Former welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy pointed to the latter as the perfect opponent for Du Plessis’ first fight after losing the title in a lackluster affair at UFC 319. “Hernandez, maybe that’s the right next step for (Du Plessis) and ‘Fluffy’,” Hardy said during an appearance on Submission Radio.

UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis met undefeated challenger Khamzat Chimaev in the highly-anticipated main event of UFC 319. Although Chimaev entered

Du Plessis has been one of the most dominant fighters over the past couple of years. Since his first fight in the UFC in 2020, the South African contestant has not lost a match, winning the Middleweight belt at UFC 290 in 2023. He has since defended the title thrice, two wins coming by decision.

UFC 319 takes place on Saturday night with Dricus Du Plessis defending the middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev. Here are the official weigh-in results.

On August 16, 2025, Khamzat Chimaev claimed the UFC middleweight title with a one-sided win over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago. His grappling-heavy approach drew criticism from fighters like Paulo Costa for lacking excitement.