Name a better mixed martial arts fight this year than Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev. The UFC middleweight title fight headlines UFC 319 in Chicago on Saturday as ‘DDP’ looks to defend his crown once again.
Du Plessis and Chimaev are the middleweight division’s two most physical forces. Du Plessis has earned his status as UFC’s top dog with wins over Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland (twice). Chimaev, long deemed a future champion, literally caved Whittaker’s teeth in with a chinlock to earn his title shot after years of waiting. Now, the two could blow the roof off the United Center on Saturday night.
The undercard features some interesting matchups on Saturday. Most notably, Aaron Pico is set to make his promotional debut when he takes on top prospect Lerone Murphy in the co-main event. Pico has been tabbed for greatness since before he even stepped foot inside a cage of any kind. The former Bellator MMA fighter struggled early in his career as he was put in against top fighters early. But he slowly found his footing and was closing in on title contention before Bellator was bought by PFL and his career stalled. Now, he gets a chance to make a splash in a prime slot.
UFC 319 predictions — Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Fight card, odds, preview, expert picks, prelims
Brent Brookhouse
Plus, another rising contender gets his chance at a showcase when Carlos Prates takes on veteran Geoff Neal at welterweight. Prates, one of the star players coming out of the Fighting Nerds camp, ran through the first four opponents he faced in the Octagon by knockout. He ran into his toughest test to date in April when he could not figure out the puzzle of Ian Machado Garry. Now, Prates looks to get back to his winning ways and impress brass enough to consider him for a future title shot. Neal, meanwhile, has had an up-and-down run in recent years. He lost back-to-back fights against Shavkat Rakhmonov and Garry in tough fashion before winning against Rafael dos Anjos due to an injury early in the fight.
Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday night from the Windy City.
Where to watch UFC 319
Date: Aug. 16 | Location: United Center — Chicago
Start time: 10 p.m. ET
Watch live: ESPN+ PPV | Price: $79.99
UFC 319 fight card, odds
- Khamzat Chimaev -220 vs. Dricus du Plessis (c) +180, middleweight title
- Aaron Pico -195 vs. Lerone Murphy +165 featherweights
- Carlos Prates -260 vs. Geoff Neal +210, welterweights
- Michael Page -180 vs. Jared Cannonier +150, middleweights
- Kai Asakara -300 vs. Tim Elliot +240, flyweights
- Baisangur Susurkaev -950 vs. Eric Nolan +625, middleweights
- Michal Oleksiejczuk -220 vs. Gerald Meerschaert +180, middleweights
- Loopy Godinez -150 vs. Jessica Andrade +125, women’s strawweights
- Chase Hooper -330 vs. Alexander Hernandez +260, lightweights
- Edson Barboza -160 vs Drakkar Klose +135, lightweights
- Karine Silva -230 vs. Dione Barbosa +190, women’s flyweights
- Alibi Idiris -455 vs. Joseph Morales +350, flyweights
Who wins UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.
