Khamzat Chimaev has emerged as the new star of the middleweight division. The undefeated fighter has given a mindblowing performance against Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC 319 in Chicago on Saturday, registering a victory over a lopsided unanimous decision to claim the UFC middleweight championship.
Chimaev wasted no time showing his intentions. Just seconds into the first round, he shot for a takedown and nearly found himself caught in a choke attempt. But once he rolled through into top position, it was all one-way traffic. From side control, he trapped du Plessis’ arm in a crucifix and unleashed a barrage of short punches that, while not devastating, left the defending champion stuck and searching for answers.
Du Plessis fought valiantly to escape but found himself underneath Chimaev’s smothering control for nearly the entirety of the round. It was a pattern that would repeat itself throughout the fight. Every time du Plessis tried to reset on his feet, Chimaev dragged him back down, mixing in knees and fishing for submissions.
The second and third rounds unfolded in much the same way. Chimaev’s relentless takedowns — 12 in total across the five rounds — left du Plessis constantly defending. Again in the crucifix position, Chimaev added elbows to his ground-and-pound, threatening to end the fight early. Du Plessis, however, managed to wriggle free each time and survive until the horn.
In the fourth round, referee Marc Goddard briefly stood the fighters up due to a lack of significant action. Chimaev’s response was simple: another takedown. The Chicago crowd voiced its frustration with boos, but the strategy was brutally effective, leaving du Plessis little chance to mount meaningful offense.
The defending champion finally enjoyed a brief window of momentum in the fifth round, landing strikes that made Chimaev look uncomfortable for the first time all night. Du Plessis even managed to take top position after escaping a takedown and briefly threatened with a rear-naked choke. But once more, Chimaev remained composed, slipping out of danger and regaining control until the final horn.
The judges were unanimous, scoring it 50-44 across the board. The numbers reflected Chimaev’s dominance: 12 of 17 takedowns completed, nearly 22 minutes of ground control, and a staggering 529 total strikes landed compared to just 45 for du Plessis.
With the win, Chimaev improves to 15-0 as a professional and captures his first UFC title. His dominant display has already reignited conversation about his bold ambition of becoming a three-division champion, with welterweight and light heavyweight belts in his sights.
For du Plessis, the defeat ends a run of four consecutive wins over current or former middleweight champions. His reign came to a halt in a fight where he spent nearly 88 percent of the contest pinned to the canvas.
Elsewhere on the UFC 319 card, Lerone Murphy stunned Aaron Pico with a spinning back elbow knockout in the opening round of the co-main event. Carlos Prates delivered another highlight with a first-round knockout of Geoff Neal, while Michael Page edged Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision.
But the night belonged to Chimaev. His suffocating style may not win over every crowd, but it has earned him UFC gold — and a place among the sport’s most formidable champions.
