Islamabad, Aug 14, 2025: Over the last couple of years, Khamzat Chimaev had trouble winning the trust of the fans because of frequent health breakdowns, which led him to back out of several of his UFC matches. But following his renewed coaching team, the unbeaten fighter will face South African champion Dricus du Plessis in the middleweight division of the UFC 319 on August 16, 2025, at Chicago United Center.
Regardless of his form, UFC legend Din Thomas maintained that the reigning of Chimaev would cause the promotion harm, an argument UFC CEO Dana White firmly opposed. White was enthusiastic about the fight and he disregarded any worry that the challenger would make the champion become a sitting champion.
Chimaev, who made his debut five years ago, with a perfect 14-0 record, entered the spotlight having finished three opponents in two months. He had a year long layoff related to COVID-19, but came back with a giant kill; first over Kamaru Usman and then over Robert Whittaker, confirming his elite middleweight positioning.
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Since 2020 (all his UFC matches are still unbeaten), Du Plessis has successfully defended his title against Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland. Through overtraining and cutting weight issues, Chimaev addressed these previous issues when training, and thus his camp feels that he is the best shape to attack this championship fight. Now fans are waiting to see if Khamzat can win UFC gold and continue his undefeated streak.
