While speaking in a video posted to Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel, coach Alan Nascimento recalled Du Plessis and his coach claiming they welcomed wrestling battles. Chimaev’s trained suggested that whoever was in charge of preparing the South African on the ground should be fired.

UFC 319 crowned a new middleweight champion as Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus Du Plessis — here’s a look at what the fighters earned.

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.

In the main event, South Africa's Dricus Du Plessis will seek a third defense of his middleweight title opposite the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. It's one of the biggest fights the UFC could make right now, and one that is rife with pound-for-pound implications.