Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title against undefeated phenom Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 319 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) headliner at United Center in Chicago. Du Plessis' head coach, Morne Visser, is confident that his star student can beat Chimaev at his own game.

Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev will clash in a mouthwatering title fight this weekend, headlining a stacked card at UFC 319. Here, middleweight king Du Plessis goes for a third successful title defence in a row, having already retained the belt with a submission of Israel Adesanya and decision over Sean Strickland.

The UFC 319 middleweight title clash between champion Dricus du Plessis and undefeated challenger Khamzat Chimaev is one of the most anticipated mixed martial arts events of 2025. Scheduled for 16 August 2025 at Chicago's United Center,