UFC 319 is less than 24 hours away …
It all goes down this weekend (Sat., Aug. 16, 2025) inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. In the UFC 319 main event, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis defends his title for the third time against the oncoming force Khamzat Chimaev, in one of the biggest fights of 2025.
We have a weekly series at MMAmania.com called “Weekend Lock,” where we share one bet that we predict will slap in “Chi-Town” when the chaotic dust settles. We also want to hear what our readers think (that’s you!), so please tell us your most confident UFC 319 betting lock in the comments section below (full UFC Vegas 319 odds here).
Last week’s recap: Our UFC Vegas 109 lock cashed as Anthony Hernandez absolutely dogwalked Roman Dolidze for four rounds until he eventually strangled him, becoming the first fight to finish the Georgian fighter (watch highlights).
Let’s keep on, keeping on below:
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 09: Gerald Meerschaert prepares to face Reinier de Ridder of The Netherlands in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on November 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The UFC 319 “Prelims” features a very fun Middleweight fight between Michal Oleksiejczuk and Gerald Meerschaert, and the fight should be absolute chaos for as long as it lasts … which is a teaser for my Weekend Lock.
This week, I’m locking in Oleksiejczuk/Meerschaert – Fight to Not Go the Distance at -380.
Oleksiejczuk is an offensive buzzsaw with fight-ending power in both hands. The Polish striker is a notoriously fast starter, with 15 of his 19 career wins coming via knockout — most of them in the first round. He doesn’t waste time feeling out his opponents; he pressures, throws in volume, and swings to end it.
On the other side, Meerschaert has made a career out of being the Middleweight division’s guillotine — if you leave your neck exposed, he’ll snatch it. “GM3” owns the most submissions in UFC Middleweight history (11), most finishes in UFC Middleweight division history (11), and thrives in messy grappling exchanges. When he wins, it’s almost always inside the distance, and when he loses, it’s typically via KO/TKO.
Both men share one thing: they rarely hear the final horn. Oleksiejczuk’s aggressive style makes scorecards a myth, while Meerschaert’s kill-or-be-killed approach almost guarantees a finish one way or the other. Whether it’s Oleksiejczuk landing a clean left hand early or Meerschaert capitalizing on a scramble to lock up a choke, this fight is tailor-made for an early ending.
Oleksiejczuk is favored to win (-238) and knock “GM3” out (-115), but honestly, Meerschaert’s durability has somehow gotten better and is always there to grab a submission late; also, Oleksiejczuk has been tapped in two of his last three losses
Just like last week, this bet is chalk, but it’s the kind of chalk that’s going to cash, and can be slotted into a parlay if that’s what you want to do, because someone is getting stopped in this fight.
While the track records are overwhelmingly in our favor, MMA is unpredictable. If Oleksiejczuk gets overly cautious after getting caught by Meerschaert or “GM3” decides to play it safer than usual, we could see more cage control and less chaos. Still, history suggests otherwise — these two just aren’t wired for 15-minute affairs.
For what it’s worth, this X/Twitter user is riding with Oleksiejczuk.
Gerald Meerschaert To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: +100
Gerald Meerschaert To Win By Submission: +400
Gerald Meerschaert To Win By Decision: +650
Michal Oleksiejczuk To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: –115
Michal Oleksiejczuk To Win By Submission: +1000
Michal Oleksiejczuk To Win By Decision: +500
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MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE CAR CRASH! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) continues its 2025 pay-per-view (PPV) schedule on Sat., Aug. 16, 2025, with a blockbuster title fight set to headline UFC 319 from inside United Center in Chicago, Illinois. In UFC 319’s PPV main event, Middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis, defends his title against undefeated No. 3-ranked contender, Khamzat Chimaev, in a high-stakes, five-round battle of unbeaten UFC records. UFC 319’s PPV co-main event features a Featherweight showdown between Lerone Murphy and promotional newcomer, Aaron Pico, a high-profile free-agent signing stepping in on short notice. UFC 319 will also showcase a Welterweight clash between Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates, a Middleweight bout pitting Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page, a Flyweight matchup featuring Tim Elliott vs. Kai Asakura, and much more! UFC 319’s start time is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (“Early Prelims”), 8 p.m. ET (“Prelims” undercard), and 10 p.m. ET (PPV main card)
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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 319 fight card, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 319: “du Plessis vs. Khamzat” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.