UFC 319 took place on August 16, 2025 in Chicago, where Khamzat Chimaev beat champion Dricus Du Plessis by unanimous decision (50-44 on all three cards) to take the middleweight title. This is not a preview. It is a post-fight breakdown of what happened and what the numbers show.
Editor's note: This is a results review written in October 2026 about the August 2025 event. Figures come from ESPN's statistical breakdown, ESPN's fight report and Wikipedia. Anything that happened after the event, such as title defenses, is not covered. For current information, see the UFC official website.
UFC 319 Result at a Glance: Five Rounds of Wrestling Pressure
The shape of the fight was simple. According to ESPN's fight report, Chimaev took Du Plessis down within the first minute of every round and spent most of the night on top. All three judges scoring it 50-44 means there was little room for a scoring debate.
Du Plessis lost the belt and moved to 23-3. After the fight he said Chimaev had beaten him fair and square and that he planned to come back for the belt, as quoted by ESPN. Chimaev, the winner, became champion with a 15-0 record.
UFC 319 by the Numbers: What the Stats Showed
The decisive numbers came from grappling, not striking. Based on ESPN's statistical breakdown:
- Total strikes: Chimaev 529, Du Plessis 45. That is a new UFC single-fight record, beating the previous mark of 447 (Holloway).
- Significant strikes: 37 to 13. The gap is small next to total strikes, which tells you most of the damage output came from top position.
- Takedowns: 12 of 17. Opponents had landed only three takedowns on Du Plessis across his previous nine UFC fights combined.
- Control time: 21:40 of 25 minutes (about 87%), with more than four minutes of control in four of five rounds.
- Round 1 total strikes: 131 to 3, and Du Plessis did not land a significant strike until round 3.
Twelve takedowns is tied for third-most in a UFC title fight and the most in a title fight since Demetrious Johnson's 14 in 2015. If these metrics are new to you, a step-by-step guide to reading UFC fighter records explains how takedown defense and control time connect to results.
Did the Five-Round Cardio Question Show Up?
Checking whether stamina became a factor over five rounds, the only sign came in the last round. ESPN reports that Du Plessis scrambled on top while Chimaev was tiring and sank in a guillotine that was briefly deep before Chimaev worked out of it. Otherwise Du Plessis created little threat, and Chimaev also put him in a crucifix position in rounds one and three.
Looking Back at Burns: A Much Closer Fight at UFC 273
Chimaev's April 2022 fight with Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 was far closer. Wikipedia lists a three-round unanimous decision (29-28 on all cards) and a Fight of the Night bonus. Media reports describe Burns being dropped late in round 1 and Chimaev going down in round 2 after a Burns counter, though outlets differed on whether that moment was a clean knockdown. The idea that Burns won round 1 does not match the reports. Comparing the two fights shows how much Chimaev's performance varied with opponent and distance.
UFC 319 Card Results: The Rest of the Main Card
The main card produced several finishes. Per Wikipedia's event page:
- Featherweight: Lerone Murphy knocked out Aaron Pico with a spinning back elbow at 3:21 of round 1. ESPN treated it as the co-main event, and Murphy afterward called for a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski.
- Welterweight: Carlos Prates beat Geoff Neal by spinning back elbow KO at 4:59 of round 1.
- Middleweight: Michael Page beat Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision (29-28 on all cards).
- Flyweight: Tim Elliott submitted Kai Asakura with a guillotine choke in round 2.
The full card is on the UFC official event page and Wikipedia's UFC 319 entry. For the broader picture of how big the sport has become, see our analysis of the UFC White House event.
Reader Checklist for Reviewing UFC 319 Results
Re-watching a fight with the result in hand makes the same moments read differently. Use these steps to check the numbers yourself.
- Confirm the 50-44 scorecards and round flow in ESPN's or UFC's official summary first
- Open UFC Stats and compare strikes, takedowns and control time with the figures in this article
- Watch the first minute of each round in the highlights to see Chimaev's takedown entries
- Watch the round 5 guillotine and note how Chimaev escaped
- Compare your own pre-fight prediction to the result and note which metric you misread
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the UFC 319 main event result?
→ A: Khamzat Chimaev beat champion Dricus Du Plessis by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44) to become UFC middleweight champion. Details are on Wikipedia's UFC 319 page.
Q: When and where was UFC 319?
→ A: It took place on August 16, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, with an attendance of 20,023.
Q: How did Chimaev win?
→ A: Wrestling pressure. He landed 12 of 17 takedowns and controlled the fight for 21:40 of 25 minutes. His 529 total strikes are a UFC single-fight record.
Q: Did Du Plessis have any dangerous moments?
→ A: In round 5 he got on top while Chimaev was tiring and locked in a guillotine that was briefly deep, but Chimaev escaped. It was the biggest scare of the fight.
Q: Who received bonuses at UFC 319?
→ A: Chimaev, Lerone Murphy, Carlos Prates and Tim Elliott each received a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. No Fight of the Night was awarded.
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