UFC 319 went down last night (Sat. Aug., 16, 2025) inside United Center in Chicago, Ill., which saw Khamzat Chimaev dominate Dricus du Plessis for 25 minutes to become the undisputed Middleweight champion of the world (see it again here), while Lerone Murphy ruined Aaron Pico’s UFC debut by knocking him out in the very first round via a spinning elbow (see it again here). Speaking of spinning elbow finishes, Carlos Prates did the same thing one fight prior, becoming the first person to ever finish Geoff
Neal inside the Octagon, in the process (video replay here).
Winner: Khamzat Chimaev
Who He Should Face Next: Imavov vs. Borralho winner
Sorry, “Fluffy,” but you are going to have to wait a bit longer to get your chance to drown the new 185-pound champion because Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho are set to collide at UFC Paris on Sept. 6, 2025 to determine who gets first crack at trying to dethrone Chimaev. Imavov is currently ranked No. 1 in the division and is on a four-fight win streak, with his last win being a technical knockout (TKO) over Israel Adesanya. As for Borralho, he is on a 16-fight unbeaten streak and is undefeated at 7-0 inside the Octagon, good enough to put him at No. 6 on the rankings.
Winner: Lerone Murphy
Who He Should Face Next: Alexander Volkanovski title fight
After ruining Aaron Pico’s UFC welcome party, Murphy upped his stock by improving his record to 17-0-1, which will earn him a Top 5 spot. As far as a title shot, he may have very well locked it down because division champion, Alexander Volkanovski, was receptive to granting him a shot at the strap by the end of the year. If the promotion doesn’t like that idea, they may book Murphy up against No. 1 ranked Evloev, who is also undefeated at 19-0. Interestingly enough, Evloev was supposed to face Pico before he bounced out of the fight.
Winner: Carlos Prates
Who He Should Face Next: Leon Edwards (or Michael Page)
Prates got two of his four requests granted by Dana White last night following his spectacular win over Neal, as the UFC CEO not only gave him an extra $50K to play with, but also reserved a spot for him at the upcoming UFC Rio event in October. Prates called fore a showdown against former division king, Leon Edwards, and I don’t see why it shouldn’t be made. Edwards is currently on a two-fight losing streak, and while I usually don’t like paring up fighters going in opposite directions, this one sort of makes sense because it’s the new guard taking on the old. If Prates can take down Edwards, his march toward a title shot shortens quite a bit. Again, this is who he “should” fight next, but Prates “could” very well get Michael Page, since the two men are keen on fighting one another on the card.
Winner: Michael Page
Who He Should Face Next: Israel Adesanya (or Carlos Prates)
After his win over Jared Cannonier — who fought for the Middleweight title just three years ago — Page said he wasn’t quite down with Welterweight, though he wouldn’t mind staying put at 185 pounds if there was fight out there was the fun and exciting, and a matchup against Adesanya fits the bill perfectly. Adesanya has lost three straight fights, with his last win coming in April 2023. While “The Last Stylebender” is obviously going downward in his career at the moment, he is still ranked in the Top 5 and would make for a fun matchup against “Venom.” Both men love to stand and bang and both are two of the best showmen in the game today. Call me crazy, but this would make for a great five-round main event. But should UFC matchmakers go ahead and book Page against Prates, I wouldn’t be mad at that, either.
Winner: Tim Elliott
Who He Should Face Next: Manel Kape
After nearly two years on the sidelines, Elliott returned with a vengeance, submitting former RIZIN Bantamweight champion, Kai Asakura, with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their Flyweight bout. Elliott is now 4-1 in his last five fights and could be staring at a Top 10 spot following his huge win over Asakura. Up next, a fight against Kape would be fun. Kape is 6-1 in his last seven fights and needs to get back into action after he was forced out of his fight against Brandon Royval, which went to Joshua Van, who upset Royval to become the new No. 1 ranked fighter in the division.
For more UFC 319 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
