Khamzat Chimaev finally delivered on the immense promise that has followed him since his UFC debut, dominating Dricus du Plessis from start to finish to claim the middleweight championship at UFC 319 in Chicago.
The undefeated Chechen-born fighter (15-0) set the tone immediately with a takedown in the opening seconds, keeping the South African champion (23-3) on his back for much of the first round. That sequence would be the story of the night. Chimaev piled up takedown after takedown, smothering du Plessis with relentless ground control and unleashing an unprecedented barrage of strikes. By the end, Chimaev had landed a UFC-record 529 strikes and logged 21 minutes and 40 seconds of control time—second only to Sean Sherk’s record in 2007.
Du Plessis, who was making the third defense of his title, showed toughness and managed to survive the onslaught, even mounting a brief rally late in the fifth round with a takedown and guillotine attempt. But his resistance was overwhelmed by the sheer volume and dominance of Chimaev’s grappling. All three judges scored the bout 50-44 in favor of the challenger.
“I never game-plan,” Chimaev said afterward. “I just came in, work like I do in the gym. That guy is strong, I couldn’t finish, respect that guy, he’s the only champion who was saying my name. This guy has real heart, a real lion, a real African lion.”
UFC president Dana White praised the performance, calling it “pure domination” and noting the suffocating effect of Chimaev’s top control: “Nobody wants to be in a crucifix getting punched in the head like that. It’s got to be the most frustrating, suck the heart and soul out of you.”
The victory was especially significant for Chimaev, who has battled injuries, illnesses, and visa issues that kept him from competing regularly in the U.S. He credited former President Donald Trump for helping him secure the visa that allowed him to fight on American soil for the first time in nearly three years. The win not only silenced critics but also fulfilled the championship potential he had carried since bursting onto the UFC scene in 2020.
Du Plessis, gracious in defeat, vowed to return: “At the end, I went for it, had the back. I can almost taste the victory. He beat me fair and square tonight; he was the better man tonight. I’ll be back.”
The event, held at the United Center, marked the UFC’s first return to Chicago in six years and became the highest-grossing show in the venue’s history. The main card featured fireworks beyond the title fight, including two spectacular spinning elbow knockouts.
Carlos Prates (22-7) delivered the ninth spinning elbow finish in UFC history, knocking out Geoff Neal in the first round, while Lerone Murphy (17-0-1) stopped Aaron Pico with a spinning elbow in his UFC debut at featherweight. Michael Page (24-3) impressed with a dominant decision over Jared Cannonier, and veteran Timothy Elliott (22-13-1) secured a guillotine submission over Kai Askura.
But the night belonged to Khamzat Chimaev, whose suffocating performance ended Dricus du Plessis’ title reign and confirmed him as the new force to beat in the middleweight division.
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