Chimaev Destroys Du Plessis and Conquers the UFC Championship

Khamzat Chimaev Conquers Middleweight Championship in a Dominant Display

Since his debut in 2020, Khamzat Chimaev was seen as a future UFC champion. At UFC 319, held at the United Center, Chimaev (15-0) lived up to expectations, securing the middleweight championship with a masterful performance over Dricus Du Plessis (23-3). Although Du Plessis managed to avoid the knockout, Chimaev dominated the fight, demonstrating a notable superiority throughout the five rounds. The three judges awarded a score of 50-44 in favor of Chimaev, who set a new UFC record with 529 total strikes connected, surpassing Du Plessis’ 45.

I am happy, always. I never have a game plan, I just go in and work like I do in the gym. That guy is strong. I couldn’t finish. I respect that guy. He is the only champion who would say my name. This guy has a big heart.

Khamzat Chimaev

Chimaev, originally from Chechnya, burst onto the UFC scene in July 2020, winning his first two fights in just 10 days. Although a severe COVID-19 infection in 2021 and various medical and visa issues slowed his progress, Chimaev has proven to be unstoppable when he has been active, defeating former champions like Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker. In Saturday’s fight, Chimaev completed 12 of 17 takedown attempts and controlled the fight for more than 21 minutes. He managed to take down Du Plessis in the first minute of each round and put him in a defenseless crucifix position on two occasions. The 12 takedowns tied for the third-most in UFC title fight history, and the most since Demetrious Johnson landed 14 in a flyweight title fight in 2015.

Du Plessis, despite showing resistance and smiling between rounds, felt the pressure from Chimaev. In the last round, Du Plessis attempted a guillotine, but Chimaev remained firm and finished the fight in a dominant position.

The man has incredible control at the top. It wasn’t a matter of strength, it wasn’t physical, it was almost as if he knew what your next move was. I could almost taste that victory [with the choke], but he beat me fair and square. He was the better man tonight. I will come back to reclaim my belt, but for now, it’s his. He deserves it.

Dricus Du Plessis

The victory opens up a range of possibilities for Chimaev, who has expressed his interest in competing in different weight classes. He has mentioned the possibility of returning to 170 pounds to face the winner of the fight between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev, and has also considered moving up to 205 pounds. Before temporarily relocating to California to finish his training for UFC 319, Chimaev had not been in the United States since September 2022 due to visa issues. However, he became a citizen of the United Arab Emirates in January, which facilitated his obtaining a visa in February.

Lerone Murphy Seeks Featherweight Title After Spectacular KO

In the co-main event of the night, Lerone Murphy, from England, may have secured a featherweight title shot after impressively knocking out debutant Aaron Pico. Pico, with a distinguished history in Bellator MMA, arrived at his UFC debut with high expectations. Murphy demonstrated his quality with a spinning elbow strike that knocked Pico out in the third round. This victory represents the greatest achievement in Murphy’s career, who now has a record of 8-0-1 in the UFC. After the fight, Murphy expressed his desire to face champion Alexander Volkanovski. The champion, for his part, responded on social media, accepting the challenge.