Khamzat Chimaev Beats Dricus du Plessis By UD to Win Middleweight Title at UFC 319

Khamzat Chimaev took the UFC middleweight title from Dricus Du Plessis with a unanimous decision win over Stillknocks in the main event of UFC 319.

Chimaev wasted no time in getting the fight where he wanted it. He charged across the cage to take down Du Plessis and scrambled to a crucifix early in the round to get into dominant position. 

Chimaev didn’t land huge ground-and-pound, but it was a consistent stream of offense that Du Plessis was forced to defend. 

Chimaev continued to control DDP throughout the early rounds. He drew praise from fellow fighters as the champion was forced to play a lot of defense. 

Cardio has been a question for Chimaev in the past. His relentless style wasn’t always backed up with the kind of reserves that it takes to sustain his volume. That didn’t seem to be an issue this time round. 

Chimaev sustained his effort into the championship rounds, displaying a level of dominance that is rarely seen in a title fight. 

Du Plessis did have a brief rally at the end of the fight. He sprawled on Chimaev’s takedown attempt and looked to lock in a choke, but it was too little too late.

Chimaev's coronation is a moment that feels like it's been a long time coming. He made a name for himself back in 2020 when he stacked up his first two wins in two days at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

He added a third finish two months later to become an overnight star in the sport.

Since then, Chimaev's biggest nemesis has been the scale. He bounced between welterweight and middleweight with a year long layoff before moving back up to 185 pounds.

So five years since he made his memorable debut, Chimaev is now the middleweight champion.

It's hard to come up with who would be favored over the new champion. Du Plessis had earned his reputation as the champion of the division with a previously unbeaten record in the UFC and wins over Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland (twice) and Israel Adesanya.

That level of dominance makes a rematch a possibility. Strickland getting a crack remains an option. Chimaev recently challenged Tarzan during a media scrum.

“I don’t know,” Chimaev told reporters. “When I was there, he never said anything. When I leave Vegas and they stopped my visa, he started to talk. When I come back, I’m in L.A., bro. Come on. If it’s something personal for you, just come. I’m here whenever you want.”

There's also Reinier de Ridder to consider after he just earned a decision victory over Robert Whittaker on July 26. Whoever get the next shot will have a tall task.