Israel Adesanya, a former UFC middleweight champion, predicted Dricus Du Plessis will defeat Khamzat Chimaev in their UFC 319 title fight on August 16 2025. He believes Du Plessis’ ability to endure Chimaev’s early aggression will lead to a late-round finish.
UFC 319, hosted at Chicago’s United Center, features Du Plessis defending his middleweight title against Chimaev. Adesanya, who faced Du Plessis in 2024, expects the champion’s toughness to counter Chimaev’s fast start. He suggests Chimaev’s high-energy approach may weaken after the second round, allowing Du Plessis to take control.
Adesanya’s Full Prediction
On his YouTube channel, Adesanya said:
“I look at this fight two ways: Khamzat comes out, gets a hold of DDP, and just drags him into deep water in the first or second, and finishes him. Or DDP matches his crazy, Khamzat’s crazy with his type of crazy and his willingness to not quit, and then drags Khamzat into deep waters in the third, fourth, or fifth round and gets him out of there. That’s how I see this fight going.”
He added, “Khamzat showed his hand, he’s going to go after him from the get-go. But I think DDP will weather the storm, and probably finish Khamzat later on, because Khamzat, if it gets to Rounds 3, 4, 5, it’s going to be a problem. I say Round 3 or 4, DDP. But if Khamzat is going to win, it’s in the first round, spectacular and violent. I’ll go with DDP. The UFC probably wants Khamzat to be champion because he’s a guy that brings a lot of eyes, says it and gets it done type s—t…he’ll get it done, he’s just stubborn. Dricus by late TKO.”
Israel Adesanya, born July 22, 1989, in Lagos, Nigeria, moved to New Zealand at 10 and started kickboxing at 18, building a 75-5 record. He joined the UFC in 2018, going 13-3, winning the middleweight title against Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in 2019 and defending it five times. He lost to Sean Strickland in 2023 and Du Plessis in 2024.
Dricus Du Plessis, born January 14, 1994, in Welkom, South Africa, debuted in the UFC in 2020, maintaining an 8-0 record with wins over Adesanya and Strickland. His 23-2 record includes nine knockouts and 11 submissions.
Khamzat Chimaev, born May 1, 1994, in Chechnya, Russia, also started in the UFC in 2020, holding a 14-0 record with six knockouts and six submissions, defeating Burns and Whittaker.
Chimaev’s endurance has raised concerns before. His 2022 fight with Gilbert Burns showed fatigue over three rounds. In 2023, he slowed against Kamaru Usman. Din Thomas predicted Du Plessis’ high pace could test Chimaev. Johnny Eblen also backed Du Plessis’ five-round experience.
