Overview

• UFC 319 will take place at Chicago’s United Center with Dricus du Plessis defending his middleweight title against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev.
• The main card, beginning at 3 a.m. BST, features Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico as the co-main event.
• Pundits Reinier de Ridder and Sean O’Malley have both predicted that Chimaev’s wrestling and striking will pose a significant test for du Plessis’s unorthodox style.
• Training partner Mark Hulme has backed du Plessis to finish Chimaev early by leveraging his superior wrestling depth.
• Podcaster Brendan Schaub suggested that a victory could open a path for du Plessis to pursue light-heavy and heavyweight title runs.