Past the skyline of our Windy City Chicago, UFC 319 unfolded just this past weekend under the blinding lights of the United Center. On Saturday, August 16th, a fight for the middleweight belt took place. A question lingered on everyone’s mind: would Dricus Du Plessis become a 4x champion, or would Khamzat Chimaev take his place and take home the glory?
Dricus Du Plessis, better known as DDP, is a 3x UFC middleweight champion coming from South Africa. DDP is known infamously for his famous strikes, a stark comparison to the likes of Chimaev. With a 23-3 record, Du Plessis was clearly a formidable opponent, even beating arguably some of the UFC’s greatest, like Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya.
Standing on the other end of the octagon was Khamzat Chimaev, a Chechen-Emirati fighter with a spotless record of 15-0. Chimaev, unlike DDP, wasn’t known for his punches, but rather his extensive grappling abilities, which he showcased quickly at the start of round 1.
To viewers’ surprise, Chimaev dominated the majority of the match. From the sound of the first bell, Chimaev showed Chicago the power of his grappling, swiftly taking down Du Plessis. For the next 4 rounds, Du Plessis remained helpless against Chimaev’s grappling. It was clear that Chimaev would take home the belt. For many DDP fans, there was a glimmer of hope, however, as he attempted a submission near the end of round 5. It was too little, too late, as the final bell sounded with Chimaev taking home the victory.
The fight ended with 50–44 in Chimaev’s favor. Despite his apparent dominance, Chimaev did not earn as many points due to his lack of noticeable damage to Du Plessis, something the commentators and fans alike took note of. Fans were not pleased with the outcome of the fight, to say the least, social media exploding with criticisms of the fight. Many people saw the fight as ‘boring’ or ‘unentertaining,’ blaming Chimaev’s fighting style.
Here’s what popular MMA YouTuber ‘MMAGuru’ had to say about the fight, “Khamzat Chimaev, the first guy to win a championship without doing any harm. It’s a horrible sight to see,” MMAGuru said.
Despite the backlash on social media, Khamzat Chimaev, in our ‘Windy City,’ built a part of his legacy in the UFC, becoming the first champion to represent the United Arab Emirates. This was not his only notable achievement of the night, as he broke the record for strikes landed in a single UFC match with 529 total strikes. With this, it becomes clear that despite the backlash surrounding the event, Chimaev’s performance showed what kind of fighter he was: a champion.
