MMA Knockout

Khamzat Chimaev manhandles Dricus du Plessis to claim middleweight belt at UFC 319

"Borz" looked unstoppable in his first UFC title fight.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis met undefeated challenger Khamzat Chimaev in the highly-anticipated main event of UFC 319.

Although Chimaev entered the night as a favorite to unseat the South African, few fans could have predicted quite how dominant the undefeated fighter would look against a defending champion that already had two title defenses under his belt.

Du Plessis was largely outgrappled by the challenger outside of the final minute of the fight, and Chimaev also proved that he's capable of utilizing his high-intensity wrestling over the course of a five-round championship bout.

Khamzat Chimaev Stuns Dricus Du Plessis With Dominant Win

As much as fans were looking forward to the UFC 319 main event, du Plessis and Chimaev had a tough act to follow after Lerone Murphy and Carlos Prates scored back-to-back knockouts via spinning elbow just before the night's headlining fight.

READ MORE: UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev free live stream results & highlights

Many wondered how du Plessis would be able to handle Chimaev's vaunted wrestling game, and "Borz" wasted no time bringing the South African straight to the mat before the two men really even had a chance to get going on the feet.

Chimaev quickly moved into a dominant position on the ground before establishing a crucifix mount, where the undefeated challenger was able to rain down short punches on the champion until du Plessis finally managed to get his arm free and put his opponent back into side control.

"Stillknocks" remained active off of his back before forcing a scramble during the final 30 seconds of the round, and while he did end up back in bottom position he survived to hear the bell and make his way back to his corner.

READ MORE: UFC 318 fighter wins debut fight days after earning UFC contract from Dana White

Chimaev brought things to the mat once again as soon as the second round started, and while du Plessis didn't end up on his back he found himself up against the fence and unable to return to his feet. The champion avoided having his back taken but remained on his knees for the majority of the round, and unfortunately for the South African he immediately ended up on the mat again in the third frame.

"Borz" maintained stifling top control in the center of the cage until he was able to move into a crucifix mount again. A late mount and back take from Chimaev opened up the chance for a rear naked choke, but the challenger settled for adding to his already-staggering total number of strikes landed.

Du Plessis actually managed to defend an initial takedown in the fourth round before being dragged down again. "Stillknocks" managed to put together a late rally during the final minute of the fifth round, but he was unable to avoid losing one of the most dominant unanimous decisions in the history of UFC title fights.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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