UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev – The stage is set for a huge title fight in Chicago

Saturday night will see one of the biggest UFC title fights of 2025 take centre stage, as the undisputed middleweight championship takes top billing in Chicago.

UFC 319 will feature a battle for the 185-pound championship of the world as reigning middleweight king Dricus Du Plessis puts his title on the line against the biggest enigma in the UFC, the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev.

It’s a battle between the irresistible force of Chimaev and the immovable object of Du Plessis, and fans and pundits alike are split on the outcome.

For Chimaev, it’s a long-awaited shot at UFC championship gold. The Chechen-born contender burst onto the scene during the COVID pandemic, as he fought twice in the space of 10 days to kick off his UFC career.

His debut on July 15, 2020 saw him choke out John Phillips in the second round in a middleweight bout. Then, a little over a week later, on July 25, he stopped former Cage Warriors welterweight champion Rhys McKee via first-round ground and pound at 170 pounds to make it two from two, in two different weight classes, in less than two weeks.

His third fight in the Octagon was even more explosive, as he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds two months later on September 19.

UFC matchmakers then looked to book Chimaev against British welterweight contender (and future champion) Leon Edwards, but first “Rocky” contracted COVID, then Chimaev suffered the after effects of his own bout of the virus, as three separate dates were scrapped through 2020 and 2021.

Chimaev eventually returned in October 2021 against Chinese welterweight contender Li Jingliang, where “Borz” showcased his utter dominance as he picked up “The Leech” and carried him over to the corner close to UFC president and CEO Dana White and having a conversation with the UFC boss, before eventually submitting Li with a rear-naked choke – all inside the first round. It was a remarkable display of dominance.

Since then, he’s gone the distance with Gilbert Burns in a war in UFC 273, choked out Kevin Holland in just over two minutes at UFC 279, edged Kamaru Usman via majority decision in a middleweight bout at UFC 294, and crushed Robert Whittaker’s jaw with a first-round face crank at UFC 308.

Now Chimaev is ready for a tilt at a title, and standing in his way is Du Plessis, whose own run in the UFC has been mightily impressive, too.

The former KSW welterweight champion, and two-division EFC champion made his UFC debut in October 2020 with a first-round knockout of Brazilian Markus Perez, then followed up that victory with a second-round stoppage of Trevin Giles.

After a host of fight bookings fell through, Du Plessis eventually returned against teak-tough Brad Tavares, who he defeated on the scorecards at UFC 276. That earned him a bout with England’s Darren Till at UFC 282, and his performance in victory, finishing the fight with a third-round rear-naked choke, saw his momentum increase further. Then his second-round stoppage of Derek Brunson clicked it up another gear.

It put Du Plessis within range of the division’s elite, and a bout with former champion Robert Whittaker was thought to be the acid test of Du Plessis’ championship credentials. In a bout many thought he would lose, Du Plessis delivered a huge performance to stop “The Reaper” with strikes mid-way through the second round to earn a shot at the undisputed middleweight title.

And Du Plessis made his championship opportunity count, as he edged Sean Strickland via split-decision to capture the gold at UFC 297. Some felt Strickland had done enough to win, but the judges’ scorecards sided with “Stillknocks”, who reached the middleweight mountaintop after just seven fights.

His first title defence saw Du Plessis finish Israel Adesanya in the fourth round via rear-naked choke submission, then he rematched Strickland at UFC 312 in a one-sided victory that laid any doubts to rest over who was the better fighter.

Now Du Plessis is ready for his third title defence, and will take on Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319 in Chicago. Neither man has tasted defeat inside the Octagon, so something has to give this weekend.

Will Chimaev’s relentless pressure prevail, or will Du Plessis’ championship mindset and next-level toughness see him through? It should be a phenomenal matchup between two of the UFC’s very best fighters, in any weight class.