Khamzat Chimaev beats Dricus Du Plessis easily || UFC 319 breakdown

UFC 319 is in the books and Khamzat Chimaev is the new middleweight champion after dominating Dricus Du Plessis.

Chapters:
0:00 Khamzat Chimaev is finally champion
9:27 Dricus Du Plessis stunk up the joint
17:14 Aaron Pico falls flat, literally
22:56 Carlos Prates catches a body
25:50 MVP befuddles Jared Cannonier

It was not the most exciting fight, but Chimaev showed that he can pace himself over five rounds and control a former champion with ease. Dricus Du Plessis had his moments late but it was not enough to stop the inevitable. From the day he joined the UFC, Khamzat Chimaev looked like a generational talent and now he proved it.

The fight played out exactly how many thought it would. Chimaev racked up over twenty minutes of control time in a twenty five minute fight. Dricus Du Plessis never got going. Instead of pushing the pace and making Chimaev work, he was content to be stuck in crucifixes and controlled on the mat. A lot of fans called it boring and put the blame on Khamzat but if you watched closely you know it was Dricus not taking the chances he needed. We saw this before in the Gilbert Burns fight, the Kamaru Usman fight, and even against Kevin Holland. The difference at UFC 319 is Chimaev was calculated and in control. This was not about chaos. It was about championship composure.

Looking forward, there are some interesting options for Chimaev. Anthony Fluffy Hernandez brings a style that could make him work. Hernandez attacks the body, pushes the pace, and does everything that Dricus Du Plessis failed to do. A fight with Nassourdine Imavov or Reinier de Ridder could happen but stylistically Chimaev looks like he would have his way with them. Jared Cannonier is coming off a loss to Michael Venom Page and Robert Whittaker is no longer the same fighter. The new middleweight era belongs to the wrestlers. Ikram Aliskerov, Brendan Allen, Caio Borralho, and others are coming up, but for now this is Chimaev’s division.

The co main event gave us one of the wildest finishes of the year. Lerone Murphy stayed undefeated and knocked out Aaron Pico with a spinning back elbow. It was brutal. Aaron Pico was having success early with his wrestling and boxing but the durability question showed up again. Lerone Murphy stepped up on short notice after Movsar Evloev pulled out and now has wins over Aaron Pico, Josh Emmett, Dan Ige, and Edson Barboza. Alexander Volkanovski called him out and that is the logical next title fight.

Carlos Prates also delivered with another spinning back elbow knockout against Geoff Neal. After a slow start he flipped the switch and closed the show. Prates is looking to bounce back strong after the Ian Garry loss and this finish helps him climb right back into the mix at welterweight. Names like Michael Venom Page or Joaquin Buckley make sense.

Speaking of Michael Venom Page, he completely outclassed Jared Cannonier. MVP’s style is unique and Cannonier could not figure it out. Page controlled the striking, stuffed the takedowns, and looked untouchable. At 38 years old he is still a puzzle. A fight with Israel Adesanya would be fascinating. Adesanya is slower now and his timing is not the same. MVP said he wants it. Book it.

The rest of UFC 319 had some strong performances too. Tim Elliott reminded everyone he can still wrestle, submitting Kai Asakura with a guillotine. Michał Oleksiejczuk knocked out Gerald Meerschaert with a nasty shot early in round one. Lupita Godinez beat Jessica Andrade in a fight that showed Andrade is past her prime. Alexander Hernandez knocked down Chase Hooper and picked up another solid win. Drakkar Klose beat Edson Barboza.

From the top down UFC 319 gave us the arrival of a new champion in Khamzat Chimaev, the continued rise of Lerone Murphy, highlight reel finishes from Carlos Prates and Michael Venom Page, and the reminder that veterans like Tim Elliott and Lupita Godinez still matter in their divisions. This was the changing of the guard. Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, and Jared Cannonier have run the division for years. UFC 319 showed that we are now in the grappling era led by Chimaev, with hungry contenders like Anthony Hernandez and Lerone Murphy waiting in line.

If you enjoyed the fights, stick around for more UFC 319 breakdowns, fight analysis, and post fight reactions. This card was about the future of the middleweight and featherweight divisions, and the future is exciting.