The wrestling game of Chimaev was simply too much for Du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) to handle. After 25 minutes, the judges turned in unanimous scores of 50-44 to crown Chimaev as the new 185-pound champion.

Khamzat Chimaev dethroned UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis Saturday night, winning by unanimous decision in dominant fashion at the United Center in Chicago. Chimaev, the 31-year-old Russian,

Khamzat Chimaev kept his perfect record in tact last night (Sat., Aug. 16, 2025) at UFC 319 LIVE on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside United Center in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chechen sensation completely dominated UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis to walk out of Chi-Town with 185-pound gold.