{"id":68351,"date":"2025-08-14T06:28:33","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T06:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/68351\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T06:28:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T06:28:33","slug":"ufc-319s-best-betting-props-parlays-and-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/68351\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC 319\u2019s best betting props, parlays and picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

UFC 319<\/a> happens this weekend (Sat., Aug. 16, 2025) inside United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The pay-per-view (PPV) main event is a highly anticipated Middleweight championship tilt. Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev<\/a> is a fascinating clash of styles between two guys who have only won inside UFC\u2019s Octagon. Chimaev, with his shiny new visa<\/a>, will hope to leave the States with gold around his waist. But, DDP \u2014 who claims he\u2019s not as small as you think<\/a> \u2014 will have other ideas.<\/p>\n

The co-main event for UFC 319 sees the debut of another former top Bellator star<\/a>. Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico<\/a> could have serious implications for the Featherweight division, with Pico hoping to jump the line and get right into title contention<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rounding out the PPV on Saturday is Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates, Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page<\/a> and Tim Elliott vs. Kai Asakura<\/a>.<\/p>\n

UFC 319\u2019s late \u201cPrelims\u201d are filled with bangers, too, including King Green vs. Diego Ferreira, Gerald Meerschaert vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk, Jessica Andrade vs. Lupita Godinez and Chase Hooper vs. Alexander Hernandez.<\/p>\n

The early \u201cPrelims\u201d have some fire, as well. Edson Barboza vs. Drakkar Klose and Bryan Battle vs. Nursulton Ruziboev could headline an APEX card. The early \u201cPrelims\u201d also have the latest TUF finale fights, too.<\/p>\n

As always, there\u2019s lots to bet on this card and we\u2019ve got odds for all the fights below:<\/p>\n

UFC 319 Main Card Money Line Odds<\/p>\n

\"Dricus<\/a><\/p>\n

Dricus du Plessis faces his stiffest challenge at UFC 319. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Dricus du Plessis (+195) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (-240)<\/p>\n

Chimaev has been called an \u201cundefeated destroyer<\/a>\u201d in UFC promos leading up to this one. And it\u2019s hard to disagree with that. When he shows up, he mostly dominates. The problem has been him showing up, not performing on the night. Last time out, he easily took down Robert Whittaker and then proceeded to break his face (see that here<\/a>). That was after a year-long layoff. Before the layoff, he took a hard-fought, but still convincing, win over former champion, Kamaru Usman. One year before that, he submitted Kevin Holland with ease. If he does win the title here, I hope we get to see him more than his usual once per-year.<\/p>\n

Du Plessis is a fascinating character. He is constantly being counted out or overlooked, but he just keeps winning. And he does that despite himself admitting that his style is far from clean and refined. He just seems to force his striking and wrestling onto people who should do better at defending it. Can he do that to Chimaev, too? Who knows?! But, I\u2019m not going to completely count him out, even against a so-called \u201cundefeated destroyer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Due to Chimaev\u2019s lack of activity and reputation for over-training, we\u2019re always going to be right to question his conditioning<\/a> \u2014 even after he continues to blast through opponents. It feels like his luck will run out at some point when it comes to that.<\/p>\n

As you can see, I have way more questions than answers when it comes to this fight. And I would be very skeptical of anyone who says \u201cthis is definitely going to go this way.\u201d Both these cats are just way too unpredictable and, frankly, excellent at what they do.<\/p>\n

I think du Plessis has good value as an underdog in this bout. And I also think the favorite line on Chimaev isn\u2019t too short to be considered.<\/p>\n

However, I think it\u2019s worth doing a deep dive on some props when it comes to a fight like this; where I am loathe to strongly side with one fighter over the other.<\/p>\n

The point spread is du Plessis +5.5 at +130 and Chimaev -5.5 at -180. With Chimaev\u2019s chances of getting a finish, I find it hard to go with the du Plessis handicap. And if this does go to a decision, I think it will be a close one, and thus that makes the Chimaev handicap unappealing.<\/p>\n

The round total is set a 2.5 for this five round championship fight. The over is -105 and the under is -125. That\u2019s a hard one to pick, too. If I had to pick between these two, I would go the over, since du Plessis mostly fights to a decision and Chimaev has been taken deep by Usman and Gilbert Burns.<\/p>\n

Fight to go the distance is +240, which is very tempting, but that relies on the belief that du Plessis won\u2019t be totally overwhelmed by Chimaev\u2019s wrestling. That\u2019s a hard stance to take since we\u2019ve never seen him fight someone with such a dedicated wrestling attack.<\/p>\n

The wimpiest bet I could make here is over 1.5 rounds at -195, since I think we\u2019re at least getting out the first round and possibly through the second.<\/p>\n

A slightly less wimpy bet is Chimaev by moneyline KO\/TKO\/DQ only at -175. This bet only pays out if Chimaev gets gets the KO, TKO or DQ win. If du Plessis wins by those methods, it\u2019s a loss. It\u2019s void if any other result happens. In this bet you are essentially betting that du Plessis will not stop Chimaev with strikes.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where I\u2019m going for my best bet. It\u2019s not that sexy, I know, but du Plessis not KOing Chimaev is about the only thing I\u2019m confident about in this match-up. Should be a lot of fun to watch, though.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Khamzat Chimaev moneyline KO\/TKO\/DQ Only (-175)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The streaking Lerone Murphy welcomes Aaron Pico to the Octagon at UFC 319. Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Lerone Murphy (+160) vs. Aaron Pico (-190)<\/p>\n

Murphy extended his undefeated record to 16-0-1 with a pretty comfortable decision win over Josh Emmett in April. Before that, he won slightly more difficult decisions over Dan Ige and Edson Barboza.<\/p>\n

The 13-4 Pico, on the other hand, was due to debut in July against Movsar Evloev, but Evloev had to pull out. That means Pico gets another top contender at Featherweight to make his debut against.<\/p>\n

Is UFC setting up these Bellator guys to fail? Pico, Pitbull, Page and Chandler have been given nothing but tough fights since they\u2019ve walked in through the ZUFFA-branded doors.<\/p>\n

Pico is the favorite in this bout, but I\u2019m a little baffled by that. Pico was a very good prospect, but he was rather hit and miss in Bellator. His wrestling looked incredible in that cage, but his toughest opponents there were\u2026 Adam Borics (who he was TKO\u2019d by)? Jeremy Kennedy (who he blew his shoulder out against)? Leandro Higo (who was fighting outside his usual Bantamweight division)?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m just not impressed by the body of work to date.<\/p>\n

I am impressed with what Murphy is doing, though. His striking is very clean and he\u2019s got impressive wrestling for someone who has grown up and developed their skills in a sporting culture that does not have wrestling\/grappling as its backbone.<\/p>\n

In particular, Murphy\u2019s defensive wrestling is very good. He\u2019s great at getting underhooks against the fence and getting himself out of trouble. He was taken down four times by Emmett, but that was on 11 attempts. And Murphy was able to shutout Emmett in the championship rounds.<\/p>\n

The round total here is 2.5. The over is -215, which makes sense since Murphy has been a decision machine as of late.<\/p>\n

With Murphy as the underdog, I\u2019ll be taking him plus the points here. I\u2019m getting Murphy +3.5 for -165. If Pico is going to win this fight, I highly doubt it will be by a stoppage. And I also doubt Pico comes into UFC and gets 30-27 scores across the board against an undefeated top-ranked opponent in a division as stacked as Featherweight.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Lerone Murphy +3.5 (-165)<\/p>\n

\"Carlos<\/a><\/p>\n

Carlos Prates will try and get back to winning ways at UFC 319. Photo by Mike Roach\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Geoff Neal (+210) vs. Carlos Prates (-260)<\/p>\n

The myth of Carlos Prates was spoiled a little last time out<\/a>, after Ian Machado Garry showed how you could carefully navigate the Brazilian\u2019s striking and wait for his smoker\u2019s lungs to catch up to him<\/a>. That five round decision loss ended Prates\u2019 11-fight win streak. During that streak he looked like a killer in dispatching Neil Magny, Li Jiangling and Charles Radtke.<\/p>\n

Neal has also been carefully managed by Machado Garry. He lost a split decision to him last year. After that he beat Rafael dos Anjos after the former Lightweight champ went down with a knee injury (Neal was looking like he was going to win that anyway, though). That was back in October last year.<\/p>\n

Despite his underwhelming performance earlier this year, Prates goes into this fight as a decent sized favorite. And I\u2019m fine with that. Neal does not possess the same kind of challenge Machado Garry does. These two are likely going to remain pretty square to each other and be sending bombs each other\u2019s way.<\/p>\n

Both men have a lot of power. But, Prates has done more with his lately than Neal has. Prates will also have a slight reach advantage. The reach advantage will help with punches, but Prates has a more varied assault than that and he\u2019s more likely, than Neal, to throw interesting kicks, elbows and brutal knees to the body.<\/p>\n

Neal will probably be head hunting looking for a big single shot.<\/p>\n

I think Prates should be able to see that coming and fight his way around it.<\/p>\n

The round total is 2.5 and the over is +120. The under is -154. That\u2019s a little interesting. Both of these men are very hard to stop. Neal was submitted by Shavkat Rakhmonov, but big deal, Shavkat stops everyone when he\u2019s healthy. He was also KO\u2019d by Kevin Holland on the regional scene in 2017 and submitted right at the start of his career. Other than those incidents he\u2019s never been stopped.<\/p>\n

Prates has one technical knockout loss in his career. It\u2019s from 2017 when he was fighting in China. I\u2019ve watched this fight and it feels\u2026 off. Like maybe, allegedly, possibly, the outcome was somehow \u201cinfluenced.\u201d He was also submitted three times during his early days in Brazil.<\/p>\n

I think there\u2019s a good chance these two brawl their way to a decision. I like Prates to win and put on a more interesting show for the judges. I\u2019d rather get the plus odds on the over than go with his moneyline, though.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Over 2.5 rounds (+120)<\/p>\n

\"Jared<\/a><\/p>\n

Jared Cannonier is currently undefeated against Father Time. Will that be true after UFC 319? Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Jared Cannonier (+165) vs. Michael Page (-195)<\/p>\n

Long story, short, I\u2019m done betting against Cannonier. The 41-year-old has secured access to the Fountain of Youth and is using that to stay competitive against the rising class of UFC Middleweights. Last time out, he out-paced and beat up Gregory Rodrigues for his first finish in three years (see it here<\/a>). Before that, he was very competitive against likely next man up, Caio Borralho, before losing a \u201cFight of the Night\u201d decision. And before that, he was beating Nassourdine Imavov before a controversial early stoppage (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Page seems to be the only fighter not affected by the Bellator curse. He debuted in the Octagon with a decision over Kevin Holland, then dropped a close and boring fight to Ian Machado Garry. Last time out, he took a clear decision over Shara Magomedov.<\/p>\n

Page likes to hang back and counter his opponents. Cannonier likes to charge forward and put the pressure on. Usually, you\u2019d say this style match-up suits Page. But, Cannonier is so good at getting into close range without getting hit and his iron chin helps him a lot in the moments where he does get hit. With Page\u2019s speed trailing off now that he\u2019s 38, I think Cannonier is going to find success getting in his mug and holding him against the cage, while battering his body. Page has found success with guys sagging off him, being too afraid to get in that range, but Cannonier isn\u2019t going to be like that.<\/p>\n

The round total is 2.5 for this one. The over is -280, which reflects my thinking. I think this goes to a decision. But, I\u2019m getting plus odds with my underdog pick, so I\u2019ll stick with that.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Jared Cannonier moneyline (+165)<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a><\/p>\n

Tim Elliott fights for the first time since 2023, at UFC 319. Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Tim Elliott (+260) vs. Kai Asakura (-330)<\/p>\n

This is a weird match-up.<\/p>\n

Asakura came into UFC this year with a lot of manufactured hype. The reason for that was to boost his credentials as a title challenger for Alexandre Pantoja. Folks who watch Japanese MMA knew Asakura wasn\u2019t as special as he was being made to be, with UFC trotting out the, \u201chad a street fight with his brother\u201d narrative over and over again instead of highlighting his pretty mediocre record (which barely had any Flyweight fights on it). It was clear Asakura was being brought in because UFC simply wanted a fresh face in the Flyweight title fight. Pantoja quickly exposed Asakura as not being on his level, though, finishing him with ease (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

For his second fight Asakura, whose ground game is virtually non existent, gets ground specialist Tim Elliott. Elliott last fought in 2023, defeating Sumudaerji via submission (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

If Elliott can avoid getting his head kicked off, he\u2019s got a good chance of taking down Asakura and submitting him.<\/p>\n

Elliot is 38, but he\u2019s still very tough and he\u2019s never been knocked out in UFC (where he has fought 20 times). Asakura is a lot younger and longer than him, so he might be able to get to his chin and take him out. That\u2019s a big if for me, though, given that Asakura is still yet to prove he\u2019s a UFC-level Flyweight (and not a RIZIN-level Bantamweight).<\/p>\n

The round total in this fight is 2.5 and the under, at +100, looks good to me. If Asakura wins this, I think he does it with a quick (technical) knockout. And I think Elliott has a good shot at submitting Asakura off of the first time he takes him down.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Under 2.5 rounds (+100)<\/p>\n

Betting on sports involves risk, so please only wager amounts you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know if struggling with gambling help can be found with the organizations listed below:<\/p>\n

USA: National Problem Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER to receive support and learn about available services.UK: GamCare – Call 0808 8020 133 to speak to an advisor about gambling (or visit gamecare.org.uk for live chat and forum options).Canada: Visit responsiblegambling.org for resources on helplines in Canada\u2019s various provinces and territories.Australia\/New Zealand: National Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call (800) 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n

UFC 319 Late \u2018Prelims\u2019 Under Card Odds<\/p>\n

\"King<\/a><\/p>\n

King Green needs a win at UFC 319. Photo by Ian Maule\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

King Green (+130) vs. Diego Ferreira (-155)<\/p>\n

If Green was wearing shoes in his last fight, Mauricio Ruffy would have knocked him out of them (and his socks, too). Ruffy finished Green with a Barbosa vs. Etim-like heel kick at UFC 313 in March (see that epic highlight here<\/a>). Before that, Green dove into a Paddy Pimblett submission (see that here<\/a>). Green\u2019s last win was a decision over Jim Miller at UFC 300.<\/p>\n

Ferreira was grounded-and-pounded by Grant Dawson for 15 minutes in his last fight, losing by lopsided unanimous decision. Before that he scored a comeback TKO win over Mateusz Rebecki (see it here<\/a>) and KO\u2019d Michael Johnson (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Both these guys are past their best, but it feels like that\u2019s more obvious with Green right now. Green\u2019s decision making and lack of defense is very concerning, given his age and how often he\u2019s getting hurt in there.<\/p>\n

He still has some pop left in his bat, as does Ferreira, but I think Ferreira has been able to hold onto more of his speed, reflexes and intelligence since hitting his late 30s.<\/p>\n

Stats-wise, Green has Ferreira beat across the board. Historically he lands 6.4 significant strikes per-minute with 52 percent accuracy and has a significant strike defense of 62 percent. Those numbers blow Ferreira out of the water. He also has better takedown accuracy and defense.<\/p>\n

However, I\u2019m going with the eye test on this one. And Green has been very sorry on the eyes lately.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Diego Ferreira moneyline (-155)<\/p>\n

\"Gerald<\/a><\/p>\n

Gerald Meerschaert will be bonus hunting at UFC 319. Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Gerald Meerschaert (+185) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (-225)<\/p>\n

This is a pretty fun match-up. Both these guys are very eager to take risks on both the feet and on the ground and that could spawn some wild back-and-forth exchanges with striking and\/or grappling.<\/p>\n

Oleksiejczuk reversed his fortunes in his last bout, getting a big finish over Sedriques Dumas in April (see it here<\/a>). After that win, he donned the Fighting Nerds glasses and shouted out his new team. Prior to beating Dumas, he had lost three straight, including a decision to Shara Magomedov, a technical submission to Kevin Holland (see his elbow go the wrong way here<\/a>) and a submission to Michel Perreira.<\/p>\n

Meershaert lost a decision to fellow vet Brad Tavares in April. Before that, he knocked down the debuting Reinier de Ridder before getting caught with a submission (see it here<\/a>). Meerschaert\u2019s last win was a submission over Edmen Shahbazyan (where he was knocked down in the first round).<\/p>\n

Oleksiejczuk has the better striking in this fight and Meerschaert has the better grappling. I feel like Oleksiejczuk\u2019s grappling is closer to Meerschaert\u2019s than Meerschaert\u2019s striking is to Olekseijczuk\u2019s. For me, that spells Oleksiejczuk being able to do some damage on the feet and then avoid Meerschaert\u2019s break-neck desperation grappling.<\/p>\n

That being said, Oleksiejczuk has been submitted a lot in his career. He\u2019s tapped out six times. That\u2019s more than the average bear in UFC. Meerschaert has been stopped a lot, too. Only 32 percent of his 19 (!) losses have been by decision.<\/p>\n

Due to that track record it\u2019s easy to see why the round total has been set 1.5. The over is -110 and the under -120.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to go with the over here. I think these guys might cancel each other out in a few places and that a finish might be something that happens late, if at all. I also think Oleksiejczuk\u2019s \u2018Fighting Nerds bump\u2019 is good for one fight only.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (-110)<\/p>\n

\"Jessica<\/a><\/p>\n

Jessica Andrade makes the walk for the 30th time at UFC 319. Photo by Cooper Neill\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Jessica Andrade (+125) vs. Lupita Godinez (-150)<\/p>\n

It feels like Andrade is just part of the furniture now in UFC. She\u2019s being doing this since 2013 when she lost to Liz Carmouche in her debut (Carmouche also fights this weekend, by the way \u2014 in the PFL finals). Andrade is on pace to potentially have more UFC fights than years on planet Earth. She\u2019s turning 34 in September and this will be fight number 30 for her.<\/p>\n

Despite being a \u201cyoung\u201d veteran, Andrade\u2019s age\/miles on the clock is starting to show. She was dominated in her past two fights, losing to Jasmine Jasudavicius and Natalia Silva. Andrade is just 5-5 in her last 10. Of her five wins, only Mackenzie Dern is still in UFC\/not retired.<\/p>\n

Godinez used her wrestling to ground and get past Julia Polastri in her last fight. That came after losses to Dern and Virna Jandiroba. The Dern Goidinez fought last year seems like a different animal from the one that was knocked out by Andrade a year earlier. And Jandiroba has hit her stride and seems like the No. 1 contender currently at Strawweight.<\/p>\n

Andrade is famous for her reckless forays going forwards. Against the wrestler here, I think that\u2019s a good recipe for getting taken down. Andrade, despite her experience, is still not great getting up off her back. I think Godinez is going to hand the veteran her third loss in a row on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Lupita Godinez moneyline (-150)<\/p>\n

\"Chase<\/a><\/p>\n

Chase Hooper draws another veteran at UFC 319. Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Chase Hooper (-330) vs. Alexander Hernandez (+260)<\/p>\n

When will Chase Hooper get to pick on someone his own age?<\/p>\n

The 25 year-old is coming off dominant performances over Jim Miller and Clay Guida. Those have stretched his win streak to five. The streak started after Hooper was given a wake-up call by knockout artist Steve Garcia in 2022.<\/p>\n

Hernandez turns 33 in October. He\u2019s not exactly a senior tour guy like Miller and Guida, but he\u2019s a far cry from the young up-and-comer Hooper said he hoped he could fight after he beat Miller. Hernandez is at least on a win streak. He used his diverse game to earn decisions over Kurt Holobaugh and Austin Hubbard, leaning into wrestling to beat Holobaugh and leaning into striking to beat Hubbard.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately for Hernandez, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s a route he can lean into to get an advantage over Hooper. Hooper has been a wiz on the ground for a long time, but his boxing has come on leaps and bounds lately. His accuracy on sig. strikes is an above average 51 percent. Hernandez\u2019s is below average 40 percent.<\/p>\n

I think we\u2019re going to see Hooper press his luck on the feet, landing his jab and combos on Hernandez until Hernandez gets frustrated and tries to initiate some wrestling. If he does that, I think Hooper will be able to style on him on the ground and maybe even hand him the second submission loss of his career (his first was to Renato Moicano in 2022).<\/p>\n

The round total for this one is 2.5 rounds. The under is somewhat temping, since Hernandez has been finished in half of his pro losses, but I\u2019m going to avoid that. Hooper is a very patient fighter, so I can see a finish coming late in the fight if at all. I\u2019ll just stick with the moneyline.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Chase Hooper moneyline (-330)<\/p>\n

UFC 319 Early \u2018Prelims\u2019 Under Card Odds<\/p>\n

\"Edson<\/a><\/p>\n

Edson Barbzoa is on the early prelims at UFC 319. Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Edson Barboza (-150) vs. Drakkar Klose (+125)<\/p>\n

Barboza\u2019s last fight was a main event against Lerone Murphy in the APEX last May. He was due to fight Steve Garcia in February, but \u2014 mercifully \u2014 he had to withdraw due to injury. I shudder to think what might have happened to the popular Brazilian if that fight had gone through.<\/p>\n

Before his unanimous decision loss to Murphy (a \u201cFight of the Night\u201d where he showed a few flashes of his prime self), Barboza had back-to-back wins over Sodiq Yusuff and Billy Quarantillo (who he KO\u2019d with a knee \u2014 see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Klose was dismantled by Joel Alvarez last time out, in December. He lost after eating a massive flying knee (see it here<\/a>). There\u2019s not much shame in that. Alvarez is a title contender in waiting at Lightweight. Before that loss Klose dragged himself over the line to secure a decision win over Joaquim Silva. Prior to that, he KO\u2019d Joe Solecki with a slam (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

I think this is a really good match-up for Barboza. He\u2019s 39, but that\u2019s only two years older than Klose. He\u2019ll have a five-inch reach advantage to add to his already far superior striking skills. Klose will want to make things ugly in the clinch and score takedowns. But, Barboza is a very dangerous clinch fighter with elbows and knees that could hurt or even finish Klose. Barboza also posses fantastic takedown defense, he was taken down on four of six attempts by Murphy, but Klose is not a young buck who can mask his takedowns behind strikes like Murphy can.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Edson Barboza moneyline (-150)<\/p>\n

\"Bryan<\/a><\/p>\n

Bryan Battle will look to continue his impressive run at UFC 319. Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Bryan Battle (-170) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (+140)<\/p>\n

Battle is 7-1 1 NC in UFC with the one loss being a decision to Rinat Fakhretdinov in 2022. Since that loss, he\u2019s won four and had a \u201cNo Contest\u201d with Ange Loosa (which ended off an eye poke). His wins include a technical knockout finish over Kevin Jousset in Paris and a knockout over Gabe Green (see it here<\/a>). He missed weight for the Green fight. He also missed weight in his last fight, a split decision win over Randy Brown in Dec. 2024. This is Battle\u2019s first fight in UFC at Middleweight since he beat Tresean Gore in 2022. He also won TUF (beating Andre Petroski and Gilbert Urbina along the way) as a Middleweight.<\/p>\n

Ruziboev is 4-1 in UFC. His lone loss was in UFC St. Louis\u2019 main event opposite Joaquin Buckley. He couldn\u2019t handle Buckley\u2019s pressure in that fight. That was also his first and last UFC bout at Welterweight. He may have been one of the biggest UFC Welterweights ever for that fight. Ruziboev is still big at Middleweight, standing 6\u2019 5\u201d with a 76-inch reach.<\/p>\n

Battle is four inches shorter than Ruziboev, but he will actually have a one-inch reach advantage. Battle used his reach to terrorize Welterweights recently. He won\u2019t be able to dominate from range in this fight, but I still think he\u2019ll be able to land some hard shots on Ruziboev. I also think Ruziboev will be able to give some back, but not much.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, though, I think Battle\u2019s volume will make the difference in this fight. He lands 5.12 significant strikes per-minute at a 52 percent accuracy. Ruziboev lands just 2.59 with just a 46 percent accuracy. Ruziboev has also absorbed more significant strikes than he lands per-minute and that is\u2026 say it with me\u2026 a big red flag.<\/p>\n

Ruziboev will not be a size bully in this fight and I think he\u2019s going to struggle to deal with Battle\u2019s pace and pressure. I\u2019m not sure if Battle can get the finish here (or get many finishes at Middleweight), but I think he will get a comfortable decision.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Bryan Battle moneyline (-170)<\/p>\n

\"Dione<\/a><\/p>\n

Dione Barbosa will want to prove she\u2019s a dark horse in the division at UFC 319. Photo by Alexandre Loureiro\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Karine Silva (-220) vs. Dione Barbosa (+180)<\/p>\n

Silva dropped a unanimous decision to Viviane Araujo last time out. Prior to that, she was on a nine-fight win streak. The fight before that streak happened \u2026 a unanimous decision loss to Barbosa, in 2019.<\/p>\n

Barbosa, a former Olympic level judoka, won her debut over Ernesta Kareckaite (where she decided to just strike) and then lost a decision to Miranda Maverick. Most recently, she used her judo and grappling to finish Diana Belbita with an arm triangle.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a little surprised to see Silva as the favorite in this bout. She gassed out hard against Araujo in their fight and spent most of the third round pulling guard and trying to catch her breath while laid out on her back. Even if she\u2019s in shape for this one, I think her grappling (her main strength) isn\u2019t that much better than Barbosa\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Barbosa, in addition to having above-average grappling, is a very willing striker and I think she\u2019s going to hit Silva early and maybe tire her out again.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Dione Barbosa moneyline (+180)<\/p>\n

\"Joseph<\/a><\/p>\n

Joseph Morales welcomes Alibi Idriss to the Octagon at UFC 319. hoto by Hector Vivas\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Alibi Idiris vs. Joseph Morales<\/p>\n

This is the Flyweight final for The Ultimate Fighter Season 33. Morales had a cup of coffee in UFC in 2017-18, going 1-2, which included a technical knockout loss to Deiveson Figueiredo (who was fighting in his third-ever UFC fight). Morales, I\u2019m reading, took a controversial decision over Imanol Rodriguez to book his spot in the final.<\/p>\n

Idiris is 10-0, with all his past fights happening in the Naiza promotion in his native Kazakhstan (where he was a Flyweight champ). Idiris, I\u2019m reading, had a brutal knockout finish on the show.<\/p>\n

There are no odds available for this fight at this time of writing.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know these guys, but it seems like Idiris was the more impressive prospect on the show.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Alibi Idiris moneyline<\/p>\n

\"Someone<\/a><\/p>\n

Someone called Rodrigo Sezinando is fighting at UFC 319. Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Rodrigo Sezinando vs. TBA<\/p>\n

This is the Welterweight final of The Ultimate Fighter season 33. At this time of writing, an opponent for Sezinando has not been revealed.<\/p>\n

\"Will<\/a><\/p>\n

Will we hear \u201cAnd still!\u201d at UFC 319? Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a couple of long shots for Saturday night\u2019s action …<\/p>\n

Dricus du Plessis to win by split\/majority decision (+1600)<\/p>\n

This is a very hard to call as a prognosticator. If it goes to the judges, it might be hard to call, too. I know that\u2019s a big \u201cif.\u201d However, if Chimaev comes in hurt or if du Plessis shows, again, that he should never be counted out of a fight, then we might see him sneak by on the scorecards. I think the only way DDP wins is by decision, so it\u2019s not a big leap for me to imagine that decision being a split, too.<\/p>\n

Three =-fight parlay: Dione Barbosa, Jared Cannonier and Lerone Murphy (+1710)<\/p>\n

These are my three favorite underdogs at UFC 319. Barbosa is fighting someone she has already defeated (and someone who basically quit in the third round in her last fight), Cannonier gets to fight someone his own age for a change, and Murphy is welcoming in someone who has never fought anyone close to his level before.<\/p>\n

Tim Elliott to win by submission in round 1 (+1800)<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still an Asakura skeptic. I think there\u2019s a great chance he flies at Elliott early in this fight, gets taken down, mounted and submitted. Elliott has been on the sidelines a while, but he\u2019s a tough vet who has seen everything in the sport. I like his chances of spoiling Asakura\u2019s second UFC appearance and sending him back to Saitama Super Arena.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

0<\/p>\n

MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE CAR CRASH!<\/a> 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\u2019s PPV main event, Middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis, defends his title against undefeated No. 3<\/a>-ranked contender, Khamzat Chimaev, in a high-stakes, five-round battle of unbeaten UFC records. UFC 319\u2019s PPV co-main event features a Featherweight showdown between Lerone Murphy and promotional newcomer<\/a>, 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>, a Middleweight bout pitting Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page, a Flyweight matchup featuring Tim Elliott vs. Kai Asakura, and much more! UFC 319\u2019s start time is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (\u201cEarly Prelims\u201d), 8 p.m. ET (\u201cPrelims\u201d undercard), and 10 p.m. ET (PPV main card)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Remember that MMAmania.com<\/a> will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 319 fight card<\/a>, starting with the ESPN\/ESPN+<\/a> \u201cPrelims\u201d 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+<\/a>).<\/p>\n

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 319: \u201cdu Plessis vs. Khamzat\u201d news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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