Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev to headline UFC 319 in Chicago
An anticipated middleweight title fight between champion Dricus Du Plessis and undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev will headline UFC 319 on Aug. 16 in Chicago.
An anticipated middleweight title fight between champion Dricus Du Plessis and undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev will headline UFC 319 on Aug. 16 in Chicago.
UFC president Dana White made the announcement Tuesday evening after months of speculation that these two stars were set to clash.
Du Plessis became the 185-pound champion when he won a split decision over Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 297 early in 2024.
The 31-year-old champ went on to defeat former longtime champion Israel Adesanya by submission at UFC 305 last summer before winning a unanimous decision in his rematch with Strickland at UFC 312 in February to cement his spot at the top of the division.
Chimaev, who turned 31 earlier this month, is 14-0 as a pro and 8-0 at the UFC level. The undefeated No. 3-ranked contender is coming off a first-round submission win over former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 this past October, a submission that injured Whittaker’s jaw and resulted in the former champion requiring surgery.
Only four of Chimaev’s UFC appearances have been at 185 pounds. In addition to beating Whittaker, Chimaev holds stoppage wins over John Phillips, Gerald Meerschaert, plus a three-round decision win over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who was making his middleweight debut at the time.
Du Plessis is 9-0 in the UFC and 23-2 overall in MMA. The South African champion, who debuted in the UFC in 2020 just three months after Chimaev debuted, also holds a previous stoppage win over Whittaker.
