Times have changed. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) boogeyman Khamzat Chimaev captured Middleweight gold at UFC 319 last night (Sat., Aug. 16, 2025) by completely dominating former 185-pound kingpin Dricus du Plessis,

Former UFC champion Israel Adesanya praised Chimaev after his lopsided unanimous decision victory over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319, a performance that saw the Chechen-born star claim the belt with scorecards of 50-44 across the board.

Israel Adesanya nearly missed the best moment of UFC 319 because he was too busy yapping. The former two-time middleweight champion watched on from home as Khamzat Chimaev claimed his old title on Saturday night. Dricus du Plessis was mauled en route to a lopsided unanimous decision defeat at the United Center in Chicago.

The main event of UFC Vancouver in October will pit Reinier de Ridder against Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez, potentially offering a clue to Khamzat Chimaev ’s first challenger for the middleweight title.

Like most in the MMA world, Israel Adesanya hadn't expected Khamzat Chimaev to win a five-round war against Dricus du Plessis.

Israel Adesanya (Image Credit Getty Images) Israel Adesanya is a professional MMA fighter who began his career as a kickboxer before transitioning to the UFC, where he has achieved remarkable success.

What prevented Khamzat Chimaev from finishing Dricus Du Plessis despite the utter domination? "A lot of mistakes," according to Kamaru Usman.

It wasn't a big climb for Khamzat Chimaev-- he already was the No. 2-ranked middleweight -- but there's something symmetrical about his short climb to the top of the ESPN divisional rankings just days after becoming UFC champion.