Dricus Du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev Booked For UFC 319

Dricus Du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev Booked For UFC 319

UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will attempt to defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, according to UFC CEO Dana White. White announced the fight on Instagram Live.

UFC 319 will go down in Chicago, Illinois on August 8, 2025. The event will be the UFC’s first trip to Chicago since 2019.

Du Plessis is establishing himself as an elite champion. The middleweight king has two title defenses and is working to add more to his resume. More importantly, he has a bevy of strong wins against Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and a pair over Sean Strickland.

Chimaev has been touted as one of the best prospects in the sport for years. The 31-year-old has a 14-0 professional record and an 8-0 UFC record. In all likelihood, he would have walked into a welterweight title shot early in his career; however, he suffered multiple setbacks. Initially, they were self-inflicted mistakes, but he was also hit with several serious injuries.

It is past-due for Chimaev to fight for a championship. His most recent victories over Robert Whittaker and Kamaru Usman cemented himself as a title challenger. In all honesty, he should have fought Du Plessis before the Sean Strickland rematch. Regardless, he gets his shot at UFC 319.

UFC 319 will be monumental for the middleweight division. The winner of this bout may be able to add multiple title defenses to their resume. That opportunity will only be awarded to one fighter, however.

Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira Set To Headline UFC 317

The middleweight main event between Du Plessis and Chimaev is the only UFC 319 bout that has been made official.

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