“Mentally, I cannot be broken. It is impossible.” Chimaev is no stranger to being the villain during fight weeks. That was certainly the case when backstage scuffles and a huge weight miss in September 2022 led to fans booing and fighters like Georges St-Pierre criticizing Chimaev’s conduct at UFC 279.

UFC 319 heats up with a middleweight title clash between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev. An expert breakdown who he expect to win the tie in Chicago.

Unlike his two prior title defences, the build-up to Dricus du Plessis’ third title defence, against Khamzat Chimaev, has been strictly focused on the action inside the octagon.