The United Center will be the place to be when the unorthodox Dricus du Plessis defends the UFC middleweight title against the dangerous Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. The fight on August 16 airs on ESPN+.
du Plessis (23-2) has beaten a who’s who in the UFC’s middleweight division, including Darren Till, Robert Whittaker, and Israel Adesanya. He won the belt against Sean Strickland. The first South African to become UFC champion has won eleven straight contests.
Unconventional in his approach to fighting and backed by intense cardio, the former kickboxing champion has proven doubters wrong in the octagon. Facing Chimaev, he now aims to stop an immovable object.
“I think my power gets overlooked a lot of times,” Du Plessis told the UFC. “Physical strength and punch power. Even with him, maybe he punches really hard. The one thing that sets me apart from every single person on the roster and definitely at my weight is the will to win and refusal to give up.
“There’s no man that can break me. Mentally, I will never break. That is what sets me apart, and that’s what makes me a world champion.”
Though a COVID-19 infection affected his career following a dominant 2020 campaign, Chimaev (14-0), when motivated, is as dangerous as they come. The freestyle wrestling champion beat former champions Kamaru Usman and Whittaker to reach contender status.
Many have envisioned the Chechen as the Golden Boy of the UFC. Fully healthy, a win would put everyone, regardless of division, on notice.
The Sporting News will provide results, analysis, and highlights from UFC 319.
UFC 319 results, highlights
6:30 p.m. ET: The early prelims have begun. Chicago is ready for a fight night for the first time since 2019.
Hello everyone, and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of UFC 319!
Where to watch UFC 319 prelims
The UFC 319 preliminaries, starting at 8 p.m. ET, will be available on Disney+. The early preliminaries at 6:30 p.m. ET will also be available via Disney+.
Where to watch UFC 319
The UFC 319 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+. The PPV price for UFC 319 is $79.99 for current subscribers.
In Australia, the event will air on Kayo.
UFC 319 start time
- Date: Saturday, August 16
- Time: 10 p.m. ET (8 p.m. ET for prelims) | 7 p.m. PT | 3 a.m. BST | 12 p.m. AEST
- Location: United Center – Chicago, Illinois
UFC 319 is in the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on August 16. The early prelims start at 6:30 p.m. ET, while the prelims are at 8 p.m. ET. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET, and du Plessis and Chimaev should make their way to the octagon around 12:30 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
UFC 319 results
Main Card
- Dricus du Plessis (c) vs. Khamzat Chimaev for the UFC middleweight title
- Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico; Featherweights
- Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates; Welterweights
- Jared Cannonier vs. Michael “Venom” Page; Middleweights
- Tim Elliott vs. Kai Asakura; Flyweights
Prelims
- Gerald Meerschaert vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk; Middleweights
- Baysangur Susurkaev vs. Eric Nolan; Middleweights
- Jessica Andrade vs. Loopy Godinez; Strawweights
- Chase Hooper vs. Alexander Hernandez; Lightweights
Early Prelims
- Edson Barboza vs. Drakkar Klose; Lightweights
- Karine Silva vs. Dione Barbosa; Flyweights
- Alibi Idiris vs. Joseph Morales; Flyweights
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