It looks like things are starting on the right for Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.
The two middleweights clash in a highly-anticipated championship fight this Saturday in the main event of UFC 319 – which goes down at United Center in Chicago. Both Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) and Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) have a history of getting into out-of-cage brawls with their respective foes, yet no security was needed for their first encounter in the UFC 319 fight week.
During their fight week obligations, Du Plessis and Chimaev crossed paths. Chimaev was the first to approach; they shook hands, exchanged a few words, and kept things professional. You can watch their first encounter in the video below:
Du Plessis enters UFC 319 as the defending champion, looking to complete a third defense. He won the belt from Sean Strickland in early 2024, and has since defended it twice – submitting Israel Adesanya, and outpointing Strickland again in a rematch.
On the other hand, Chimaev finally gets his long-awaited title shot. He’s been a top contender in the division, and had yet to taste defeat in his professional MMA career. Since returning to middleweight in 2023, Chimaev has picked up back-to-back wins over former champions Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker.
