14-0 as a pro, Chimaev is one of the scariest fighters the UFC has seen in recent memory. ‘Borz’ manhandled Whittaker and former pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman in back-to-back fights at middleweight to earn his shot at gold.

Dricus du Plessis will defend his middleweight throne against Khamzat Chimaev on Aug. 16 at UFC 319 in Chicago, Illinois.

After his win, "The King of Kung Fu" called for a fight with former two-time title challenger Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, arguably the best karate specialist in UFC history. A few years ago, that would have been a grossly overambitious callout, but today, it makes sense.

Middleweight champion Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his title against Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the UFC 319 headliner on Aug. 16 from United Center in Chicago ( ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

A n unstoppable force and immovable object meet at UFC 319. Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev, two juggernauts undefeated in the promotion, clash for the middleweight crown on Aug. 16 in Chicago.

Dricus du Plessis did not hold back when reacting to Sharabudtin Magomedov's UFC win over Marc-Andre Barriault.

Aaron Pico has a new opponent, as the rising contender will co-main event UFC 319 against undefeated fighter Lerone Murphy.

Whittaker was knocked out by Du Plessis at UFC 290, so he knows the game of ‘Stillknocks’ well. And having experienced the champ’s strengths first hand, ‘The Reaper’ believes the key to him losing lies within himself, not his opponents.

Dricus Du Plessis reveals he was the least prepared for his UFC debut than any other fight in his career 😲🫡 "I might have looked composed and smiling on the outside, but inside I was terrified. That fight meant as much to me as a title fight!" 🎥 @dricusduplessis pic.twitter.com/U0dS9C5qKS