Khamzat Chimaev dethrones Du Plessis to become UFC middleweight champion
CHICAGO: There is a new king in the UFC middleweight division. Khamzat Chimaev delivered a dominant and strategic performance to dethrone Dricus Du Plessis and capture the title in Chicago, maintaining his perfect record and announcing his arrival as a true force in the sport.
Chimaev, now 15-0, overwhelmed the South African with relentless grappling, securing 12 takedowns — the second-most ever in a UFC middleweight fight and tied for the third-most in a title bout since 2015. The judges scored the fight 50-44 across the board in favor of the Chechen-born fighter, who dictated the pace from the opening bell.
The only moment of danger came in the fifth round, when Chimaev had to survive a deep guillotine attempt. But he stayed composed and quickly escaped, resuming control for the remainder of the bout.
Du Plessis, 31, suffered his first loss in the UFC and now stands at 23-3. He praised Chimaev’s fight IQ and control: “The man has incredible control on the top. He’s just like a blanket… it’s almost as if he knew what your next move was going to be.”
With this victory, Chimaev becomes the undisputed UFC middleweight champion and cements his place among the sport’s elite.
