Rogan: Strickland 'has a shot' vs. Chimaev at UFC 328

Joe Rogan isn't counting out Sean Strickland in his title fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328.

Strickland, a former middleweight champion, is looking to reclaim the 185-pound throne in Saturday's main event at Prudential Center in Newark.

Strickland is a heavy underdog, but Rogan, the longtime UFC color commentator, believes Strickland has a chance to beat the undefeated Chimaev.

"Strickland is one of the best fighters on planet Earth," Rogan said on a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast. "So is Khamzat. But Strickland is also a legitimate world champion. He's a guy who's accustomed to five-rounders, he's got phenomenal cardio, he's one of the hardest guys to hit in the sport. 100% he has a shot."

Strickland, 35, earned another crack at the title with a third-round TKO win over Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez in the UFC Houston main event in February. Strickland was around a +200 underdog against Hernandez but delivered one of his most impressive performances in recent memory.

Chimaev is making his first title defense after routing Dricus Du Plessis to become the champion at UFC 319 last August. The 32-year-old Chechen holds a 15-0 record as a professional with 12 finishes.

Chimaev is widely considered one of the most ferocious grapplers in the promotion, but Rogan cited Strickland's "underrated" grappling and takedown defense as reasons he could pull off the upset.

"Strickland can win this fight," Rogan said. "(I'm) not saying he's going to win."