Dricus du Plessis‘ coach Morne Visser needs to make an important decision about his student’s future, says UFC veteran Chael Sonnen.
As we know, Dricus du Plessis is no longer the UFC middleweight champion. He was beaten and dominated in his UFC 319 main event against Khamzat Chimaev and while he had a brief window of opportunity in the last round, he was ultimately outmatched pretty heavily in the wrestling department.
As you can imagine, a lot of people have been going after Dricus du Plessis for his inability to stop Khamzat Chimaev. In a recent video, Chael Sonnen weighed in on the issue and had some words of advice.
Chael Sonnen’s view on Dricus du Plessis’ future
“Okay. What does Dricus’ coach do now? In a couple of categories. He sends Dricus out. Hey, we don’t have it right here in our gym. We don’t have these answers, but they do exist and I’m going to send you to where they are. University of Iowa comes to mind. University of Iowa has offered to host Dricus for two weeks and let him be part of their room and training.
“Okay, there’s one idea. Or the other is bring somebody in, right? And again, we could probably turn right back to Iowa, get him on a plane, have him go and work with Dricus. But you still have, do you send him out? Do you bring somebody in? You must come to the conclusion of we don’t have the answers right now. And this is very normal, by the way.
“That’s not an insult. I came through that at Team Quest. We brought in John Lewis and we brought in John Hackleman. We had the work ethic, the bodies, the dream, but we didn’t have the skills that were needed in this sport.”
UFC middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder firmly believes that he will be able to defeat Khamzat Chimaev if the two do fight each other.
As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the current king of the middleweight division after knocking off former champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. We also know that Reinier de Ridder is set for a title eliminator at UFC Vancouver when he squares off with Anthony Hernandez, who is also in the midst of his best ever run as a UFC fighter.
Reinier de Ridder has wasted absolutely no time since arriving in the promotion and he’s showing the kind of drive that is always going to appeal to Dana White and the matchmakers. If he can get through ‘Fluffy’, there will be absolutely no way of denying that he is next in line for a championship opportunity at 185 pounds.
In a recent interview, Reinier de Ridder opened up on a possible showdown with Khamzat Chimaev and why he feels so confident about it.
Reinier de Ridder discusses Khamzat Chimaev fight
“The main thought in my mind is if he takes me down, great. If I take him down, great. If it’s in a clinch, great. If it’s in the stand up, it’s great. I’m not worried about where it goes at all. I think I can hit him with some good knees. I believe I can take him down. I have some cool stuff off my back as well, so yeah, we’ll see.”
The Noche UFC card now officially has a co-main event.
This year’s Noche UFC will be the third annual event celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day, set for September 13 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. The card was initially planned for Guadalajara, Mexico, as UFC 320, but delays in the construction of Arena Guadalajara forced the promotion to relocate the event to U.S. soil and rebrand it as a Fight Night.
On Wednesday, the promotion confirmed that seasoned bantamweight contender Rob Font will square off against rising prospect Raul Rosas Jr. in the co-main event of Noche UFC.
Bantamweights are set to throwdown! 👀@RobSFont vs Raul Rosas Jr.
Font is set for his second Octagon appearance of the year after edging out Jean Matsumoto by split decision at UFC Seattle in February. The 38-year-old veteran enters on a two-fight win streak, though his form has been uneven in recent years, going 3-4 across his last seven outings. The American striker carries a 12-7 UFC record, with seven of those victories coming by way of stoppage.
Meanwhile, Rosas Jr. enters the bout on a four-fight winning streak, most recently outpointing Vince Morales by unanimous decision at UFC Mexico City in March. ‘El Niño Problema’ carries just one blemish on his professional record, a decision loss to Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287 in April 2023. The 20-year-old Mexican standout has already compiled a 5-1 record in the UFC since debuting in December 2022.
Image: UFC/Zuffa LLC
Who Is Set To Headline Noche UFC This Year?
Noche UFC will be headlined by a pivotal featherweight showdown, as ex-title challenger Diego Lopes squares off against surging knockout artist Jean Silva. The card also features a high-stakes strawweight clash between former title challengers Tatiana Suarez and Amanda Lemos.
Here is the confirmed lineup:
Featherweight: Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva
Bantamweight: Rob Font vs. Raul Rosas Jr.
Strawweight: Tatiana Suarez vs. Amanda Lemos
Welterweight: Rodrigo Sezinando vs. Daniil Donchenko
Lightweight: Jared Gordon vs. Rafa García
Flyweight: Jesus Aguilar vs. Luis Gurule
Women’s bantamweight: Alice Pereira vs. Montserrat Rendon
Michael Venom Page is not obtuse to the fact that Khamzat Chimaev would be a rough night of work but it is a challenge he is game for, all the same. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show in the wake of his win over Jared Cannonier at UFC 319, MVP touched on multiple subjects related to his win over the former UFC middleweight title challenger.
The former Bellator MMA star also touched on the fact that he is intrigued by a fight with the current UFC middleweight champion who emerged as the newly minted titleholder at the same UFC card Page just bested Cannonier on. In Chicago on August 16th, Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis in a dominant performance that saw him notch historic numbers in terms of the striking metrics as ‘Borz’ ascended to the throne.
While MVP normally plies his trade at welterweight, he now has a pair of impressive wins at middleweight to his credit over Shara Magomedov and the aforementioned Cannonier. When discussing what could be a desired next step or a challenge in the future at the very least, Page said,
“I was thinking about the champ, Khamzat Chimaev. I’ve had the privilege of being in the gym and watching him work. He is an absolute beast, an absolute animal. What he did was insane. At times I felt like he was being nice when he got someone in the crucifix. I don’t understand why he wasn’t raining down elbows. He was there for like four minutes at a time.”
Michael Venom Page knows what he would be getting into, but wants to work against Khamzat Chimaev
As Michael Venom Page further expounded upon his thoughts on the new UFC middleweight titleholder Khamzat Chimaev, Page continued,
“That guy’s amazing. And I’ve got to make a decision to be really prepared to defend myself and get back up because in my head it doesn’t matter. You have to walk into that fight knowing that you’re going to spend some time on your back and you have to work from there.”
The latest season of Dana White’s Contender Series continued with a memorable night of action filled with highlights in Las Vegas.
DWCS began in 2017 and has produced a notable number of fighters currently on the UFC’s roster. Since the show’s inception in 2017, a couple have even gone on to claim UFC championships. Known as “The ultimate job interview,” DWCS features five fights weekly, over the course of 10 weeks, as combatants compete to impress UFC CEO and President Dana White and earn a UFC contract.
Last year’s edition saw 42 fighters earn a contract with the world’s leading MMA organization across 10 events, slightly down from the 46 handed out in 2023. Episode two of season nine this week saw five prospects earn the opportunity to taste the Octagon’s bright lights.
The night got started with a strong performance from Ramiro Jimenez, who scored a first-round finish of Tommy Cuozzi Jr. Jimenez worked over Cuozzi’s body early, especially with the left hand, before a one-two scored a knockdown of Cuozzi. Jimenez continued to target the body and do damage with powerful shots, ending things by grabbing Cuozzi and landing a pair of elbows. That dominant performance earned him the nod from Dana White for a UFC contract.
Former NFL player and collegiate wrestler Josh Hokit looked to make a statement with his victory over Guilherme Uriel. Hokit completely controlled the action with wrestling, attempting nine takedowns during the first round and scoring on most of them. Though Uriel started to defend takedowns during the later part of the round, it was clear he was worn down. Hokit then scored an easy takedown seconds into the second round, dominating on the ground before finishing things with elbows.
Hokit then delivered a Colby Covington-esque promo after his win, claiming himself to be the savior of the heavyweight division.
Louis Lee Scott was also in action on the night, defeating Kaushik Saikumar, the first Indian fighter to compete on DWCS. Despite his weight miss, Lee Scott shook off Saikumar’s grappling, including a pair of leg lock attempts, and put on a fairly strong striking performance. Lee Scott would overwhelm Saikumar with strikes to score a third-round TKO. And despite the weight miss, White gave him a contract as well.
Cam Rowston and Brandon Holmes’ co-main fight was a violent affair for how long it lasted, but it was Rowston who scored the win after an elbow rocked Holmes, leading eventually to a flurry of strikes that’d result in not only another first-round finish and contract — but also Rowston earning a spot on the UFC Perth card next month.
The main event of the evening saw Jose Delano put up a dominant performance over a durable Manuel Exposito. Despite Exposito trying to get to a strong start early, Delano seemed to land at will on Exposito, busting him open and putting on a beating for a full 15 minutes. In spite of not getting the finish, his performance was enough to earn the nod from White, giving all five winners on the night UFC contracts.
Ramiro Jimenez def. Tommy Cuozzi Jr. via TKO (R1, 2:53)
Two men who recently made headway in the UFC middleweight title picture will gain another opportunity to inch even closer to a shot at Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC Vancouver main event.
Renier de Ridder and Anthony Hernandez competed in the card’s main event, which goes down on October 18 at the Rogers Arena.
UFC CEO & President Dana White officially confirmed this bout, as well as others, during an Instagram live stream.
White also hinted that the winner who performs best between this fight and the Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho bout that takes place at UFC Paris on September 6 may be first in line to challenge Chimaev. Chimaev defeated Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 this past Saturday.
Reinier De Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez To Headline UFC Vancouver, Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi To Serve As Co-Main
De Ridder, the former two-division champion in ONE Championship, is 4-0 in the UFC since making his promotional debut this past November. He has scored submissions over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland, a TKO of Bo Nickal, and a split decision over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. The Whittaker fight took place just last month in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event.
Hernandez has won eight straight and is 9-2 in the UFC. He fought just a couple of weeks ago in the UFC Vegas 109 main event, dominating Roman Dolidze en route to a fourth-round submission.
The UFC Vancouver co-main event will see former bantamweight title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera taking on Aiemann Zahabi.
Vera has lost two straight and three of his last four, having last fought in a loss to Deiveson Figueiredo at last year’s UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Night event. Zahabi, meanwhile, has won six straight and is 7-2 in the UFC. Zahabi fought in a featherweight bout at UFC 315, defeating former bantamweight king Jose Aldo, who retired from pro MMA a second time following the bout.
The aforementioned Holland will also be competing at UFC Vancouver, facing Mike Malott. Holland is 3-3 in his last six, dropping a decision to Daniel Rodriguez in a wild fight at UFC 318 that Holland took on short notice. Malott is 12-2-1 in professional MMA, which includes a 5-1 UFC record since joining off a first-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series. Malott most recently fought at UFC 315, knocking out Charles Radtke.
An important women’s flyweight contest was also announced, as Manon Fiorot will take on Jasmine Jasudavicius. Fiorot unsuccessfully challenged Valentina Shevchenko for the women’s flyweight title at UFC 315 — a fight that snapped a 7-0 unbeaten run in the UFC and a 12-fight winning streak Fiorot had since dropping her pro MMA debut. Jasudavicius, meanwhile, has won five straight and seven of eight, submitting Jessica Andrade on that same UFC 315 card.
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev‘s critics following his win at UFC 319.
As we know, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis in dominant fashion in the main event of UFC 319. In doing so, he captured the UFC middleweight championship, using his superior wrestling to completely shut down anything that was coming back his way from DDP.
However, a lot of people weren’t big fans of Khamzat Chimaev’s approach to the fight. Many felt as if his wrestle-heavy style was too boring, and that it led to a disappointing bout when many were hoping for a real war between these elite middleweights.
In a recent video, Chael Sonnen gave his thoughts on those who didn’t particularly enjoy Khamzat Chimaev’s triumph.
Chael Sonnen questions Khamzat Chimaev’s critics
“You’re calling a fight dull and boring based on inactivity that literally set an activity record by almost double. I had 311 – that was the record. 527 is what came in.”
“There is a segment of our fan base that chose to call that fight boring. Now, you’re not wrong. You can’t be wrong. It’s an opinion… but the discussion has just gone from, ‘Hey, that match wasn’t as fun to watch,’ to, ‘We need a rule change. We need a rule change to bring these guys back up to their feet.’ And that’s where you’re jumping the shark. On that one, I must push back. You are going too far.”
UFC middleweight star Paulo Costa has given his thoughts on why, in his opinion, Khamzat Chimaev is bad for the sport of mixed martial arts.
Following his win over Roman Kopylov earlier this summer, Paulo Costa seems to have his eyes firmly set on the UFC middleweight championship. Of course, claiming that title is going to be easier said than done, especially when you consider the fact that the champion is Khamzat Chimaev.
The good news for Paulo Costa is that he has a built-in rivalry with Khamzat. These two men have gone back and forth on social media on many different occasions and also in interviews, and it certainly feels like they’re destined to collide at some point in the future.
In a recent interview, Paulo Costa gave his thoughts on Chimaev’s UFC 319 performance and his fight style as a whole.
Paulo Costa’s view on Khamzat Chimaev
“I’m impressed with how he holds on the ground, but I expected an exciting fight. I wasn’t expecting Dricus to be stuck in the crucifix like that for so long.”
“People don’t want to watch guys hugging for 25 minutes. This is not good for the sport. They need to put me in there against him.”
Chimaev will obviously be the favorite for a fight like this, but we may have to wait a bit longer before we see it. After all, Costa is behind a few others in the pecking order, and it feels like Khamzat’s focus right now is on Reinier de Ridder.
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has an interesting view on those who are looking to submit Khamzat Chimaev in future fights.
Khamzat Chimaev is an incredibly intense wrestler and he’s someone who is willing to get in your face from the very first seconds of the fight. Someone who used to have a similar style back in the day was Chael Sonnen, who had great wrestling success against a lot of fighters.
Like Chael Sonnen, Khamzat Chimaev is a divisive figure within the mixed martial arts community – but after his title win over Dricus du Plessis, it definitely feels like the tide is slowly beginning to turn with more and more fans understanding the brilliance of ‘Borz’.
In a recent video, Chael Sonnen gave his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev and what kind of strategy his opponents should have.
Chael Sonnen’s view on Khamzat Chimaev
“If you ever want a wrestler to stop taking you down, get up off the bottom. I don’t care if you’re fighting three rounds or five rounds. You get off the bottom three times, that wrestler will stop trying to take you down. There is nothing that will mentally get in a wrestler’s head more than him succeeding and not being able to be rewarded for it. The takedown is the single largest amount of energy exertion that is done in the sport of MMA and you must be able to keep a guy there.”
“Anybody that plans to go to their back and triangle choke Chimaev, you’re not doing yourself a service. Anybody that’s going to come out and tell the world, ‘I will submit you,’ not only won’t you, you will look like a fool. You got to get back to your feet.”
UFC star Reinier de Ridder is perfectly fine with being taken down by Khamzat Chimaev if the two end up fighting one another.
As we know, Reinier de Ridder is one of the most exciting middleweight contenders on the roster – and in all of mixed martial arts. He hasn’t wasted any time whatsoever in making his presence known in the division, and after beating Robert Whittaker, he has set himself up fora championship opportunity.
That fight will likely come against Khamzat Chimaev, who is the new UFC middleweight champion after he was able to dethrone Dricus du Plessis. He absolutely dominateed DDP from start to finish, and in doing so, gave other 185-pounders including Reinier de Ridder an idea of how not to approach a fight against ‘Borz’.
In a recent interview, Reinier de Ridder opened up on the idea of fighting Khamzat, and he seems pretty comfortable with every possible scenario.
Reinier de Ridder welcomes wrestling with Khamzat Chimaev
“I think I’m a very good, a very big challenge for him. I’m interested to see what happens in the fight, of course. But if I get taken down, perfect. If I take him down, perfect. If we’re still standing, also great. I think I have a good chance of doing well in this fight, and I really hope we can get it done.”
de Ridder is a very relaxed guy and it’ll be interesting to see what he’s like in the build-up to a fight against someone as intense as Chimaev.
UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev has made it crystal clear that he’s interested in fighting Reinier de Ridder in his next fight.
As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the new king of the middleweight division. He earned that title by defeating and dominating Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC 319, and when we say dominate, we mean it. Now, all fans are focused on seeing what the UFC is going to do next with ‘Borz’ as he continues to cement himself as one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts.
There are plenty of exciting middleweight contenders out there for Khamzat Chimaev to face, and one of the leaders of the pack right now is Reinier de Ridder. He is fresh off of a huge win over Robert Whittaker, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the UFC book this kind of fight next.
In a recent exchange on X, Khamzat Chimaev and Reinier de Ridder certainly set the stage for their seemingly inevitable clash.
Chimaev: “I’m gonna make you look like white belt habibi [laughing faces]”
Khamzat is an absolute monster and you just know that he’s going to want to showcase his grappling prowess against de Ridder if given the opportunity to do so. Either way, though, the middleweight division is starting to look more exciting now than it has done in years. Buckle up, folks.
After suffering an injury in his last fight earlier this year, former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will return to the Octagon on October 11, as he takes on Montel Jackson.
This will mark Figueiredo’s first fight since his loss to Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Des Moines. It was a fight in which the former flyweight champion suffered a knee injury in the bout’s conclusion.
Deiveson Figueiredo Returns To Action At UFC Rio
The man known as “Deus Da Guerra” moved up to bantamweight at the end of 2023, winning three straight before a pair of losses to former champion Petr Yan and Sandhagen, the latter of whom will be challenging for the gold at UFC 320. It’s the first time in Figueiredo’s career that he has suffered back-to-back losses.
Figueiredo is a former two-time UFC flyweight champion, having engaged in four wars with Brandon Moreno over the title, going 1-2-1 in the process during the legendary, praiseworthy rivalry.
Jackson has won six straight. He also competed at UFC Des Moines, scoring a decision win over Daniel Marcos.
UFC 319 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 320 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The promotion was in Chicago last week, where the United Center played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its eighth numbered event of the year. Of note were headline wins for Khamzat Chimaev and Lerone Murphy, as well as important victories for Carlos Prates, Michael “Venom” Page, and Tim Elliott.
While the aftermath of the August 16 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the middleweight championship title picture to the light heavyweight and bantamweight championship conversations.
At UFC 320, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 4, Magomed Ankalaev will defend the UFC light heavyweight championship against Alex Pereira. This will be a rematch of their UFC 313 encounter in March, which saw Ankalaev pull off the upset by decision to become the new champion.
Anakalev is 12-0-1 (1 NC) since dropping his UFC debut. Pereira, who has held gold at both 185 and 205 in the UFC, won the light heavyweight title by defeating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295. He then defended the belt against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, Prochazka at UFC 303, and Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307.
Stakes will also be high in the co-main event, as the bantamweight championship will be on the line when Merab Dvalishvili defends against Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili won the title from Sean O’Malley at Noche UFC 2 (UFC 306) last September and has successfully retained against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 and O’Malley at UFC 316. A win against Sandhagen could solidify Fighter of the Year awards for him across MMA media — to add onto the ESPY he received last month. Sandhagen has won four of his last five, finishing Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Des Moines in May.
Prochazka, Rakic, Magomedov Set The Stage For Light Heavyweight Title Headliner At UFC 320
Before Ankalaev and Dvalishvili make their way out to defend their titles, several names will look to make their own statements on the main card for UFC 320.
This includes Jiri Prochazka, who will be doing battle with Khalil Rountree Jr. Prochazka, a former light heavyweight champion, rebounded from his second loss to Pereira with a first-round knockout of another former champion in Jamahal Hill at UFC 311. Rountree Jr. rebounded from his unsuccessful challenge of Pereira with a five-round domination of Hill at UFC Baku a couple of months ago.
Another light heavyweight contender in Aleksandar Rakic will also be in action, taking on Azamat Murzakamov. This bout was scheduled for UFC 321 later in October but has been pushed up. Rakic will be looking to snap a three-fight losing skid, most recently dropping a decision to Ankalaev at UFC 308. Murzakamov is a 15-0 up-and-comer who scored a finish of Brendson Ribeiro at UFC 316.
The main card is scheduled to open with Abus Magomedov taking on Joe Pyfer. Magomedov has won three straight, most recently scoring a decision over Michel Pereira at UFC Kansas City in April. Pyfer has won two straight and is 5-1 in the Octagon, most recently defeating Kelvin Gastelum by decision at UFC 316.
Those pairings have currently gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the likes of Patchy Mix, Edmen Shahbazyan, and Macy Chiasson, all of whom are expected to be featured players on the event’s preliminary card.
See below for the UFC 320 lineup, as it stands.
Main Card:
Light Heavyweight Championship: Magomed Ankalev vs. Alex Pereira
Bantamweight Championship: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen
Light Heavyweight: Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakamov
Middleweight: Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer
Preliminary Card (Order TBA):
Middleweight: Ateba Abega Gautier vs. Ozzy Diaz
Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Muniz
Bantamweight: Patchy Mix vs. Jakub Wiklacz
Women’s Flyweight: Veronica Hardy vs. Brogan Walker
Bantamweight: Chris Gutierrez vs. Farid Basharat
Women’s Bantamweight: Macy Chiasson vs. Yana Santos
Welterweight: Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Austin Vanderford
Note: There will be no September UFC PPV. Noche UFC 3 on September 13 will be a UFC Fight Night event, which will serve as a lead-in for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford boxing card. Alvarez-Crawford will be the first major fight promoted by TKO Boxing, which includes UFC CEO & President Dana White.
Khamzat Chimaev had a historic night of dominance at UFC 319 and broke a record that was long held by Chael Sonnen and the latter has weighed in on that. In the process of unwresting the middleweight crown from Dricus du Plessis, Chimaev connected on over five hundred strikes against the South African combatant when they threw down in the Chicago main event.
This snapped a record that was long held by Chael Sonnen who connected on over three hundred strikes during his own middleweight title bid that took place against Anderson Silva years ago. Taking to his personal YouTube channel to touch on this accomplishment from ‘Borz’ and the massive output of Chimaev on Saturday night, Sonnen said,
“There was 537 strikes landed by Chimaev. Let me put that in perspective because I used to have the record. I had the record, and I crushed the record to win it, and I hit 311. 311 was the record. I know that for sure because I had it. He had 527 against 49 strikes. So it was 10-to-1, Chimaev. When you see something that incredibly dominant, and there was all sorts of judges throwing up 10-8 rounds tonight, I mean, this was one of the most lopsided victories in history for a world championship.”
Khamzat Chimaev wants a quick turn around for his next fight
Khamzat Chimaev does not exactly seem like the type to smell the roses as he has already indicated when he wants his next fight inside the cage. It makes sense in the context of Chimaev having inactivity issues over the years that were informed by travel related issues as well as bouts of illness.
The specific card that Khamzat Chimaev is looking to compete on is in Abu Dhabi with the 31-year-old eyeballing UFC 321 on October 25th. This card also features Tom Aspinall defending his heavyweight crown against Ciryl Gane and when Dana White was asked about of Chimaev could be booked for his first title defense on that card, the promotional figurehead did not shut down the idea outright.
Khamzat Chimaev had a history making performance against Dricus du Plessis but there was a certain aspect of the fight that seemed to be lacking a bit according to a former UFC title challenger.
During an appearance on Submission Radio, Hardy touched upon the pay-per-view main event in Chicago from over the weekend and largely indicated how impressed he was by this changing of the guard performance in the UFC’s 185 pound ranks.
The former UFC welterweight title challenger did seem to perceive that there was a bit of an uncharacteristic aspect to the 31-year-old phenom’s in-cage effort on Saturday as compared to some of Chimaev’s prior fights. In expressing what he saw take place in the du Plessis vs. Chimaev headliner at UFC 319, Dan Hardy said,
“He [Chimaev] was kind of tenderizing him and, you know, controlling him. It was impressive from a control perspective, don’t get me wrong. But, of course, you know, the main event of a pay-per-view, you kind of want to see a bit more intention to finish. That’s what I would like to have seen.”
“That’s what Khamzat’s been all about. That’s why people have been so excited about him because of how, you know, overly aggressive he is, like, violent. It’s scary to watch sometimes. That was just kind of, I don’t know, it seemed a bit of a safer performance. Maybe out of respect for Dricus and his strength and explosiveness and scrambling ability.”
Khamzat Chimaev’s performance assessed by surging middleweight contender who was cageside in Chicago
While some prospective title challengers might go a little quiet in the wake of such a dominant win by Khamzat Chimaev, someone who was cageside for the UFC 319 bout against Dricus du Plessis seems confident in navigating a path to victory against the newly minted champion. ‘Borz’ is looking to get back in the cage again at UFC 321 on October 25th in Abu Dhabi and a ranked middleweight who recently notched his own statement win is already envisioning how a Khamzat Chimaev fight plays out down the line.
Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez secured his eighth win in a row in what was a pressure heavy, dominant performance against Roman Dolidze when he notched a fourth round submission. During an interview with ESPNDeportes touching on what he saw while sitting front row cageside at UFC 319 and what he sees transpiring going forward, Anthony Hernandez said [via Bloody Elbow],
“Congratulations to him, it was a pretty f***ing boring fight, not gonna lie, but man call me for the fight, I can wrestle, I can do jiu-jitsu, I can stop all the s**t and I can shut him down and with my gas tank man, I’ll drown him, I promise.”
Anthony Hernández thinks he can shut down Khamzat Chimaev: "I can wrestle I can do jiujitsu I can stop all the shit. Call me fot the fight"
The UFC’s long-awaited return to Chicago finally happened on August 16, as the promotion held UFC 319 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, featuring a highly-hyped main event.
It was the UFC’s first venture to the Windy City since 2019, when the promotion held UFC 238 in June of that year. That night saw Henry Cejudo become the third champ-champ in UFC history by defeating Marlon Moraes for the bantamweight title, as well as Valentina Shevchenko’s scary knockout of Jessica Eye to retain the women’s flyweight title.
The main event of UFC 319 saw the middleweight title on the line when Dricus Du Plessis defended the gold against Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis originally won the belt by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297 and retained against Israel Adesanya and Strickland, respectively, at UFC 305 and UFC 312. The undefeated Chimaev earned the title shot with a violent finish of another former champion, Robert Whittaker, at UFC 308.
The co-main event featured unbeaten featherweight contender Lerone Murphy in action, as he welcomed former Bellator top prospect Aaron Pico to the Octagon.
Who showed up in Chicago? Who missed the mark? Let’s find out in this edition of Hits and Misses for UFC 319!
Hit – Alexander Hernandez Does Indeed Do Great
The intention may have been to use Alexander Hernandez as another name for Chase Hooper to put away on his path toward becoming the breakout star some would hope he’d become. “The Great” stopped that in its tracks for now.
Hooper had a notable reach advantage and used that early on. But Hernandez worked his boxing, and his hands ended becoming the difference in this outing. Hernandez landed a right hand just before the horn that dropped Hooper, and he’d put the young star away with seconds remaining in the first round.
That’s now three straight wins for Hernandez since returning to lightweight last year, and he might be a win away from facing a lightweight contender. As far as Hooper goes, this isn’t the end, as he’s only 25, had a win streak coming into this contest, and is still developing.
Hit – Fighting Nerd Michal Oleksiejczuk Is Different
Sometimes a change of camp really does something to a fighter, and perhaps there’s no better example of late than with Michal Oleksiejczuk’s move to the Fighting Nerds.
Facing Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 319, Oleksiejczuk consistently stopped Meerschaert’s attempts to take the fight to the ground. That would have put the outing in Meerschaert’s world, and instead, Oleksiejczuk kept the fight in his and made Meerschaert pay.
Oleksiejczuk scored a pair of knockdowns before blasting Meerschaert away with ground-and-pound until the ref stopped the fight.
MOST 1ST-ROUND KNOCKOUTS – UFC History 11 – Vitor Belfort 09 – Anthony Johnson 08 – Michal Oleksiejczuk#UFC319pic.twitter.com/nunUEUzO8B
This is the second straight first-round finish for Oleksiejczuk, following his first-round finish of Sedriques Dumas at UFC 314. Oleksiejczuk feels like a reborn fighter since moving to the Fighting Nerds, and a third finish in a row his next time out would just put a stamp on that.
Miss – “Baysangur Susurkaev!” & The Silence Of Chicago
Let’s start by saying this — Baysangur Susurkaev deserves all the credit in the world for taking a Dana White’s Contender Series fight on a week’s notice, winning that, turning around four days later for his UFC debut and scoring a finish. That’s not my issue.
My issue is that more credit needs to be given to Eric Nolan — because Susurkaev left a performance that leaves much to be desired.
Susurkaev tried to pressure Nolan during the opening round, only for Nolan to work his hands and rock Susurkaev in the closing seconds of the round. In fact, had there been more time, Nolan could have gotten a finish. Susurkaev worked over Nolan’s legs in the second, and when the former CFFC welterweight champion tried to take the fight to the mat, Susurkaev made him pay and took his back, scoring the submission.
And while it’s good to have confidence, Susurkaev went on to say he’d be willing to fight again in a few weeks and tried to lead a chant of his name with the Chicago crowd…it failed spectacularly.
The feat itself is phenomenal, but I need to see more from Susurkaev before I can call him something special.
Hit – Tim Elliott Gives “Age Is Only A Number” A Supporting Argument
You may not see Tim Elliott challenging for a flyweight title soon, if ever again. That might be a miracle. But what he did at UFC 319 against Kai Asakura cannot be denied.
Asakura’s footwork helped give him an edge early on in the fight, allowing him to connect a number of times on Elliott. While Asakura had the edge for about four minutes, Elliott took him down in the final minute of the first and didn’t look back. In the second, he’d score another takedown and worked top position until he was able to score a submission via choke.
Elliott has now won four of his last five, though this marked his first fight since December 2023. Again, it may take a miracle for Elliott to blow up the flyweight rankings and get his way into a title shot. But this win has shown he’s a tough competitor who up-and-comers may have to go through just to get into the contender scene.
Hit – MVP: Same Ol’ Antics & Fighting Style
Vintage Michael “Venom” Page. That’s the best way to describe his victory over Jared Cannonier at UFC 319.
MVP stayed on the outside to start the opening round, nullifying Cannonier’s attempts to come inside and landing on Cannonier from range. He taunted throughout the fight, daring Cannonier to try and get him, only to make Cannonier miss and land on him. MVP also knocked Cannonier down a couple of times during the fight. And even when Cannonier got him down in the third, he wasn’t able to do much with it and couldn’t get the finish, which resulted in a decision win for Page.
After the way he looked against a former middleweight title challenger, and looking at MVP’s run in the UFC so far, it would benefit the Bellator veteran more to stay at 185.
Hit – Carlos Prates Makes Chicago Come Unglued…
What else needs to be said? It was one of the best knockouts 2025 has delivered and then some.
While Geoff Neal looked to be aggressive and come out strong, his single-shotted efforts proved to be no match in the long run for the game Carlos Prates was playing. Prates aimed low with kicks and picked up his output over the course of the fight’s near five minutes.
And then, right before the horn, WHAM! One of the most vicious elbows ever delivered in this sport, bringing everyone to their feet, jaw-dropped or roaring with cheers.
Carlos Prates scores the 9th spinning back elbow knockout in UFC history. It's his 5th UFC knockout, most in the UFC since 2024.
This is how you rebound following the loss to Ian Machado Garry. This is how you gain yet another Performance of the Night bonus. And this is how you make your mark and say, “I’m right in the middle of this welterweight title picture.”
Hit – …And Then Lerone Murphy Delivers An Encore
Second verse, same as the first, right? A spinning elbow KO is rare enough in the UFC, but then we saw two in a row.
Lerone Murphy pulled off the highlight to give Aaron Pico a rude awakening (or in this case, “sleepening”…I know it’s not a word) into the UFC. In something that has been a repeat of some of Pico’s other losses in his career, Pico got too careless and aggressive with his striking, and Murphy took advantage. Murphy picked up on Pico’s forward pressure motions and used a spinning elbow to drop him out cold in vicious fashion.
Murphy is undefeated, and the only time he didn’t win a fight was when he fought to a draw in his UFC debut. “The Miracle” finally, however, got a highlight that stamped a statement for a title shot — and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski seemed to be listening, posting “See you in December” after the fight. Perhaps Murphy has now found a way to jump Movsar Evloev for the next crack at the 145-pound title.
Miss – Names From Outside The UFC Aren’t Delivering
I was watching a YouTube video in the immediate aftermath of the fight from someone I really respect in the MMA media landscape, James Lynch, talking about whose stock has risen and fallen the most following UFC 319. And he had an interesting take in that, instead of picking Dricus Du Plessis or Aaron Pico, he selected Kai Asakura for the fact he’s now 0-2 since coming over from RIZIN and just lost to an elder stateman of the flyweight division.
And the more I think about it, the more he’s right. And that combined with the Pico loss, despite some wild takes in the MMA community over the past week, is why I’m putting this “miss” here and combining Asakura, Pico, Patchy Mix, and even Patricio Pitbull.
Of late, these names have all been fighters once prominent in other promotions, who have just not delivered when it comes to their time in the UFC thus far. For Asakura to lose to the defending champ in his debut is one thing, getting finished by Tim Elliott (no disrespect to him whatsoever) is another. People raved about Pico despite his track record, his UFC opponent, and the lack of success of some of his Bellator precedents. Look what happened.
Then there’s Patchy Mix, who looked awful in his UFC debut against Mario Bautista a couple of months ago. Patricio Pitbull might be a case of “came over too late,” but it’s undeniable his 1-1 start in the UFC, and how he’s performed in both fights, leaves a lot to be desired. Obviously, there are exceptions (look at Michael Chandler and Michael “Venom” Page), but the recent track sheet of guys coming over to the UFC from other promotions has not been great.
And now Pitbull and Mix are being paired against two other names from other promotions, respectively in former two-division Oktagon champion Losene Keita and former KSW champion Jakub Wiklacz. And the thing is, the UFC has no big loss either way with fighters they bring from other promotions. Win and they can consider you a top name and put promotion behind you. Lose? “Well these other promotions aren’t the UFC.”
Takedown, takedown, takedown was the strategy. And the belief was that the longer the fight went on, the more it’d favor Du Plessis. There were plenty of questions about Chimaev’s gas tank and how he would handle the wild, unorthodox nature of DDP’s fighting style.
He answered those questions and then some with an absolutely dominating performance. In fact, the last time a challenger had this much of a one-sided beating of a defending champion for as long as Chimaev did, you’d have to go back to Kamaru Usman beating the breaks off Tyron Woodley to dethrone him of the welterweight title at UFC 235. If were talking title fights in general, then perhaps the beatdown Amanda Nunes put on Felicia Spencer at UFC 250.
So what’s next for Chimaev? Despite not fighting more than once a year since 2020, he’s being very open about a desire to turn around on short fashion and defend the belt in Abu Dhabi at UFC 321. Is there anyone who seems to be willing to step up and try to match his style and beat him? Reinier de Ridder is raising his hand. But after all this time he’s spent on the sidelines with the Jon Jones situation, you can’t just move heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall down from the main event, right?…Right?
Miss – A Disappointing Ending To DDP’s Run
As someone who has ridden the DDP hype train since 2016, it’s crazy that the minute everyone starts to believe in his style, along comes Khamzat Chimaev to end the run in one of the most spectacular fashions.
The man simply had no answers on the mat. He just couldn’t figure out how to get away from Chimaev’s wrestling. The pressure Chimaev put on was just too much; and it’s honestly kind of a shock Chimaev either didn’t get the finish or have scorecards that were like 50-43 or 50-42.
And it’s a shame. Du Plessis solidified himself as one of the most entertaining fighters at 185 in the UFC. He made a name for himself proving people wrong; and this time he just couldn’t. And unfortunately, it means he isn’t getting a rematch anytime soon. And you have to wonder what is next for him considering he’s beaten Sean Strickland twice, and Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker once.
Perhaps Reinier de Ridder is next if the UFC isn’t ready to give RDR the title shot? Or maybe DDP can face Nassourdine Imavov or rematch with Adesanya?
Miss – Chicago Turns On Chimaev
Finally, I have to call this out. It goes beyond Chicago and into the toxicity that is the MMA online community, but Chicago really proved to show the hypocrisy in fans.
If you heard the kind of crowd Chicago was this week, it seemed like a massive W. People were wild and crazy, and it seemed most of the crowd put their support behind Chimaev. They were nuts for him during the pre-fight press conference and the ceremonial weigh-ins.
Then the fight happened. And the longer it went, the more boos rang down. Even when the man got the gold strapped around him, something most in Chicago wanted to happen, the reaction was a lot tamer by comparison.
Absolutely DOMINANT performance from @KChimaev tonight 👏
Look, it wasn’t the most entertaining fight and plenty of people are disappointed there wasn’t a finish. There is no doubt about it. But you can’t take away from the fact it was one of the most dominant performances ever in a UFC title fight — and that is an accomplishment in its own right.
Georges St. Pierre didn’t finish every fight, but he put on excellent, dominating performances. Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t finish every fight, but he put on excellent, dominating performances. Amanda Nunes didn’t finish every fight, but he put on excellent, dominating performances.
Criticizing the fight does not mean someone is anti-Chimaev or making disparaging remarks about him and his background, and it doesn’t mean that someone is a “casual.” It can simply be journalistic or expert commentary. At the same time, if someone is praising the performance of Chimaev, it doesn’t mean they are crazy.
How is it that both things can’t be true? It wasn’t a great fight from the entertainment value perspective, but it did leave a significant moment in its own way.
Maybe the next time UFC hypes up a big main event fight, we as fans and pundits take more of a cautious approach when looking at it.
UFC boss Dana White has explained why Khamzat Chimaev has been able to become a big star in the wake of his win at UFC 319.
We all know that Dana White enjoys when he has big names doing big numbers on the UFC roster. Of course, it’s not quite as important as it was prior to the ESPN deal which made the company lots of money regardless, but it’s still important. Khamzat Chimaev certainly feels like the next fighter who has reached that position after he dominated Dricus du Plessis on Saturday night to become the new UFC middleweight champion.
Moving forward, it’ll be interesting to see how Dana White and the matchmakers decide to book Khamzat. There are plenty of options out there for him in multiple weight classes, but given his tendency to be inactive, you’d have to wonder whether or not they’ll push for him to get back in there a bit more frequently.
In his post-fight press conference, Dana White spoke openly about the star power that Khamzat Chimaev now has in mixed martial arts.
Dana White praises Khamzat Chimaev after UFC 319
“Yeah. I mean, he’s a big star now. When you’re asking me, you’re saying how much bigger can he be? I don’t know. We’ll see. But he’s already a big star. Everything about this fight was big—from pay-per-view to all the numbers that we were looking at and just being here in Chicago… The last three days here felt big. He—tonight in the arena—the arena was insane. Yeah, he’s a star.”
UFC star Michael Page, aka MVP, is happy to have proven many of his doubters wrong in the wake of critics thinking that he’d fail when getting to the promotion.
On Saturday night at UFC 319, Michael Page defeated Jared Cannonier to take his middleweight run in the company to 2-0 – and his overall record to 3-1. In summary, at the age of 38, MVP has gone above any beyond what many expected of him. You could even make the argument that he’s just one big win away from a title shot in either division, which is a testament to the longevity that he’s had in combat sports.
Of course, Michael Page himself has acknowledged that he’s a bit confused at where he stands right now, but he certainly has the style necessary to cause a lot of people problems – in a similar manner to how Stephen Thompson did during his prime. For now, all we can do is sit back and wait to see what he does next as he continues to try and be as active as possible.
In his post-fight press conference, Michael Page was more than happy to talk about how he feels to have proven people wrong at this point in his career.
Michael Page is happy to prove critics wrong
“I’ve been criticized my whole career from my first fight, my whole time through Bellator, and the question mark and the criticism was he can’t do that in the UFC. And I’ve come and I’ve proved everybody wrong.”
UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev has laughed off Sean Strickland in the wake of his title win at UFC 319.
As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is an absolute monster – and he’s also the new king of the middleweight division. He was able to achieve that goal by dominating Dricus du Plessis from beginning to end in the main event of UFC 319, and now, he’s ready to become one of the biggest stars in the entire sport of mixed martial arts.
Sean Strickland, meanwhile, is a former champion in his own right. He’s also been an outspoken critic of Khamzat Chimaev for a while now, to the point where he even predicted that Dricus du Plessis would win at UFC 319. Of course, he was proven wrong.
In a recent interview, Khamzat Chimaev gave his thoughts on Sean Strickland’s criticism.
Khamzat Chimaev laughs off Sean Strickland
“We could take him down many times, but how can he take me down? Come on. This guy, I beat him everywhere – in striking. But this guy just talks too much. So, he’s a funny guy.”
Chimaev has always been the kind of guy who is willing to take on any challenger, so who knows – maybe Strickland will be able to earn a title shot with another victory.
Even if he doesn’t, we can’t imagine that he’ll stop throwing shots in the direction of Khamzat anytime soon in the midst of what is quickly becoming one of the most exciting divisions in the sport.
UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has given his thoughts on Aaron Pico‘s nasty knockout defeat in the co-main event of UFC 319 last weekend.
On Saturday night, Aaron Pico walked right into trouble against Lerone Murphy. While he may have had a positive start to the first round of their encounter in Chicago, things fell apart pretty quickly. He was being quite aggressive in pursuit of his shots and his takedowns, and ultimately, that cost him the fight as a spinning elbow knocked him out cold.
Aaron Pico was out like a light for quite some time, causing a great deal of concern from mixed martial arts fans and pundits alike. Thankfully, he eventually got back to his feet, as Murphy prepares to move on to a UFC featherweight championship fight against Alexander Volkanovski at the end of the year.
In the immediate aftermath of the event, Daniel Cormier weighed in on what it was like to see Pico go through that kind of loss.
Daniel Cormier describes the scary aftermath of Aaron Pico’s spinning elbow KO loss. 😱😲
"His teeth were clenched together, they couldn’t get the mouthguard out. That’s very concerning for Aaron Pico. He’s gotten knocked out really bad."
“I’m a wrestler, I’ve known Aaron Pico since he was a little boy. That was a bad knockout. His teeth were clenched together, they couldn’t get the mouthguard out. That’s very concerning for Aaron Pico. He’s been knocked out now multiple times, and when he’s gotten knocked out, he’s gotten knocked out really bad.
“So, a little concerned on the Pico side. But, hats off to Lerone Murphy for coming through in his biggest spot ever.”
Fans slamming Khamzat Chimaev’s latest performance might just be showing they don’t truly understand MMA, at least in the eyes of a former champion.
Last weekend, in the main event of UFC 319 at Chicago’s United Center, Chimaev fulfilled his long-awaited dream of becoming UFC middleweight champion, dominating Dricus du Plessis en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Absolutely DOMINANT performance from @KChimaev tonight 👏
Right out of the gate, “Borz” wasted no time dragging Du Plessis to the canvas, where he smothered him with unrelenting pressure for nearly the entire contest. Chimaev dictated the pace with chain wrestling and suffocating top control, converting 12 of 17 takedown attempts and racking up an astonishing 529 total strikes that left the defending champion stuck on the defensive.
Despite his dominance, the undefeated Russian rarely threatened a finish, with most of his offense coming as steady ground strikes rather than fight-ending blows. Even so, the sheer volume and control left “Stillknocks” little chance to respond, and by the end of five lopsided rounds, the judges awarded Khamzat Chimaev a 50-44 unanimous decision.
Robert Whittaker Slams Fans Who Dismissed Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 319 Performance
During a recent episode of the MMArcade Podcast, Robert Whittaker weighed in on Khamzat Chimaev’s authoritative performance against Dricus Du Plessis, which crowned him the new middleweight champion at UFC 319.
The former UFC 185-pound titleholder voiced strong disapproval of fans who dismissed Chimaev’s grappling-heavy approach, insisting that anyone who downplays “Borz’s” ability to dominate a fighter of Du Plessis’ caliber for the full 25 minutes simply doesn’t understand the magnitude of his control.
“Anyone that says it’s a boring fight is a casual,” Whittaker said. “If you’re a fan of the sport and you’re not fascinated by Chimaev’s ability to control someone as dogged as Dricus, who’s gotten out of things time and time again, who physically never gasses, super strong, has cardio for days, if you’re not fascinated by such one-sided domination, then you have to be a casual. You never see this level at a championship fight, this level of control. We just saw someone get crucifixed for 15 minutes. How can you be a fan of the sport and not think, ‘wow, that’s crazy?‘”
With this victory, Khamzat Chimaev has extended his undefeated streak to 15, including notable wins over the likes of Whittaker, Kamaru Usman, and Gilbert Burns.
UFC commentator Michael Bisping has declared that the age of Khamzat Chimaev has officially begun following UFC 319.
Last Saturday night, Khamzat Chimaev finally reached the top of the mountain. He was able to dominate and defeat Dricus du Plessis to capture the UFC middleweight championship. In doing so, he won UFC gold for the first time, which is something that many have expected of him ever since he first debuted in the promotion.
Chimaev becoming a UFC champion isn’t exactly surprising to those who have seen his rise to prominence. He’s been able to defeat a plethora of top stars en route to winning the big one, and as we look ahead to the future, it’s hard to picture a world in which someone beats him for the title.
In a review of the event, Michael Bisping had the following to say about Khamzat Chimaev’s victory.
Michael Bisping believes the era of Khamzat Chimaev has begun
“If you ask me, because DDP is just so crazy and so unorthodox, I was on the edge of my seat because I was just wondering if he’d be able to turn it around. And in the fifth, it looked for a brief second like he might, but no – it was never to be. How do you not respect that kind of brilliance? How do you not respect that kind of dominance? How do you not respect that kind of power? Khamzat Chimaev has it all. And now, officially, the Khamzat Chimaev era begins.”
Aaron Pico has already set his sights beyond the sting of his devastating defeat.
This past Saturday at the United Center in Chicago, Pico’s Octagon debut was derailed in brutal fashion, as undefeated featherweight Lerone Murphy sealed a stunning first-round knockout in the UFC 319 co-main event.
Pico came out aggressive from the opening bell, pressing Murphy with sharp punches and heavy pressure. He mixed in a clinch and even tested his wrestling, but Murphy stayed composed, breaking free and firing back with clean shots, including a sharp knee to the body.
Moments later, “The Miracle” unleashed a thunderous spinning elbow that crashed flush on Pico’s chin, instantly folding the UFC newcomer. As the 28-year-old Californian hit the canvas motionless, Murphy added a single follow-up strike before the referee intervened, sealing one of the night’s most spectacular finishes.
Image: @ufc/X
Aaron Pico Promises Bounce Back After UFC 319 Knockout Loss
Aaron Pico entered 2025 as one of the UFC’s most hyped newcomers, but his dream debut ended abruptly when Lerone Murphy floored him with a highlight-reel knockout.
The featherweight hopeful addressed the setback on social media on Sunday, assuring fans of his health while promising that the lessons learned from defeat would fuel his return as a stronger, more prepared fighter.
“Last night wasn’t my night, that’s the fight game,” Aaron Pico posted on Instagram. “I’m grateful for my team, my family, and everyone who continues to support me. The supporters that have been there from day one and my new supporters, I see you! Thank you.
“Wins and losses both teach lessons and I’ll come back sharper, stronger, and better prepared. Thank you all who have sent messages and checked in, my health is well. Thanks for riding with me. My story is not over.”
he defeat drops Pico to 13-5 in his professional career, with 11 of those victories coming by way of finish, all secured during his run under the Bellator MMA banner.
Ryan Garcia appears less than impressed with the action at UFC 319.
UFC 319, one of the year’s most anticipated pay-per-view cards, went down this past Saturday at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The event delivered fireworks, with three main card finishes, including back-to-back first-round spinning back elbow knockouts.
First, Carlos Prates flattened Geoff Neal in highlight-reel fashion, before Lerone Murphy derailed Aaron Pico’s Octagon debut in the very next fight.
The main event saw Khamzat Chimaev dethrone middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis via unanimous decision in what was arguably one of the most dominant title fight performances in recent memory.
“Borz” racked up over 21 minutes of control time, landed 12 takedowns, and piled on 529 total strikes. However, the win elicited a divided response from fans, as Chimaev’s dominance lacked the threat of a finish or any truly fight-ending offense.
Image: @ufc/X
Garcia seemed to be among those left underwhelmed by the UFC 319 headliner, suggesting it failed to live up to the hype. The former interim WBC lightweight champion took to social media, where he did not specify the bout but implied his disappointment with the card, with many assuming he was referring to the main event.
“UFC lowkey boring, at least this fight,” Garcia wrote on X.
MMA Fans Rip Ryan Garcia For Hinting UFC 319 Main Event Lacked Excitement
Ryan Garcia’s post suggesting he found the UFC 319 main event dull quickly drew the ire of MMA fans, who wasted no time firing back at “KingRy”.
Many pointed to his own underwhelming performance against Rolando Romero, while others reignited the age-old debate of MMA’s superiority over boxing when it comes to delivering excitement.
Joe Rogan has a contender in mind he believes could pose a serious challenge to Khamzat Chimaev’s title reign.
On Saturday night at Chicago’s United Center, Chimaev extended his undefeated streak with a commanding performance, claiming the UFC middleweight title by defeating Dricus Du Plessis via unanimous decision in the UFC 319 main event.
From the opening bell, “Borz” took control, swiftly bringing Du Plessis to the mat and keeping him there throughout the majority of the bout. That relentless pressure set the tone for the fight, as Chimaev dominated “Stillknocks” across all five rounds, converting 12 of 17 takedown attempts and leaving his opponent virtually powerless to launch any offense.
While Chimaev controlled the bout from start to finish, he seldom threatened Du Plessis with a fight-ending finish. His ground strikes, though not overly damaging, kept Du Plessis from mounting any meaningful offense. Still, it hardly mattered, as Chimaev’s total domination and superior grappling were enough to convince all three judges, who scored the bout 50-44 in favor of the undefeated Russian.
Khamzat Chimaev is arguably one of the most dominant fighters in modern UFC, but Rogan believes there’s someone in the 185-pound division who could challenge his supremacy.
Image: @UFCEurope/X
Joe Rogan Suggests Reinier de Ridder Could Test Khamzat Chimaev
Following the UFC 319 main event, Joe Rogan, alongside fellow commentators Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik, analyzed Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant performance and his looming reign over the division. Rogan highlighted rising contender Reinier de Ridder as a complete fighter who could potentially pose a serious challenge to “Borz”.
“Reinier de Ridder in particular, given his ability to grapple on the ground and also his ability to land shots standing,” Rogan said. “His toughness, his experience. He throws those combinations with that long lead-in knee. He’s interesting.”
“RDR” is coming off a split-decision victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi last month. The former two-division ONE Fighting champion remains undefeated in the UFC with a 4-0 record, including impressive finishes over Kevin Holland and Bo Nickal.
Meanwhile, Chimaev has stretched his perfect record to 15-0, including a 9-0 mark in the UFC, with 12 of those victories coming by stoppage.
