Which ever questions surrounded Khamzat Chimaev, going into UFC 319, they were surely answered. Would there be any lingering effects from his struggles with long Covid? There weren’t. Would he be able to pace himself across five rounds, if the main event went the distance? He did. Would Dricus Du Plessis, the freakishly strong and uniquely awkward middleweight champion, be able to withstand the Russian’s wrestling onslaught? He could not.
In answering those questions, Chimaev confirmed a long-held belief in many fans and pundits, one that has surrounded the 31-year-old since his emphatic UFC debut in 2020: that he was a future champion. The “Wolf” secured his first takedown of Du Plessis inside the first 10 seconds, completed 12 out of 17 throughout their bout, and pinned the helpless South African to the mat for the vast majority of the contest.
