UFC 319: Khamzat Chimaev Defeats Du Plessis Middleweight

UFC 319 lit up Chicago as Khamzat Chimaev claimed the middleweight belt with a clean unanimous-decision triumph over Dricus Du Plessis.

Article Contents

Chimaev set the rhythm from Round 1. He shot for a takedown inside sixty seconds, stretching his run of floor-control attempts to a perfect ten. Rather than a mere cuff on the mat, he used Olympic-level wrestling to peel Du Plessis off the cage, seat him on the canvas, and hammer precise shots. At one point, the Swede locked down a mounted crucifix, pinning the ex-champ and raining heavy elbows until the referee’s mercy felt overdue.

Du Plessis carried his trademark stamina and grit, temptingly flurrying in the fifth and latching onto a hip-tour wrestling reversal. Chimaev spun free in seconds, landed two more takedowns, and finished the night in side-control, the tougher man showcasing textbook clout. When the cards finally read 50-44, the belt bred its newest owner.

Chimaev cruises through sunset with another notch on the belt, tallying his official tally to a flawless 15-0 and firming the bruising ledger to 9-0 inside the UFC octagon. Tonight’s artful slaughter transforms the gold belt into a mandatory companion, and roars from the crowd crumbles into a single murmured refrain: who, under the primal cusp of the 185-pound war zone, possesses the audacity, power, or sheer lunacy to steer him from this molten path?

Who snagged the main event at UFC 319?

Khamzat Chimaev took over. Unanimous decision, no room for debate. He just straight-up snatched the UFC Middleweight belt from Dricus Du Plessis. Wild, right?

What’s Chimaev’s MMA record looking like?

The guy’s got a spotless record—15 wins, zero losses as a pro. In the UFC 319 itself, he’s sitting pretty at 9-0. Not even a scratch on that column.

How did Chimaev pull off the win at UFC 319 against Du Plessis?

Honestly? He just mauled him with nonstop wrestling. Takedown after takedown, glue-like top control, and he never let up. Five rounds of pure suffocation. You’d need a crowbar to get Chimaev off you.

Who’s next in line for Chimaev?

Could be Nassourdine Imavov, maybe Caio Borralho, or even Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez, who’s been on a tear lately. But you never really know with Khamzat—the dude talks about bouncing between divisions like it’s nothing.

Is Chimaev chasing titles in more than one division?

Oh, he’s not shy about it. He’s eyeing welterweight (170 lbs), maybe even light heavyweight (205 lbs). The guy wants to be the first UFC 319 fighter to hold three belts at once. Ambitious? For sure. But if anyone’s wild enough to try, it’s him.