Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis defends his title for the third time against the oncoming force Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319 this weekend (Sat., Aug. 16, 2025), which all goes down inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
This blockbuster showdown has been picked apart by fans and analysts alike, with the narrative boiling down to one question: Can Chimaev’s ferocious early blitz crush du Plessis, or will “Stillknocks” survive the onslaught
and turn the tables in the championship rounds?
A five-round war could force Chimaev to rethink his all-out approach—but du Plessis is banking on the opposite and hopes “Borz” charges him from the opening bell as the South African champion will not quit.
“He didn’t change his game plan against Robert Whittaker despite it being five rounds, so that already gives me the sense he’s not thinking about the full distance,” du Plessis told reporters during UFC 319 media day. “Five rounds is a long time, and I’m not afraid to go to that dark place—you’ve seen that. If we go full speed, I can fight tired all day—I’ve done that many times. So, let’s go for it. Let’s go full speed and see who quits.”
Chimaev has never gone past 15 minutes in his 14-fight career, hitting the three-round mark only twice (against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman). Meanwhile, Du Plessis has twice endured 25-minute battles in the UFC, including two cardio-draining slugfests with Sean Strickland.
Will stamina be the X-factor in this high-stakes clash? The MMA world gets its answer in just three days.
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