Dricus Du Plessis to Defend Title Against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319

Dricus Du Plessis’ opponent for his next title defense has been set for a while. It was simply a matter of selecting a date and venue.

On Tuesday, UFC CEO Dana White announced that Du Plessis will defend his middleweight belt against No. 1 contender Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 319 headliner. The card takes place on Aug. 16 at the United Center in Chicago, marking the promotion’s first trip to the city since 2019.

Du Plessis is unbeaten in his last 11 professional outings, a streak that dates back to before his Octagon debut. “Stillknocks” become the 185-pound champ at UFC 297, when he took a split vedict over Sean Strickland. The South African has since defended the throne with victories over Israel Adesanya and in a rematch with Strickland.

Chimaev, meanwhile, is 2-0 since moving up to 185 pounds after weight-cut issues forced him to leave the welterweight division. His middleweight debut came at UFC 294, where he took a majority decision against former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman in October 2023. “Borz” then solidified his position as No. 1 contender with a first-round submission of Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. The 31-year-old owns a 14-0 career mark, with all but two of his victories coming inside the distance.Tim Elliott vs Kai Asakura Karine Silva vs J.J. Aldrich Alexander Hernandez vs Chase Hooper Edson Barboza vs Drakkar Klose Nursulton Ruziboev vs Bryan Battle Gerald Meerschaert vs Michal Oleksiejczuk Jessica Andrade vs Lupita Godinez Jared Cannonier vs Michael Page