Which ever questions surrounded Khamzat Chimaev, going into UFC 319, they were surely answered. Would there be any lingering effects from his struggles with long Covid? There weren’t. Would he be able to pace himself across five rounds, if the main event went the distance? He did. Would Dricus Du Plessis, the freakishly strong and uniquely awkward middleweight champion, be able to withstand the Russian’s wrestling onslaught? He could not.
In answering those questions, Chimaev confirmed a long-held belief in many fans and pundits, one that has surrounded the 31-year-old since his emphatic UFC debut in 2020: that he was a future champion. The “Wolf” secured his first takedown of Du Plessis inside the first 10 seconds, completed 12 out of 17 throughout their bout, and pinned the helpless South African to the mat for the vast majority of the contest.
For what it’s worth, while this was a lopsided defeat for Du Plessis – 50-44 on all three scorecards – he secured a true moral victory. “I feel great,” the 31-year-old told his corner after every round, despite being suffocated by Chimaev’s relentless top pressure and frequent barrages of light but frustrating strikes.
“I’ve got this,” Du Plessis even told his coaches ahead of the fifth round, and to his credit, he gave a better account of himself, denying Chimaev a couple of takedowns and even seeking a guillotine and rear naked choke. He was unable to complete either, but there was a flash of a moment in which it seemed we might see one of the great UFC comebacks.
It was not to be, of course, as Chimaev answered those key questions mentioned above. Yet his victory raised more questions, and two stand out: who, if anyone, can stop this force, and why might it be important that someone does?
The answer to the first question is, on current evidence, no one. But we need more evidence; we need more cage time from Chimaev to be sure, as even the most infallible-seeming fighters tend to slip up eventually, or their Kryptonite is unearthed.
The current crop of rising contenders includes Caio Borralho, Nassourdine Imavov, Anthony Hernandez and Reinier de Ridder. Meanwhile, former champions Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland and obviously Du Plessis complete the top 7.
Du Plessis will not receive an instant rematch. Adesanya, although a modern great, has lost his last three and is on the way out at 36. Strickland has claimed in recent days that he sparred comfortably with Chimaev during their time training together, and that he would easily out-grapple the Russian. Fans are sceptical, but the mouthy Strickland might sell a pay-per-view if paired with Chimaev (if such a match-up were to occur before the UFC’s 2026 switch to Paramount, which it won’t, given Strickland lost last time out).
Chimaev’s next contender will most likely come from September’s bout between Borralho, who was the back-up fighter at UFC 319, and Imavov. Hernandez, who this month dominated Roman Dolidze, and former ONE champion De Ridder, who last month edged past Whittaker, are perhaps in the next tier.
Imavov is well rounded, Borralho’s base is jiu-jitsu, De Ridder is a specialist in that area, and Hernandez is probably the best wrestler in this group. The latter has already been touted as having the best chance of beating Chimaev, though that is still not to say he has a great one. Many times, American wrestlers have seen their pedigree more than tested by Russians in the UFC.
But what of the second question? Why might it be important that someone beats Chimaev?
Well, it comes down to entertainment. Many fans have debated the entertainment value of Saturday’s main event, saying Chimaev’s dominance was impressive yet exciting. Fans want finishes, ultimately, but even some grapplers are admitting that Chimaev’s performance was something to respect rather than to enjoy.
Some observers have questioned whether Chimaev was seeking a finish with the same tenacity as in the past. The answer is ‘no’, but that might have contributed to his ability to dominate for five rounds rather than flag late on. Furthermore, he was seeking submissions, whether Americanas from crucifix or rear naked chokes from the back, but Du Plessis defended soundly and Chimaev likely did not want to overcommit and lose a position of control. In other moments in the crucifix, Chimaev fired off slews of short punches that were moreso intended to force movement from Du Plessis than damage him.
One has every right to challenge the entertainment value of such an approach, although tastes do differ. In any case, Chimaev’s tactics on Saturday do not necessarily mean he won’t be more aggressive in pursuing a finish in his next fight – and are not wholly representative of his past; he has been so aggressive in chasing submissions in fights gone by, yet actually has as many KO/TKOs as submissions.
He was in fact separated from Du Plessis by referee Marc Goddard at one point on Saturday, for an arguable lack of activity while holding his opponent, and it could be that UFC higher-ups guide officials to come down harder in this realm in the future.
Then again, the other way to stop Chimaev from holding down opponents is, well, for fighters to simply evolve. MMA is a sport with a cyclical nature, like many sports, where one style tends to succeed for a period until another – or a general well-roundedness – trumps it.
Maybe no fighter finds the key to defeating Chimaev in time; maybe he retires unbeaten, like another Russian wrestler in Khabib Nurmagomedov. Whether or not someone can stop Chimaev, until then you’ll appreciate his dominance or pray for his downfall. Either is fine; it’s your choice.
