Reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will defend his title for the third time at UFC 319 against top contender Khamzat Chimaev.
Du Plessis, who claimed the belt with a split decision win over Sean Strickland last year, defended the middleweight title against Israel Adesanya and Strickland on consecutive occasions at UFC 305 and 312.
Chimaev, 31, burst onto the scene in 2020, scoring three wins in one of the more stunning breakouts in recent memory. He has solidified his contender status at middleweight, and “Borz” finally gets his shot against the in-form Du Plessis.
In the co-main event, seventh-ranked Jared Cannonier will take on Michael “Venom” Page in yet another middleweight bout. This will be Page’s second middleweight fight, after the win against Shara Magomedov in February this year.
Cannonier is a perennial middleweight contender looking for a shot at the Top five and boasts wins over Strickland, Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori.
Already holding wins over Paul Daley, Douglas Lima and Kevin Holland, Page notched an impressive victory over Shara Magomedov in February via unanimous decision, and looks to improve his chances to earn a title shot with a win over Cannonier.
UFC 319 fight card
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev, middleweight
Jared Cannonier vs. Michael “Venom” Page, middleweight
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk, middleweight
Edson Barboza vs. Drakkar Klose, lightweight
King Green vs. Diego Ferreira, lightweight
Karine Silva vs. JJ Aldrich, women’s flyweight
Bryan Battle vs. Nursulton Ruziboev, middleweight
Tim Elliott vs. Kai Asakura, flyweight
Chase Hooper vs. Alexander Hernandez, lightweight
Jessica Andrade vs. Loopy Godinez, women’s strawweight
