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UFC 319 adds ex-RIZIN champ to Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev card

Mathew Riddle|
UFC.com

UFC 319 has received a high-caliber flyweight matchup, featuring a former RIZIN champion taking on a grizzled UFC veteran.

UFC 319 features the third middleweight title defense for champion Dricus Du Plessis, as he takes on the unstoppable Khamzat Chimaev.

With two fights announced so far, there's plenty to look forward to.

Tony Ferguson teases next fight news after comeback gets cancelled

Khamzat Chimae
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Kai Asakura vs. Tim Elliott confirmed for UFC 319

Kai Asakura will return at UFC 319 on August 16, where he will face UFC veteran Tim Elliott, the No. 11-ranked flyweight contender.

Team Iridium, Elliott's management agency, officially confirmed the news on May 26. It was also first reported by X user KevinK on May 19.

Asakura last competed in the main event of UFC 310 in 2024, where he made his debut with an immediate title shot against Alexandre Pantoja. 'The Cannibal' endured some punishment in the first round but found a submission in the second.

Asakura is a two-time RIZIN bantamweight champion and looks to become one of the few fighters to own belts in both promotions. The last fighter to do this was Jiri Prochazka.

Jiri Prochazk
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

As for Elliott, the American grappler-striker looks to extend his winning streak to two. He's only lost to the elite fighters in the UFC's flyweight division, including Demetrious Johnson, Deiveson Figueiredo, Brandon Royval, and Muhammad Mokaev, so he serves as a great test for Asakura.

Regarding the champion, Pantoja competes again at UFC 317, where he fights Kai Kara-France in what is technically a rematch from their days on The Ultimate Fighter. This marks another opportunity for Pantoja to notch multiple wins against a top-ten opponent.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with half a decade of digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on Bloody Elbow, The Fight Fanatic, and Heavy on UFC. He runs Warrior Tribune and can be contacted by his Muckrack profile.

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