Dricus Du Plessis’ reign as middleweight champion came to an end at UFC 319, where he was unable to stop Khamzat Chimaev’s relentless grappling over five rounds.
The South African standout was taken down repeatedly and neutralized on the canvas, losing his title by unanimous decision on all three scorecards. With the win, Chimaev improved to 15-0 and claimed the UFC middleweight crown, while Du Plessis suffered the first loss of his UFC career.
Chimaev executed a dominant game plan, keeping Du Plessis from mounting any sustained offense. While Du Plessis rallied late in the fifth round, pushing for a dramatic finish, the comeback fell short as “Borz” controlled the fight from start to finish.
After the fight, Du Plessis praised Chimaev’s skill and gave him full credit for the victory.
“The man has incredible control on the top,” Du Plessis said. “He was just like a blanket. It wasn’t a matter of strength, it wasn’t that physical, it was just almost as if he knew what your next move was going to be. He got it without using too much power and I had to decide am I going to be on my back or have him on my back? At the end, I went for it, had the back, I could almost taste that victory.”
Du Plessis, who entered UFC 319 on an 11-fight win streak dating back to 2018, vowed that this setback would not be the end of his championship journey.
“But big ups to Khamzat, he deserves this, 100 percent,” Du Plessis said. “He beat me fair and square tonight, he was the better man tonight, and I’ll be back. I’m coming to get my belt back. For now, it’s his and he deserves it.”
The middleweight division is stacked with contenders ready to challenge Chimaev, including Caio Borralho, Nassourdine Imavov, Reinier de Ridder, Anthony Hernandez, and Paulo Costa. For Du Plessis, the road back to the title won’t be easy, but his determination remains clear.
Du Plessis may have lost the belt, but his words after the fight made one thing certain, he fully intends to return to championship form and reclaim UFC gold.
