This is the UFC 319 live blog for Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev, the main event middleweight championship bout Saturday at United Center in Chicago.
Heading into his third defense of the UFC middleweight title, du Plessis (23-2) has established himself as one of the toughest, most unorthodox, and best fighters on the planet. The South African star is 9-0 in the UFC, with wins over the very best in his division, including Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Sean Strickland. He seeks to not only retain his title and become the first man to beat Chimaev, but also make a case to be moved up to No. 1 on the pound-for-pound list.
Chimaev (14-0) has been a buzz saw since joining the UFC in 2020, with six of his eight wins in the promotion coming by way of knockout or submission—five in the first round. He can also claim victories over former UFC champions Whittaker and Kamaru Usman, results that strengthened his case for a title shot after illness and visa issues limited his in-cage appearances over the past few years. Now, he has the chance to prove he’s the real deal and possibly one of the faces of the promotion.
Check out the UFC 319 live blog for Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev below.