In the UFC 319 main event at the United Center in Chicago, a new era in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight division began. Khamzat Chimaev, the unbeaten fighter of the UFC who has dominated since his debut in 2020, claimed the middleweight division belt with a commanding unanimous-decision victory over Dricus Du Plessis, the former champion.
The judges decided the victory with a score of 50-44, which not only secured the UFC Middleweight Championship for Chimaev but also handed the South African his first defeat inside the Octagon. Chimaev’s undefeated professional record now stands at an immaculate 15-0.
Khamzat Chimaev’s MMA journey
The following table provides a comprehensive overview of his professional mixed martial arts record before he entered the UFC:
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location |
| Win | 6–0 | Mzwandile Hlongwa | Technical Submission (brabo choke) | Brave CF 27 | 4 October 2019 | 2 | 1:15 | Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Win | 5–0 | Ikram Aliskerov | KO (punch) | Brave CF 23 | 19 April 2019 | 1 | 2:26 | Amman, Jordan |
| Win | 4–0 | Sidney Wheeler | TKO (submission to punches) | Brave CF 20 | 22 December 2018 | 1 | 0:35 | Hyderabad, India |
| Win | 3–0 | Marko Kisič | TKO (punches) | Brave CF 18 | 16 November 2018 | 1 | 3:12 | Manama, Bahrain |
| Win | 2–0 | Ole Magnor | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Fight Club Rush 3 | 18 August 2018 | 1 | 4:23 | Västerås, Sweden |
| Win | 1–0 | Gard Olve Sagen | TKO (punches) | International Ring Fight Arena 14 | 26 May 2018 | 2 | 0:05 | Uppsala, Sweden |
UFC 319: Breakdown of Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricas du Plessis
- Round 1: Chimaev went for a takedown at the initial time of the round and earned a 10-9 score.
- Round 2: He continued to maintain constant pressure, landing knees and attempting chokes, winning the round and moving his score to 20-18.
- Round 3: Chimaev’s heavy ground-and-pound began to bloodied the champion, resulting in a commanding 30-27 score on the judges’ cards.
- Round 4: He executed multiple takedowns in what was described as a “ragdolling” display, extending his lead to 40-36.
- Round 5: The only moment of peril for Chimaev came when Du Plessis briefly threatened with a guillotine choke, but Chimaev quickly escaped and finished the fight on top.
The final scores of 50-44 across all three judges’ cards underscore the completeness of Chimaev’s victory. He demonstrated a new level of strategic maturity, choosing to win with methodical control rather than a high-risk knockout, solidifying his status as a complete, championship-caliber fighter.
Table 1: UFC Fight Performance & Statistics
| Res. | Opponent | Event | Date | Method | Round | Time | SLpM | Str. Acc. | SApM | Str. Def. | TD Avg. | TD Acc. | TD Def. | Sub. Avg. |
| Win | Dricus Du Plessis | UFC 319 | 16 Aug 2025 | U-DEC | 5 | 5:00 | 4.04 | 60% | 2.32 | 43% | 5.29 | 55% | 85% | 1.8 |
| Win | Robert Whittaker | UFC 308 | 26 Oct 2024 | SUB | 1 | 3:34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Win | Kamaru Usman | UFC 294 | 21 Oct 2023 | M-DEC | 3 | 5:00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Win | Kevin Holland | UFC 279 | 10 Sep 2022 | SUB | 1 | 2:13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Win | Gilbert Burns | UFC 273 | 9 Apr 2022 | U-DEC | 3 | 5:00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Win | Li Jingliang | UFC 267 | 30 Oct 2021 | T-SUB | 1 | 3:16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Win | Gerald Meerschaert | UFC FN | 19 Sep 2020 | KO | 1 | 0:17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Win | Rhys McKee | UFC FN | 25 Jul 2020 | TKO | 1 | 3:09 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Win | John Phillips | UFC FN | 16 Jul 2020 | SUB | 2 | 1:12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Breaking the Mold with UFC Records
Chimaev’s UFC career is punctuated by a series of record-setting achievements that underscore his unique impact on the sport :
- UFC Middleweight Champion: He is the current and one-time champion of the UFC middleweight division.
- Performance of the Night Awards: He has earned six Performance of the Night bonuses, showcasing his consistent ability to deliver spectacular finishes.
- Fight of the Night Award: His three-round war with Gilbert Burns earned him a Fight of the Night bonus.
- Fastest Consecutive Wins: He holds the record for the fastest consecutive wins in modern UFC history, with a turnaround of just ten days between his first and second fights.
- Quickest Three-Fight Winning Streak: He also holds the record for the quickest three-fight winning streak in modern UFC history, achieving three victories in 66 days.
- Takedown Dominance: His 12 takedowns against Dricus Du Plessis are the second-most in UFC middleweight history and tied for the third-most in any title fight since 2015.
- Victories Over Former Champions: His career is validated by wins over three former UFC champions: Kamaru Usman, Robert Whittaker, and Dricus Du Plessis.
Table 2: UFC Performance Bonuses and Accolades
| Award/Accolade | Event | Date |
| Performance of the Night | UFC 319 | 16 Aug 2025 |
| Performance of the Night | UFC 308 | 26 Oct 2024 |
| Performance of the Night | UFC 267 | 30 Oct 2021 |
| Fight of the Night | UFC 273 | 9 Apr 2022 |
| Performance of the Night | UFC Fight Night | 19 Sep 2020 |
| Performance of the Night | UFC Fight Night | 25 Jul 2020 |
| Performance of the Night | UFC Fight Night | 16 Jul 2020 |
ALSO READ: UFC 319: Khamzat Chimaev Out-Earned By Dricus du Plessis In Compliance Pay
