Overview

• Chimaev dethroned Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 by 50-44 unanimous decision, landing a UFC-record 529 total strikes with 12 takedowns and roughly 21:40 of control time.
• The new middleweight titleholder jumped ten places to No. 4 on the UFC pound-for-pound list following the victory.
• White announced Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho on Sept. 6 in Paris and Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez on Oct. 18 in Vancouver, calling both bouts key to determining Chimaev’s next challenger.
• De Ridder and Chimaev traded barbs on X, and de Ridder told MMA Fighting he would accept a title fight “100%” and sign immediately, even targeting UFC 321 if offered.
• Reaction to UFC 319 remains divided, with White saying most rounds merited 10-8 scores, Paulo Costa labeling the approach bad for business, and Matt Brown defending the dominance by comparing it to past champions.