Following weeks of speculation, the identity of Dricus du Plessis’ next challenger for his UFC middleweight title has been confirmed.
As part of a series of fight announcements issued by UFC boss Dana White late on Tuesday, it was confirmed on Instagram Live that Du Plessis will fight Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 319 main event in Chicago on August 16 – in what is the UFC’s first event in the city since 2019.
The bout had been long rumoured but had been speculated to be in jeopardy amid speculation of an injury sustained by the South African champion, which Du Plessis later rejected.
Du Plessis, who is unbeaten in the UFC, has been the UFC’s 185-pound champion since January 2024 where he defeated former champ Sean Strickland. He has since defended his crown against Israel Adesanya and in February, against Strickland in their rematch.
Chimaev, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the middleweight division’s biggest threats since debuting for the UFC during those heady ‘Fight Island’ days in the summer of 2020, where he would win two fights within the span of just 10 days.
However, his output slowed somewhat due to a series of injuries and illnesses which had restricted his Octagon time in recent years. The Chechen-born grappler last competed in October of last year where he scored a first-round submission win over former 185-pound champion Robert Whittaiker.
His title bout with Du Plessis will make his first fight on US soil in three years since he defeated Kevin Holland in Las Vegas in September 2022.
