Khamzat Chimaev has been grabbing the headlines ever since making his UFC debut back in 2020. The Russian star, who now fights out of Dubai, has a flawless MMA career to date, and he finally gets a shot at a title belt when he takes on the middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, in Chicago on August 16.
Before entering the UFC world, Chimaev had blazed a global trail, winning six bouts in just 18 months (2018-2019). All those wins came within the distance, and he maintained that momentum after putting pen to paper and signing for Dana White’s prestigious promotion. Borz was unleashed to the UFC masses on the undercard of UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige in the summer of 2020, where he was pitted against John Phillips.
Those who doubted his talents were made to eat their words. He made Phillips tap out, performing a brabo choke in the 2nd round. Amazingly, Chimaev would appear on another UFC card, UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs Till, just 10 record-breaking days later, and he produced another emphatic performance, using his fists this time to stop Rhys McKee in the opening round.
Since that McKee mauling, Chimaev has posted another six victories, taking his overall MMA record to 14-0 and his UFC tally to 8-0. He won performance of the night in five of those wins. Last time we saw the Russian in action, he left the Abu Dhabi crowd drooling once again, as he made the former champ, Robert Whittaker, call it a day after just 3:34 minutes of their clash last October.
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Current middleweight belt holder, Dricus Du Plessis, is on a sparkling run of form of his own, of course. The sensational South African athlete may have two losses on his MMA record, but those defeats came during his former EFC & KSW fighting days. Since joining the UFC in 2020, like Chimaev, Du Plessis has racked up 9 victories on the spin and has beaten the best in the division during that time, including Sean Strickland (twice), Israel Adesanya, and Robert Whittaker. ‘Stillknocks’ now aims to make a third successful defence of his middleweight crown.
Let GOAL give you all the vital information you need to know ahead of UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev, including the full card details and how you can watch or stream all the action live.
When is UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev?
| Date | Saturday, August 16 |
| Location | United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
| Prelims start time | 8 pm ET / 1 am BST (Sunday) |
| Main event walks | 11.30 pm ET (4.30 am BST, Sunday) |
UFC 319 marks the eighth time the UFC has visited Chicago. However, 'The Windy City' hasn't hosted the Octagon legends since it staged UFC 238: Cejudo vs Moraes in June 2019. The United Center is an indoor arena in Chicago. It has been home to the NBA's Chicago Bulls and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks since opening in 1994, boasting a capacity of nearly 21,000. This makes it the largest arena in the NBA and the second-largest in the NHL. It also has a seating capacity of 23,500 for concerts. The first major event held in the arena was WWE's SummerSlam 1994.
In January 2012, the UFC held its first nationally televised event at the United Center, UFC on Fox: Evans vs Davis. Since then, the arena has staged the following UFC events:
- UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson (2013)
- UFC on Fox: Henderson vs Thomson (2014)
- UFC on Fox: Dillashaw vs Barao 2 (2015)
- UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko (2016)
- UFC 225: Whittaker vs Romero 2 (2018)
- UFC 238: Cejudo vs Moraes (2019)
Looking for tickets for UFC 319? Go to Ticketmaster - prices currently range from $470 - $1,883.
How to watch UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev in the US
In the United States, UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev will be broadcast live on ESPN PPV, with streaming available via the ESPN+ app. This is a standalone service from regular ESPN, so you don’t need to be an existing TV subscriber to buy a PPV card. You can download the app for PC, Apple, Android, Fire TV, Roku, Smart TV, and many others. The whole event costs $79.99.
How to watch UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev in the UK
UFC 319 coverage will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK. You can live stream on discovery+ and watch via TNT Sports' TV channels on Sky, BT and Virgin Media platforms. Discovery+ Premium is £30.99 per month and available on a monthly rolling contract. This includes TNT Sports and other entertainment channels. Existing BT broadband customers can access TNT Sports for £20 per month. The package consists of TNT Sports and Discovery+.
Watch UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev from anywhere with a VPN
If UFC 319 isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection to bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere.
We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev Fight Card
Main Card
| Weight class | Fight |
|---|---|
| Middleweight (title) | Dricus du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev |
| Featherweight | Lerone Murphy vs Aaron Pico |
| Welterweight | Geoff Neal vs Carlos Prates |
| Middleweight | Jared Cannonier vs Michael Page |
| Flyweight | Tim Elliott vs Kai Asakura |
Dricus Du Plessis MMA Stats
- Age: 31
- Height: 1.85 m
- Reach: 1.93 m
- Total fights: 25
- Record: 23-2-0
Khamzat Chimaev MMA stats
- Age: 31
- Height: 1.88 m
- Reach: 1.91 m
- Total fights: 14
- Record: 14-0-0