most attention. When UFC last visited Macau in 2024, the city stayed on the back burner until now.

As a result, the event will take place on May 30 at the Galaxy Arena, and the promotion has already confirmed a banger lineup of eight fights, including the headliner bantamweight war between Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo. The card also features LHW bouts, such as Zhang Mingyang vs. Alonzo Menifield. Recently, MMA Orbit reported that Dana White & Co. added a ninth banger fight, with Kai Asakura set to face Cameron Smotherman.

This move shows the promotion is trying to improve their matchmaking, since the quality dropped over the past few years. Earlier this year, when UFC shifted to the Paramount streaming service, fans found the highlights less exciting, particularly in recent events like UFC 325 and the UFC London card.

Now, looking at the upcoming UFC events, do you see any improvement in matchmaking quality as a fan? Drop your take below.