UFC 319: Chimaev Dismantles Du Plessis for Middleweight Title, Murphy Stuns with KO

Chimaev Overpowers Du Plessis for Middleweight Gold

UFC 319 wasn’t your run-of-the-mill fight night. When the lights hit the United Center in Chicago on August 16, 2025, fans couldn’t look away, and for good reason: Khamzat Chimaev clinched the middleweight belt by absolutely smothering Dricus du Plessis with a relentless brand of wrestling. This wasn’t just another title fight—Chimaev put on a clinic, dragging du Plessis into deep waters for all five rounds and setting a new UFC record for strikes landed in a title bout.

Right from the opening horn, Chimaev wasted no time—he bulldozed du Plessis to the canvas in the first 30 seconds. Over the next 25 minutes, du Plessis just couldn’t dig himself out. Chimaev glued himself to his opponent, averaging more than four minutes of ground control per round. Du Plessis, who entered on a hot streak after toppling four previous champions, was left looking for answers he never found. The judges saw it as a landslide, giving Chimaev the unanimous nod and the championship belt.

Murphy’s Highlight Reel KO and Other Main Card Surprises

The buzz carried into the co-main event: Aaron Pico was supposed to make a splash in his UFC debut, but Lerone Murphy had his own script. Pico leaned on his wrestling early, but just when it seemed like he’d be in control, Murphy unleashed a spinning back elbow from nowhere. Pico dropped, the Chicago roar hit full tilt, and suddenly Murphy was calling out featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski on social media for a December clash. Volkanovski seemed game, which gets the rumor mill spinning for a new featherweight title showdown.

The rest of the main card had fireworks, too. Carlos Prates got the nod over Geoff Neal after a slugfest at welterweight. Michael Page showed off his usual unpredictable striking, outpointing Jared Cannonier in the middleweight ranks. And Tim Elliot scrapped his way to a big win over Kai Asakura in a flyweight thriller.

The prelims delivered some sneaky-good moments. Baisangur Susurkaev pushed his perfect record to 9-0 with a slick submission over Eric Nolan. Michal Oleksiejczuk needed less than a round to put away Gerald Meerschaert. Loopy Godinez impressed against Jessica Andrade, and Edson Barboza turned back Drakkar Klose with flashy kicks and footwork. Karine Silva and Alibi Idiris also picked up big wins, the latter by submission in the second round.

If you were making your way to the venue, the United Center’s spot in central Chicago made things easy—plenty of trains, buses, and a smooth parking setup thanks to pre-paid spots through Ticketmaster. The arena buzzed well before the first punch.

Now, the big question hovers over the division: who really wants a piece of Chimaev now, after that dominant statement? And is Lerone Murphy truly next in line for Volkanovski? UFC 319 left fans debating these questions—and counting the days until these athletes step back into the cage.