Sep 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Khamzat Chimaev (red gloves) fights Kevin Holland (blue gloves) during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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All Eyes On Gold As Khamzat Chimaev Locked In For Dricus Du Plessis Showdown At UFC 319

With his eyes set on UFC gold, Khamzat Chimaev is all business ahead of his clash with middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis!

Sep 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Khamzat Chimaev (red gloves) fights Kevin Holland (blue gloves) during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Khamzat Chimaev’s journey to a UFC title shot has been anything but smooth sailing. The Chechen-born Swedish fighter burst onto the scene like a freight train in 2020, steamrolling through opponents with ease. His early UFC run was absolutely electric; three wins in just 66 days, demolishing everyone in his path while barely taking any damage. Fight fans everywhere were convinced they were watching the next big superstar in the making. But then reality hit hard, and Chimaev’s career took some seriously unexpected turns that had everyone wondering if he would ever reach his full potential.

Health issues became Chimaev’s biggest enemy outside the octagon, derailing his momentum multiple times over the past few years. COVID-19 complications forced him to withdraw from several high profile fights, leaving fans frustrated and his career trajectory uncertain. Weight cutting problems also plagued him, including a disastrous situation where he missed weight by a whopping 7.5 pounds for a welterweight bout. These setbacks transformed what should have been a rocket ship to the title into a slow moving bus that tested everyone’s patience, including his own.

Khamzat Chimaev Finally Gets His Shot

The UFC recently dropped some serious content showing Chimaev in peak physical condition, and honestly, he looks absolutely terrifying. Training footage and photos reveal a fighter who appears more focused and determined than ever before. His conditioning looks spot-on and most importantly, he seems healthy and ready for war. This will mark his first official title shot after years of dealing with various obstacles that kept derailing his championship aspirations.

Borz is locked in 🐺🔒@KChimaev gets his first shot at the belt at #UFC319! pic.twitter.com/0kvouFX1Jn
— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2025

His most recent performance against Robert Whittaker proved that all those health struggles haven’t diminished his killer instinct one bit. Chimaev brutally broke Whittaker’s jaw with a devastating rear naked choke. The former middleweight champion is no joke. He has fought the absolute best in the division for years. But ‘Borz’ made it look almost effortless, ragdolling one of the sport’s most respected veterans in a way that sent shockwaves through the entire middleweight division.

That performance essentially locked in his title shot against current champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319. The South African champion has been calling out potential challengers, and Chimaev’s dominant win over Whittaker made him the obvious choice. Du Plessis himself has been on an incredible run, capturing the belt and defending it against quality opposition while developing into one of the most awkward but well rounded fighters in the sport.

The stylistic matchup creates fascinating questions that won’t be answered until fight night. Can Chimaev’s explosive wrestling and suffocating top control overcome Du Plessis’s scrambling ability and submission defense? Will the champion’s superior cardio become a factor if the fight goes into deeper waters? Du Plessis has never faced anyone quite like Chimaev. But then again, Chimaev has never faced a champion caliber fighter who combines technical skills with championship experience and heart!

(Image Credit: Joe Camporeale – Imagn Images)

Dricus Du Plessis

Khamzat Chimaev

UFC 319

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!