Khamzat Chimaev is the new middleweight champ. And he didn’t just win — he ragdolled Dricus du Plessis for 25 minutes straight. Twelve takedowns. Twenty-one minutes of control time. That’s not a fight, that’s an unpaid internship in Dagestani wrestling.
KHAMZAT CHIMAEV DEFEATS DRICUS DU PLESSIS BY UNANIMOUS DECISION! (50-44 x3)
AND NEW!!!!! #UFC319 pic.twitter.com/5mPMTW77uW
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 17, 2025
This wasn’t a back-and-forth war. No bloodbath. No highlight-reel KO. Just pure suffocation. Every time Du Plessis stood up, Chimaev scooped him and put him right back on the floor like a mom picking up a toddler who wandered too far from the cart at Costco.
IT TOOK KHAMZAT CHIMAEV JUST 5 SECONDS BEFORE TAKING DOWN DRICUS DU PLESSIS 🤯 #UFC319pic.twitter.com/MokdBqYpey
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 17, 2025
And yeah, maybe it wasn’t the most fun watch. Unless you’re the type who gets joy from seeing a man’s soul slowly leave his body while trapped under another human being. But you can’t deny it — Chimaev’s control was surgical. Guy looked like he was running a wrestling seminar while casually cashing a title belt.
Du Plessis deserves some credit, though. Dude’s tough. Hung in there, didn’t quit, still throwing back when he could. He’s not done. Probably back in the mix sooner than later.
But right now? This is Chimaev’s division. Middleweight runs through him. The man doesn’t just fight you — he parks on top of you, rents space in your lungs, charges no late fees.
Chicago got to witness it live, UFC 319 stamped it, and now the chatter starts: is anyone at 185 gonna stop this monster?
