Overview

• Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision (50-44 across the cards) to claim the middleweight title at UFC 319 in Chicago.
• Referee Marc Goddard separated the fighters on the ground more than once late in the bout, drawing scrutiny from some fighters and pundits.
• Herb Dean said he saw nothing wrong with the interventions and emphasized that dominance without clear efforts to finish can warrant a reset.
• Dean outlined standard referee practice by noting the 'Let's work' warning and an expectation of attempts to advance or initiate fight-ending sequences before a stand-up.
• Fight lawyer Erik Magraken pointed to the ABC 2025 Unified Rules that give referees authority to stand fighters up absent sustained effort to finish, as debate over application of the rule continues.