Overview

• In his first statement since UFC 319, Dricus du Plessis accepted the result, offered no excuses, congratulated Khamzat Chimaev, and vowed an “unimaginable” return.
• Chimaev captured the middleweight belt by unanimous decision (50-44) behind 12 takedowns, roughly 21 minutes and 40 seconds of control, and 529 strikes landed.
• White has highlighted Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho and Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez as fights with massive implications for the next challenger, signaling no immediate rematch.
• MMA Fighting’s updated pound-for-pound rankings dropped du Plessis from No. 5 to No. 11 and bumped Chimaev up eight spots into du Plessis’ former place.
• Veterans weighed in after the loss, with Chael Sonnen mocking du Plessis’ wrestling, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson urging a weight-class change, and Matt Serra rebuking coach Morne Visser for blaming referee Marc Goddard.