Chimaev set for title shot against Du Plessis at UFC 319
CHICAGO: After bursting onto the UFC scene in 2020 with a string of rapid, brutal finishes, Khamzat Chimaev finally gets his long-awaited title shot when he faces middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago on Saturday.
The 31-year-old Chechen-born fighter, who launched his career in Sweden and now trains in the UAE, was once seen as an unstoppable force before his rise was stalled by illness and visa complications. Now unbeaten in his professional career, Chimaev steps into the Octagon determined to fulfill the promise that once made him one of MMA’s fastest-rising stars.
He’ll face a tough test in the unpredictable du Plessis, also 31, whose awkward but effective fighting style has taken him to the top of the middleweight division. The South African was loudly booed at Thursday’s press conference, but he brushed off the hostility ahead of what promises to be a fiercely contested title bout.
Both fighters made weight on Friday, with Chimaev declaring: “I’ve come to take over, man, to take his head and go.” With Chimaev’s relentless wrestling clashing with du Plessis’ unorthodox striking, fireworks are expected in this high-stakes showdown.
