Khamzat Chimaev extended his UFC dominance by winning the middleweight championship on Saturday night, defeating Dricus Du Plessis by unanimous decision at UFC 319.
Chimaev (15-0) wasted no time, opening the fight with an early takedown in the first round, quickly controlling Du Plessis (23-3) on the ground for nearly the entire round. Despite Chimaev’s dominance, Du Plessis managed to avoid significant damage during this period.
The pattern continued as Chimaev executed multiple takedowns in the second and third rounds. His superior grappling wore down Du Plessis, especially in the third round when Chimaev unleashed a series of strikes from top position.
Chimaev maintained his ground control into the fourth round, consistently applying pressure on the former champion.
Having sought a title shot since joining the UFC in 2020, Chimaev praised Du Plessis for his toughness. “That guy is tough to finish. Respect that guy. He was the only champion to say ‘I’m in.’ This guy has a big heart,” Chimaev said.
Du Plessis showed some late fight resilience in the fifth round, securing a takedown and attempting a guillotine choke, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.
For the majority of the fight, Chimaev controlled the action thoroughly, dominating the former champ on the mat.
“Nobody wants to be in a crucifix getting punched in the head like that. It’s got to be the most frustrating, heart-sucking feeling. Just getting dominated on the ground like that is no fun for anyone,” UFC president Dana White commented.
All three judges scored the fight 50-44 in favor of Chimaev.
Reflecting on the loss, Du Plessis said, “At the end, I went for it, had the back. I could almost taste victory. He beat me fair and square tonight; he was the better man tonight. I’ll be back.”
UFC returned to Chicago for the first time in six years, marking UFC 319 as the highest-grossing event ever at the United Center.
The main card featured two spectacular first-round spinning elbow finishes by Carlos Prates and Lerone Murphy.
In the co-main event, Murphy (17-0-1), who accepted the fight on just three weeks’ notice, fended off an early attack from Aaron Pico (13-5). Murphy’s spinning right elbow secured a knockout victory in Pico’s UFC featherweight debut. This victory positions Murphy for a potential title fight against featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski.
Prates (22-7) bounced back from an April loss to Ian Machado Garry with a stunning first-round knockout of Geoff Neal (16-7), marking the ninth spinning elbow finish in UFC history. Neal experienced his first knockout loss in his career. Following the fight, Dana White promised Prates a bout in his home country of Brazil on October 11 in Rio de Janeiro.
In the middleweight division, Michael Page (24-3) knocked Jared Cannonier (19-10) down with a powerful right hand in the first round, then followed up in the second round to secure a unanimous decision victory.
The five-fight main card opened with Timothy Elliott (22-13-1) securing a guillotine choke submission in the second round over Kai Askura (21-6). Despite Askura controlling most of the first round with superior striking, Elliott’s late takedown shifted momentum, leading to a notable upset win in the flyweight division.
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