Overview

• UFC 319 is officially set for August 16 at Chicago’s United Center, where champion Dricus Du Plessis will make his third middleweight title defense against undefeated challenger Khamzat Chimaev.
• Chimaev has enlisted a new strength and conditioning coach to overhaul his cardio regimen with daily recovery testing to prepare for championship rounds.
• The challenger has instructed his camp to avoid public outings and enforce strict illness-prevention measures following past health setbacks.
• Michael Bisping confirmed that Chimaev’s visa issues have been resolved and head coach Joakim Karlsson said his fighter’s conditioning has reached a new level under a revamped training regimen.
• Du Plessis has built his 185-pound reign with title defenses against Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya, leveraging proven championship-round endurance.