The atmosphere inside Chicago’s 20,000-seat arena was electric on Saturday night, but it quickly turned into a one-man showcase.
Khamzat Chimaev, often described as the most intimidating fighter in the UFC, delivered a dominant performance against South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis, leaving no doubt about his superiority in the middleweight division.
A Smile Before the Storm
Just before the opening bell, Chimaev grinned menacingly, as if he already knew the outcome. That confidence proved justified.
From the first minute to the last, the Chechen-born Swede controlled the fight, rag-dolling and smothering the reigning champion.
For Du Plessis, who entered as one of the biggest underdogs in UFC title fight history, the challenge was monumental—and it showed.
Relentless Pressure from the Outset
The first round set the tone. Chimaev marched forward, secured a takedown, and locked Du Plessis into positions where escape seemed impossible.
Trapped in the crucifix with both arms immobilized, the South African had little choice but to protect his face and absorb the punishment.
Despite his corner’s optimism after the early rounds, Du Plessis found himself repeatedly dragged back to the mat.
Chimaev’s energy never dipped, and his suffocating style left the crowd restless, as the fight was more domination than drama.
A Brief Spark of Hope
In the final round, Du Plessis offered a flicker of resistance. He managed to reverse position and attempted a desperate guillotine choke.
But Chimaev calmly slipped free, continuing his methodical control until the final horn.
By then, the result was inevitable. Judges scored the bout 50-44 in Chimaev’s favor, with Du Plessis landing just nine significant strikes across the entire 25 minutes.
Respect After the Battle
Chimaev, true to his few-word style, praised his opponent in a brief post-fight interview with Joe Rogan: “He is very strong, the only champion who would take 25 minutes of that, he is a real lion. I just do what I do in training.”
Du Plessis, gracious in defeat, responded: “The man has incredible control on top, he’s like a blanket, he always knew what your next move was going to be.
At the end I went for it and could almost taste that victory, but he beat me fair and square.
Everyone in South Africa, I’m sorry if I let you down—we’ll come back stronger.”
What’s Next for Chimaev?
Given the nature of the fight, there’s little case for an immediate rematch.
Chimaev’s dominance was so absolute that it’s hard to imagine any different result in a second meeting.
His career pattern of smothering and overwhelming every opponent shows no signs of changing.
The question now is which contender will dare to face him next.
Spinning Elbows Steal the Show on the Undercard
Elsewhere on the Chicago card, fans were treated to rare fireworks.
Back-to-back spinning-elbow knockouts lit up the arena—first when Carlos Prates floored Geoff Neal, followed immediately by Britain’s Lerone Murphy repeating the feat in his bout.
The finish had only happened eight times in UFC history before that night, making it a historic double.
Murphy’s victory has now positioned him as the likely challenger for Alexander Volkanovski’s featherweight crown later this year—a matchup the Australian champion all but confirmed on social media after the fight.
