In the main event of UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev got off to a hot start against Dricus du Plessis, taking the champ down and advancing to the mounted crucifix position, where he peppered the champ with strikes from top position.
The early takedown proved to be a foreshadowing of how the rest of the fight would play out, with DDP unable to neutralize Chimaev’s onslaught.
Round after round, the three-time Swedish National wrestling champ used his grappling to control the fight, landing a barrage of ground and pound shots that stifled any sort of defensive grappling from the champ.
Despite a spirited attempt at turning things around and finishing Chimaev in the last minute, Du Plessis wound up losing a unanimous decision, bringing his reign to an end.
The win earned Chimaev praise from former champs like Henry Cejudo and Belal Muhammad, both of whom gave Borz shoutouts on Twitter:.
Khamzat Chimaev Now Expected to Face Imavov vs. Borralho Winner
With the win, Khamzat Chimaev is now expected to face the winner of the upcoming Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho fight set to take place on the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Paris card next month.
Borralho, who weighed in as the backup fighter for tonightâs event as insurance in case either Du Plessis or Chimaev withdrew, is heading into the fight amid an impressive run that has seen him go undefeated throughout his tenure with the UFC. Most recently, the streaking contender picked up a unanimous decision win over Jared Cannonier back in August of 2024, landing him at No. 6 on the UFCâs middleweight rankings.
On the flip side, Imavov is heading into the fight eager to earn a crack at the title after finishing former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya back in February.
While there’s been no word yet on when the winner will collide with Chimaev, hopefully we get a chance to see the newly minted champ defend his belt sometime in the spring after celebrating Ramadan.
UFC 319 Recap
Tonightâs UFC 319 card certainly produced fireworks from top to bottom. Early on in the night, Alexander Hernandez picked up a highlight-reel knockout win against Chase Hooper, setting the stage for what proved to be an entertaining night of fights.
In the featured preliminary card bout of the night, Baysangur Susurkaev extended his unbeaten pro record with a big submission win over Eric Nolan after a big win on Tuesdayâs Dana Whiteâs Contender Series card. The bout proved to set the stage for what would be an incredible main card, which featured back-to-back spinning elbow knockouts in the Prates vs. Neal fight, as well as the Murphy vs. Pico fight.
In the case of Lerone Murphy, the knockout win now puts him next in line for a crack at Alexander Volkanovski’s featherweight title.
Volkanovski took to social media following the fight, hinting at the two fighting on the year-end card in December.
Based on the UFC’s new deal with Paramount, the card will likely be the last pay-per-view event as we know it.
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