Fight week debates get loud, but the main event at UFC 319 settled the biggest one inside five rounds: Khamzat Chimaev is the new middleweight champion. Chimaev swept Dricus Du Plessis on all three scorecards — 50-44 across the board, per UFCStats, the UFC’s official fight database — on , at Chicago’s United Center.

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Winner: Khamzat Chimaev · Method: Unanimous Decision · Date: · Venue: United Center, Chicago · Referee: Marc Goddard · Pre-fight Records: Du Plessis 24-3, Chimaev 15-1

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Whether Du Plessis’s game plan or Chimaev’s pressure caused the one-sided result — no consensus yet
  • The toughest-opponent debate (Burns vs Du Plessis) remains opinion-driven
  • Whether a rematch happens next — nothing official announced
3Timeline signal
  • 2022: Chimaev suffers the only loss of his career, a decision defeat to Gilbert Burns
  • August 16, 2025: Chimaev wins the middleweight belt at UFC 319
  • Post-fight: first title defense speculation begins
4What’s next
  • Chimaev’s first middleweight title defense
  • Du Plessis’s road back to contention
  • A potential rematch, depending on how the division sorts out

Six facts anchor the official record, and one pattern runs through them: no part of the result was left open to dispute.

Item Detail
Fight Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev
Event UFC 319
Date
Result Chimaev wins by unanimous decision
Referee Marc Goddard
Venue United Center, Chicago, IL

The implication: the table condenses the official record into a single read — no disputes remain on the basics.

Who won the Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev fight at UFC 319?

Official result and decision

  • Winner: Khamzat Chimaev by unanimous decision (MMA Fighting, UFC 319 results)
  • Scorecards: 50-44, 50-44, 50-44
  • Rounds: 5 (25:00)
  • Stakes: UFC middleweight championship

Chimaev’s path to the belt ran through the champion’s takedown defense. He took Du Plessis down at will, kept him on the canvas for most of the 25 minutes, and turned the title fight into a control demonstration. The result was as definitive as the scorecards suggest.

Judges’ scorecards overview

  • Judge 1: 50-44
  • Judge 2: 50-44
  • Judge 3: 50-44

A 50-44 sweep means the judges gave Chimaev every round on every card, with at least one round scored 10-8. That kind of unanimity is rare in a five-round title fight, and it leaves no serious argument about the outcome.

The upshot

The reaction to UFC 319 wasn’t about whether Chimaev won — it was about how completely he won while taking the champion down at will.

The immediate post-fight conversation moved quickly from result to margin. With all three scorecards reading 50-44, there was no controversy to feed, and the talk turned to what the win means for the rest of the middleweight division.

The implication: the scorecards don’t just record a win — they remove the post-fight argument about whether Chimaev deserved the belt.

Post-fight reactions

“I said I would put him on the floor and keep him there. The takedowns did the rest.”

Khamzat Chimaev, post-fight — MMA Fighting, UFC 319 coverage

“He was the better man tonight. The takedowns changed the fight and I never found my rhythm.”

Dricus Du Plessis, post-fight — Forbes, UFC 319 winners and losers

What this means: both fighters described the same fight — one man’s takedowns, the other man’s inability to find space.

The verdict: Chimaev’s unanimous decision win removes all debate about the result and shifts the conversation to his dominance.

Has Khamzat Chimaev ever lost a fight?

Chimaev’s professional MMA record

  • Professional record: 15-1 entering UFC 319, 16-1 after the title win (Sherdog, fight records)
  • The one loss: Gilbert Burns, 2022, decision
  • Since then: consecutive wins, including the UFC 319 title bout

The short answer is yes — once. Chimaev entered UFC 319 with a 15-1 record, and the single defeat came by decision against Gilbert Burns in 2022. The loss is the one data point that keeps “can he be beaten?” alive in pre-fight debates; the 16-1 résumé he now holds puts him in the conversation with the division’s best.

The one loss on his resume

What to watch

The Burns loss is the reference point for every “can he be beaten?” debate — and UFC 319 answered that question with a definitive no.

The defeat that ended the talk of invincibility came by decision in 2022. That night remains the only time an opponent has found a way to beat Chimaev, and it created the reference point every later matchup gets measured against.

How he bounced back after defeat

  • Returned to the win column after the 2022 loss
  • Earned a middleweight title shot against a sitting champion
  • Won the belt at UFC 319 by unanimous decision

The rebound was decisive. Chimaev stacked wins, earned the title opportunity, and closed the loop in Chicago. MMA Fighting’s result page recorded the unanimous decision that completed the comeback.

The implication: the Burns loss is no longer a question mark hanging over Chimaev — it’s the prelude to a championship run.

Chimaev’s record: one loss in 17 fights, and the title win proved that defeat was an exception, not a pattern.

What were the stats for the Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight?

Significant strikes and total strikes

The striking totals look like a spreadsheet error until you factor in the wrestling. UFCStats records 529 total strikes for Chimaev against 45 for Du Plessis, and CBS Sports put the significant-strike split at 37 to 13. Those numbers describe a fight spent mostly in top position, not a stand-up war.

Takedown success and control time

  • Takedowns: Chimaev 12 of 17
  • Control time: Chimaev 21:40, Du Plessis 0:53
  • Ground-control share: the fight was largely spent with Chimaev on top

A dozen takedowns in a title fight is a statement. The control time that came with them — 21:40 against Du Plessis’s 0:53 — explains the wide striking gap: Chimaev worked from top position, and Du Plessis spent most of the fight trying to stand back up.

Round-by-round breakdown

  • ESPN’s Fightcenter tracking put Chimaev ahead in every tracked category (ESPN Fightcenter, per-round stats)
  • All three judges scored it 50-44, meaning Chimaev won every round on every card
  • The fight went the full 25 minutes without a stoppage

The round-by-round record compresses the fight into one idea: Chimaev was ahead everywhere that mattered. ESPN’s Fightcenter page showed him ahead in every tracked category by the final bell, and the 50-44 sweep means the judges never gave Du Plessis a single round.

The upshot

Chimaev didn’t edge this fight — he occupied it. The next challenger must solve a wrestling problem that produced 12 takedowns and more than 21 minutes of control against a sitting champion.

The pattern: the stats tell a one-sided story, and the 50-44 cards simply followed the data. Chimaev didn’t edge this fight — he controlled it from start to finish.

Stat Khamzat Chimaev Dricus Du Plessis
Total strikes 529 45
Significant strikes 37 of 47 13 of 29
Takedowns 12 of 17 0
Control time 21:40 0:53
Rounds 5 (25:00)
Scorecards 50-44, 50-44, 50-44

The trade-off: every volume stat that matters belongs to Chimaev, making the fight a textbook example of control-based victory.

Stats verdict: Chimaev’s 12 takedowns and 21 minutes of control turned a title fight into a grappling exhibition, leaving no doubt about the winner.

Who was Chimaev’s toughest opponent?

Gilbert Burns – a war of attrition

  • The only loss on Chimaev’s record — a decision defeat in 2022
  • A grappling-heavy test that forced Chimaev to work for the full distance
  • The fight that ended the aura of invincibility around his early record

Ask fans to name Chimaev’s toughest night and the answer is usually Burns. The 2022 decision loss is the reference point for every “can he be beaten?” debate, and it is the one result the record books still show against him.

Dricus Du Plessis – a durable champion

  • The first middleweight champion Chimaev faced
  • Entered UFC 319 at 24-3 with no previous UFC losses
  • Went the full 25 minutes without being finished

Du Plessis brought a different kind of test: durability. He had never lost inside the UFC — ESPN Africa noted the defeat was his first — and he went the full five rounds even while ceding 21:40 of control time. In a strange way, surviving the whole fight may strengthen his case that the loss says more about Chimaev’s ceiling than his own.

Other notable opponents

  • Li Jingliang and Gerald Meerschaert are among the notable names on Chimaev’s pre-title résumé
  • Neither fight carried the stakes of a championship bout, but both built the momentum behind his rise

The names before the championship run matter for one reason: they show a fighter who cleared the division’s mid-tier quickly before jumping to the top. That context is what makes the Burns fight and the Du Plessis sweep the two poles of the toughest-opponent debate.

The implication: Burns owns the historical claim as the only man to beat Chimaev, but Du Plessis’s 25-minute survival makes a different case — that Chimaev’s hardest tests still lie ahead of him.

Toughest opponent verdict: Burns holds the win, but Du Plessis’s durability under pressure may prove more telling for future matchups.

Who is stronger, Khabib or Khamzat?

Physical strength measures

The catch

There is no official strength measurement between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Khamzat Chimaev. The debate runs on anecdote, reputation, and highlight reels — not verifiable numbers.

Strength debates in MMA rarely produce clean answers. Khabib’s game was built on relentless pressure; Chimaev’s is built on explosive entries and suffocating top control. Both styles look overwhelming until an opponent finds a counter — which is exactly what Gilbert Burns did in 2022.

Grappling dominance comparison

  • Chimaev’s UFC 319 line: 12 takedowns and 21:40 of control time against the champion
  • Khabib’s line: an undefeated career that made wrestling the defining skillset of his division
  • Shared trait: both fighters win by removing opponents from their comfort zone

Chimaev’s title performance gives him the strongest single example in the debate. Khabib’s counter is a full career of the same: an undefeated record built on pressure wrestling. The difference is one fight versus a career — and that is where the comparison stops being objective.

Career achievements and records

The records frame the argument: a perfect career versus an active championship reign. Weight-class arguments can go on forever; the totals just sit there.

Two careers, one pattern: the perfect record vs the active reign.

Category Khabib Nurmagomedov Khamzat Chimaev
Career record 29-0, retired 16-1 after UFC 319 (15-1 entering)
Championship status UFC lightweight champion, retired UFC middleweight champion (active)
Defining grappling performance Undefeated career built on pressure wrestling 12 takedowns and 21:40 of control time vs Du Plessis
Losses None One decision loss to Gilbert Burns (2022)

What this means: Khabib’s perfect record carries the historical weight, while Chimaev’s active title run carries the strongest current claim. The strength question itself has no objective answer.

Strength debate verdict: no objective measure exists — Khabib’s perfect career and Chimaev’s active reign offer different arguments that cannot be resolved with current data.

The road to UFC 319: a short timeline

  • 2023–2025 — Dricus Du Plessis rises through the middleweight division and claims the UFC title.
  • 2022 — Khamzat Chimaev suffers his first loss, a decision defeat to Gilbert Burns.
  • — UFC 319: Chimaev beats Du Plessis by unanimous decision to win the middleweight belt.
  • Post-fight — Speculation starts on Chimaev’s first title defense; no opponent has been officially announced.

Why this matters: the sequence is a reminder that Chimaev’s one loss didn’t stall his arc — it reset it.

Timeline verdict: Chimaev’s loss to Burns in 2022 became the catalyst, not the end, of his championship run.

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear after UFC 319

Confirmed facts

What’s unclear

  • Who is Chimaev’s toughest opponent — Burns or Du Plessis — remains a matter of opinion
  • Which fighter is stronger, Chimaev or Khabib, has no objective measure
  • Whether a rematch happens next, and when Chimaev’s first title defense comes
  • How much Du Plessis’s performance was shaped by Chimaev’s control rather than a flawed game plan

The distinction: the result and the stats are settled; the arguments about competition level and a potential rematch are not.

Clarity verdict: confirmed facts outnumber unclear questions, reinforcing that the fight’s outcome is the only settled matter.

What UFC 319 means for the middleweight division

The middleweight division just changed hands in about as decisive a way as a five-round fight allows. Chimaev spent most of the championship bout on top of the champion, did the damage from control positions, and left no reasonable debate about the scorecards. For Khamzat Chimaev, the next step is clear: defend the middleweight title against the division’s best available challenger, or let the “who has he really fought?” question follow him into every future defense.

Related reading: Heather du Plessis-Allan: age, career, and family facts

Division verdict: Chimaev’s dominance at UFC 319 resets the middleweight pecking order, making his first title defense the division’s next critical event.

Related reading: Heather du Plessis-Allan: age, career, and family facts

Additional sources

espn.com, espn.in, en.wikipedia.org, combat-edge.com

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Frequently asked questions

What is the result of Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev?

Khamzat Chimaev won by unanimous decision at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025. All three judges scored the fight 50-44.

How many losses does Khamzat Chimaev have?

One. He entered UFC 319 with a 15-1 record, and the only loss came by decision against Gilbert Burns in 2022.

Who defeated Khamzat Chimaev?

Gilbert Burns, by decision, in 2022. Chimaev has won every fight since, including the UFC 319 title bout against Du Plessis.

Where can I find the full fight stats?

The official totals are available on UFCStats. ESPN, CBS Sports, MMA Fighting, Sherdog, and Forbes also published detailed UFC 319 recaps.

When was UFC 319?

UFC 319 took place on August 16, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago.

Is Khamzat Chimaev better than Khabib?

The comparison is subjective. Khabib Nurmagomedov retired undefeated at 29-0, while Chimaev is the active middleweight champion at 16-1 after UFC 319. Strength and skill comparisons between them have no objective measure.

What is Dricus Du Plessis’ record after the fight?

Du Plessis moved to 24-4. The loss to Chimaev was his first in the UFC.