Overview

• Chimaev took the middleweight belt from Dricus Du Plessis by unanimous decision, piling up 12 takedowns, 529 total strikes and roughly 21 minutes of control time.
• He surged ten places to No. 4 on the updated UFC pound‑for‑pound list, with Du Plessis sliding to No. 11.
• White announced de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez for UFC Vancouver on October 18 and pointed to Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho on September 6 in Paris as another pathway to the next title shot.
• Chimaev and de Ridder traded callouts on X after UFC 319, intensifying interest in a grappling-heavy showdown that has not been booked.
• Reaction to the new champion’s style split observers, with praise from figures like Michael Bisping and Joe Rogan, criticism from Paulo Costa for a ‘boring’ approach, and White saying he would have scored most rounds 10‑8.