Overview

• Chimaev executed relentless takedowns and top control across all five rounds at Chicago’s United Center to secure a unanimous decision and capture middleweight gold
• Official statistics credit Chimaev with a UFC single-fight record 529 strikes landed and approximately 21 minutes, 40 seconds of control time, the second-most ever in UFC history
• UFC president Dana White revealed a personal 50-41 scorecard in favor of Chimaev and confirmed he would consider the champion’s request for a rapid turnaround, including a return in Abu Dhabi
• The defeat ends Du Plessis’s unbeaten UFC run and reshuffles the middleweight division, setting the stage for potential challengers such as Nassourdine Imavov, Caio Borralho or Sean Strickland
• Coverage has also spotlighted Chimaev’s Chechen training network and his reported partnership with rising prospect Baisangur Susurkaev ahead of UFC 319