Robert Whittaker just dropped a bold take. The former UFC middleweight champ, who’s faced both Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev, is picking Du Plessis to win their UFC 319 title fight on August 16, 2025, in Chicago. Whittaker, speaking from experience, says the fight hinges on whether Du Plessis can survive Chimaev’s early grappling. If he does, Whittaker believes the South African champ will take it.
Whittaker’s Fight Prediction
Whittaker laid it out plain.
“I have to say Dricus would be a favorite,” he told Fox Sports Australia. “Or he probably is the favorite. I think I’m leaning towards Dricus. The question, the whole thing can be summed up in, Chimaev will take him down. It’s will he finish him before he gets back up? That’s the million dollar question. If he doesn’t finish him on the ground, I think he loses.”
His reasoning makes sense. Whittaker faced Du Plessis at UFC 290 in 2023, losing by second-round TKO. He also fought Chimaev at UFC 308 in October 2024, getting submitted in the first round with a broken jaw. Having felt both fighters’ power, Whittaker thinks Du Plessis’ durability and unorthodox style could outlast Chimaev’s early aggression if he avoids a quick finish.
Whittaker, 34, born in Auckland, New Zealand, and raised in Sydney, Australia, started MMA in 2008. He joined the UFC in 2012 after winning The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes as a welterweight. Moving to middleweight, he won the interim title in 2017 against Yoel Romero and the undisputed title later that year. With a 26-8 record, he’s beaten Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier, and Marvin Vettori but lost to Israel Adesanya twice and Du Plessis. His loss to Chimaev at UFC 308 was his most recent fight. Despite setbacks, he’s still chasing another title shot.
UFC 319, set for the United Center in Chicago, features Du Plessis defending his middleweight title against Chimaev. Du Plessis, 23-2, won the belt from Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in 2024 and defended it against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, riding an 11-fight win streak. Chimaev, 14-0, earned his title shot with a quick submission of Whittaker, adding to wins over Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. Betting odds list Chimaev as a -170 favorite and Du Plessis at +145, but Whittaker’s pick leans toward an upset. The fight could be a classic if Du Plessis weathers the early storm.
