Chimaev mauls Du Plessis to win UFC middleweight title
The Khamzat Chimaev era has finally begun.
Chimaev defeated Dricus Du Plessis via unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44) to capture the middleweight championship in the UFC 319 main event Saturday night at United Center in Chicago.
Chimaev delivered one of the most dominant performances in title-fight history. He smothered Du Plessis on the ground for almost the entire bout, leaving his opponent little room to breathe. Chimaev completed 12 of 17 takedowns and amassed 21:40 of control time. He outlanded Du Plessis 529-45 in total strikes and 37-13 in significant strikes.
"I don't ever have a game plan," Chimaev said in his postfight interview. "Just go in and work like I do in the gym. That guy is strong. (I) couldn't finish (him). Respect that guy. The only champion who was saying my name."
Chimaev remained undefeated with the victory, improving to 9-0 in the UFC and 15-0 as a professional.
Du Plessis praised Chimaev after the impressive showing.
"The man has incredible control on the top," Du Plessis said. "He was just like a blanket. It wasn't just a matter of strength. He wasn't that physical. It was almost as if he knew what your next move was gonna be. ... I had to decide, 'Am I gonna be on my back or have him on my back?'"
The 31-year-old Chechen took the sport by storm when he made his Octagon debut in 2020, with many predicting he would win a championship within a year or two. However, it took Chimaev far longer to reach a title shot than anyone would've imagined, largely due to factors outside of the cage. Illnesses, injuries, and visa issues slowed down his rise; Chimaev fought just once in three of the last four years.
But when Chimaev has made it to fight night, he's been nothing short of dominant - and that couldn't have been truer than on Saturday.
Chimaev scored his first takedown 10 seconds into the opening round, and that was just a sign of what was to come. He applied heavy top pressure and trapped Du Plessis in a crucifix. Chimaev remained on top for almost the entire round.
Chimaev took Du Plessis down just seconds into Rounds 2, 3, and 4 as well. Du Plessis offered minimal resistance while defending takedowns and was unable to do much off his back. Chimaev ragdolled Du Plessis for long stretches, advancing to full mount, trapping him in a crucifix again, and taking his back.
Chimaev's most dominant round was the third in which he landed a few heavy elbows and also attempted a rear-naked choke. All three judges gave him a 10-8 in that frame.
Du Plessis had a small window of opportunity in the fifth round when he got on top of Chimaev midway through but lost the position while going for a guillotine choke. Du Plessis caught Chimaev with a solid right hand. He got on top of Chimaev again later in the round and almost trapped him in a rear-naked choke, but Chimaev defended it.
"I went for it, had the back," Du Plessis said of his late rally. "I could almost taste that victory. But big ups to Khamzat. He deserves this 100%."
Du Plessis suffered the first loss of his Octagon career and first defeat since 2018, ending his 11-fight winning streak.
The 31-year-old South African captured the middleweight title in January 2024 and successfully defended it twice, beating former champions Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland. The loss to Chimaev dropped him to 9-1 in the promotion and 23-3 overall.