UFC 319: Bad Blood, Big Bets-The Most Anticipated Grudge Match of the Year
For fans of MMA this was a long summer. Since Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev was announced it appeared as if the time stopped. Finally, we’re now only a few days removed from the middleweight fight which will echo throughout history. Du Plessis is the champion, and at UFC 319 he will defend the title against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. In addition to these two fighters, the event will be filled with big UFC names, and the fans of MMA have been restless waiting for it to begin.
Venue, Date & Form of Event
As we are used to, the event of this magnitude organized by UFC and Dana White is a pay per view event, and without a doubt we’re in for one of the biggest happenings in the history of the sport. The venue is not Las Vegas, or Riyadh. Instead, this one is set at one of a kind venue, the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, United States. We hope that you are geared up, as UFC 319 is scheduled for August 16th, 2025. If you’re still fully prepared, this is the right moment to take a look at these UFC 319 Expert Picks and Predictions.
Du Plessis vs. Chimaev & Other Top Fighters at UFC 319
UFC 319 can’t start fast enough. As we said, the main event is the long awaited middleweight title bout between the South African marauder Dricus du Plessis and the Russian undefeated juggernaut Khamzat Chimaev. While the eyes of the world will be on the final event in the evening. These two are not the only fighters worth waiting at the upcoming event. Let’s take a quick look at them two, and a few other notable men who will fight at UFC 319.
Dricus Du Plessis
Du Plessis is an interesting man. He is on a good run in the UFC where he currently stands undefeated. The South African striker entered UFC after securing the title at KSW. Dricus was quick to make a name for himself under the tutelage of Dana White as it only took him 5 fights to enter the title contention. That will happen when you have 5 wins in 5 bouts and all of them came via stoppages. The 6th match was the title fight against Sean Strickland, which was a good battle between two seasoned professionals which ended in a split decision favouring Dricus du Plessis. The South African fighter defended his belt against Israel Adesanya and after he submitted the former champ, he came back to face Sean Strickland once again and won the second bout too, this time via unanimous decision. Du Plessis took on every fight Dana White put ahead of him, and while undefeated at the UFC he has 2 defeats throughout his professional MMA career, paired with 23 wins. He rarely lets his matches finish as he has won 39% of bouts via KO/TKO, and 48% via submission. This is something to have in mind if you plan to bet on UFC 319.
Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev’s career is on the ‘what if’ trajectory, and it is all due to nagging health issues that have almost derailed his MMA career. The start of his UFC career was a thing of dreams as he won 3 out of 3 duels all within 3 months being with the company. What followed was a slew of setbacks that have kept him out of the octagon for prolonged periods of time. So far, he has managed to win 14 of his MMA bouts, without losing single match. Eight of those bouts were with UFC, and if not for injuries that number would be higher we have no doubt about it. Just like du Plessis he is a master in finishing his bouts before the final bell, as he has managed to submit 43% of his opponents, while the same number was taken down via KO/TKO. So far, the biggest names on his resume include Li Jingliang, Kevin Holland and Robert Whittaker, with all of them being submitted in the first round.
Tim Elliott
While often overlooked, Elliott is one of the seasoned MMA professionals at UFC, and he is not to be taken lightly. With a record of 20-13-1 during his MMA career, Tim has proven that he is not afraid to take on any opponent. In the UFC his record stands at 9-11, and such standing doesn’t tell the full story. During the last five bouts, he is 3-2, and is positioned at spot No. 11 in his division’s pound for pound ranking. While there are plenty of losses in his win/loss column, when you look at the names he fought that is no surprise. He was pitted against the likes of Demetrious Johnson and Deiveson Figueiredo and there is no shame in losing to those fighters. Showing that he still has fuel left in his tank, Tim Elliott defeated Su Mudaerji via a triangle choke, in what was one of the most impressive bouts of his career as it all played out in the first round of their fight.
Kai Asakura
Asakura is a new name in the company, and Kai had a rough introduction to the world of UFC as his first bout was a defeat in the hands of flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. While fans were quick to claim that the quality gap between Rizin and UFC is too massive to overcome, Asakura was fed to the reigning champion, Pantoja, and there’s no shame in losing to Alexandre. At the end of the day, Asakura moved to UFC as the reigning bantamweight champion of Rizin. He currently stands at 21-5 in his MMA career, and is known as a knockout machine as 62% of his bouts were won by KO/TKO. At UFC, he stands at 0-1 but we can see that changing, as Stake, online casinos and sportsbook which holds an official betting UFC partnership, has him favoured with 1.34 odds while a win on Tim Elliott pays with 3.40 odds.
Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev
Du Plessis is everything but an orthodox fighter. Yet, while being unorthodox, there is no arguing that he is impressive in what he provides within the octagon. Since stepping foot in the UFC, he still has to lose a fight. 9 wins in 9 bouts, with 6 stoppages is as impressive as it gets. While many saw his weaknesses exposed by Sean Strickland, du Plessis did more than enough adaptations for their rematch showing that he can learn even from his weaker performances. In the Strickland rematch he was more than dominant, and even took down former champ Israel Adesanya in the meantime showing his class, and dominion over the middleweight division. While the South African is the reigning champ, sports betting outlets such as Stake.com have him as the underdog at UFC 319. This is only happening as he is due to face Khamzat Chimaev. The Russian never held the belt within the divisions, and yet, due to his appearance, and domination in the octagon many see him as the unofficial champion despite not being one.
Chimaev entered the UFC on a high note, and since his debut in 2020 he only knows how to win. He was the talk of every MMA show for months since his debut, as he had one of the most impressive three month runs to start a career where he won 3 of his initial bouts all via finish. What followed was a slew of injuries and health issues that have kept him sidelined for prolonged periods of time. Whenever he fought, Chimaev won, but due to long breaks, he never managed to enter a title bout, win the title, and defend it. Yet, he remains a feared opponent, as every time he fights he puts on a dominant display, and in addition to his high end trash talk he knows how to deliver on his words. The Russian fighter is well known for his strength and grappling and that’s what du Plessis needs to fear the most. Of course, the South African fighter is also a strong fighter, and their strength is what makes fans excited about the upcoming bout. What Dricus will be looking to exploit is the lack of cardio preparation in Chimaev as he is used to finishing his bouts, so it was evident in the past that the more the bout lasts the less fuel he has. During a title bout, which is a 5 round encounter, that is a weakness that du Plessis could find ways of using if he survives the first couple of rounds. To win this bout, Khamzat is favoured with 1.42 odds, while a win on du Plessis pays with staggering 3.00 odds. If you ask us, this is where you should consider the underdog for your betting slip, as it pays all too well.
Tim Elliot vs. Kai Asakura
While everyone will be waiting to see the outcome of du Plessis vs. Chimaev, we are also sure that none of you are going to miss Tim Elliot vs. Kai Asakura. While not seen as a classic we are expecting a true MMA showdown. Asakura came to UFC as a bantamweight champion at Rizin and as a knockout master too. He had a title shot in his first fight, and while he failed, Kai is now prepared to take home his first UFC win. Tim Elliott will be a better opponent than Alexandre Pantoja, but he should not be underestimated.
Asakura came to UFC as a top striker, and while Pantoja was too much for him, he still managed to shake the Brazilian a few times. Knees and hands are the main powers of Kai, and we will be seeing them more both vs. Elliott and in the future UFC bouts of his. As we said, Pantoja was able to resist Asakura’s hits, but whether Elliott will be able to do the same is under a question mark. If Kai connects it could be an early finish for him. Of course, stylistically, Tim is not an ideal opponent for Kai, as he is one of the biggest wrestlers in the division, so the Japanese will have to keep the fight on the feet.
Elliott will be looking to take the fight down, as that suits his style more. Yet, he is not to be underestimated, as his stance is one of the weirdest in the division, and he is more than able to confuse his opponents with calves kicks, hits, and finally top notch wrestling. Considering that Kai Asakura will be looking to take him down as soon as possible due to the heavy kickboxing approach, Elliott will have to game plan for it. Kai shouldn’t expect to have an easy target as Tim wasn’t knocked out since 2009.
While fans of Rizin want to see their bantamweight champion succeeding at UFC, he will not have it easy vs. Elliott. The fight will go Asakura’s way if he manages to keep it short, precise, and powerful in terms of his strikes. Elliott is not known for being too good of a defender, but if the fight is taken to the ground he will have a clear advantage. There is also the age gap present, and considering that UFC and MMA in general are young men’s games, we can see Kai taking this one home via TKO, and the bookmakers agree with us on this one.
The rest of the card at UFC 319 is also not too shabby, and with the duels such as Karine Silva vs. JJ Aldrich, Alexander Hernandez vs. Chase Hooper, and Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Bryan Battle scheduled for the Chicago event, fans of MMA have plenty to look forward to in terms of fighting. If everything goes as planned, we will also see in action the likes of Lerone Murphy, Aaron Pico, Geoff Neal, Carlos Prates, Jared Cannonier, and Michael Page. So, tune up, we have an exciting weekend coming our way.
