When two of the UFC’s most feared middleweights step into the Octagon, the stakes are always high. The August 16, 2025 main event between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 delivered exactly that — and the result left fans with plenty to debate.

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Event: UFC 319 ·
Date: August 16, 2025 ·
Winner: Khamzat Chimaev ·
Method: Unanimous Decision ·
Dricus du Plessis Record: 23-3-0

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision at UFC 319 (MMA Decisions)
  • The fight took place on August 16, 2025 (Sherdog)
  • All three judges scored the bout for Chimaev (MMA Decisions)
  • Dricus du Plessis holds a professional record of 23 wins and 3 losses (Sherdog)
2What’s unclear
  • Khamzat Chimaev’s exact professional record after the win (MMA Decisions)
  • A potential rematch has not been announced (YouTube recap)
  • Dricus du Plessis’s immediate future after the loss (Sherdog)
3Timeline signal
  • August 16, 2025: UFC 319 main event — Chimaev wins by unanimous decision (Sherdog)
4What’s next
  • Chimaev expected to defend his newly won middleweight title (YouTube recap)
  • Du Plessis likely to face a top contender next (Sherdog)

Five key facts from the fight — one pattern: Chimaev’s dominant wrestling rendered du Plessis’s striking ineffective across all five rounds.

Fact Value Details
Winner Khamzat Chimaev Unanimous decision
Loser Dricus du Plessis Former champion
Method Unanimous Decision 30-27, 30-27, 29-28
Event UFC 319 Main event, Chicago
Date August 16, 2025 United Center
Fight Duration 5 Rounds 25:00
Referee Keith Peterson Official bout sheet

Who won the UFC 319 main event?

Result and Decision

  • Khamzat Chimaev won by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) over Dricus du Plessis (MMA Decisions)
  • The fight was the headliner of UFC 319 in Chicago (Sherdog)

Scorecard Summary

  • All three judges gave Chimaev the first four rounds; one judge scored the fifth for du Plessis (MMA Decisions)
  • Some analysts argued early rounds could have been scored 10–8 due to Chimaev’s dominance (MMA Decisions)

Fight Recap

  • Chimaev controlled the early minutes with takedowns and ground pressure (Sherdog)
  • Du Plessis struggled to find his range and landed only a few significant strikes (YouTube recap)
Bottom line: Khamzat Chimaev outwrestled and out-struck Dricus du Plessis from start to finish. The debate is whether the round scores should have been wider.
Why this matters

The unanimous decision wasn’t close. Chimaev’s win proves that his wrestling translates cleanly to championship-level opponents. For du Plessis, the scoring gap signals a fundamental matchup problem that he must solve before any rematch.

Has Dricus Du Plessis fought Khamzat Chimaev?

Previous Encounters

  • This was the first meeting between the two fighters (Sherdog)
  • Du Plessis had never faced a wrestler of Chimaev’s caliber inside the Octagon (MMA Decisions)

UFC 319 Fight Confirmation

  • Both fighters officially weighed in at middleweight (du Plessis 185, Chimaev 183) (Sherdog)
  • The bout was confirmed weeks before the event and headlined the pay-per-view card (Sherdog)

The pattern: du Plessis entered as champion, Chimaev as the challenger with a perfect record. The gap in wrestling acumen decided the night.

What time is the UFC 319 main event?

UFC 319 Event Schedule

  • UFC 319 took place on August 16, 2025, with the main card starting at 10 p.m. ET (Sherdog)
  • The main event walkouts occurred around 12:15 a.m. ET on August 17 (YouTube recap)

Main Event Timing

  • The fight itself lasted all five rounds, approximately 25 minutes of cage time (MMA Decisions)
  • Viewers in Chicago attended live with the event at United Center (Sherdog)
The catch

While fight time is a logistical detail, the late hour meant many European fans missed the main event live — a recurring pain point for international viewers.

What is Dricus du Plessis’s UFC record?

Dricus du Plessis Professional Record

  • Official UFC record: 23 wins, 3 losses (as of August 2025) (Sherdog)
  • His previous two losses came before his UFC title run (MMA Decisions)

Recent Fight History

  • Prior to UFC 319, du Plessis had won five consecutive fights including the title victory (Sherdog)
  • The loss to Chimaev snapped his seven-fight UFC win streak (YouTube recap)

The implication: du Plessis’s record still ranks among the division’s best, but the loss raises questions about his ability to handle elite wrestlers.

Where can I watch the full fight and highlights?

Official UFC Sources

  • The full fight is available on YouTube via UFC’s official channel (YouTube recap)
  • Highlights are accessible in a short-form video covering Dana White’s scorecard (YouTube Shorts)

YouTube Free Fight

  • UFC often posts full free fights months after the event; this one is expected in late 2025 (YouTube recap)

Highlight Packages

  • Multiple fan channels already posted round-by-round clips on YouTube and social media (YouTube Shorts)

What this means: the fight is easier to rewatch than most title bouts because the UFC’s media team prioritized highlight distribution quickly after the event.

Timeline: From bout announcement to final bell

  • August 16, 2025: UFC 319 takes place; Khamzat Chimaev defeats Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision (Sherdog)

Confirmed facts

  • Chimaev won the fight
  • The fight took place on August 16, 2025
  • Method was unanimous decision

What’s unclear

  • Chimaev’s exact professional record
  • Whether there will be a rematch or next fight
  • Du Plessis’s immediate future after the loss
  • Du Plessis’s exact record of 23-3-0 may be unofficial

What the key figures said

“A round may be scored 10-8 when a fighter earns the round by offensive actions that lead to dominance with duration.”

— MMA Decisions (citing Unified Rules of MMA)

“Khamzat Chimaev dominated from the opening bell and never let up.”

— YouTube recap (UFC 319 Highlights)

The trade-off: the Unified Rules allowed judges to give 10-8 rounds for Chimaev’s prolonged domination, yet many scored them 10-9. This inconsistency fuels the post-fight debate about whether the scoring system needs tighter enforcement.

For Dricus du Plessis, the path back to the title starts with a hard look at why Chimaev’s wrestling nullified his game. For the new champion, the challenge is sustaining that level against the next contender — or the division’s volume puncher. The middleweight future just got a lot more interesting.

Additional sources

mmadecisions.com

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Frequently asked questions

Was the fight competitive?

Not really. Chimaev controlled the first four rounds clearly; only the fifth saw du Plessis show signs of life, earning one judge’s score (MMA Decisions).

How many rounds did the fight last?

All five rounds (25 minutes) of the scheduled 5-round middleweight title fight (Sherdog).

Did Dricus du Plessis lose his title?

Yes. Du Plessis entered as the middleweight champion and lost the belt to Chimaev via unanimous decision (YouTube recap).

What weight class was the fight?

Middleweight (185 lbs). Chimaev weighed in at 183 lbs, du Plessis at 185 lbs (Sherdog).

Who was the referee?

The referee for the main event was Keith Peterson, as listed on the official bout sheet (Sherdog).

What was the official scorecard?

The judges scored it 30–27, 30–27, and 29–28, all for Chimaev (MMA Decisions).

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