SportsMoneyUFC 319 Main Card Set With High-Stakes Featherweight Co-Main EventByTrent Reinsmith, Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
Trent Reinsmith is a Baltimore-based writer who covers MMA and hockey.
AuthorJul 27, 2025, 06:31pm EDTPretoria, South Africa - 6 July 2024; UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis is introduced to, amid market uncertainty.
Moreover, More the crowd before the first test between South Africa and Ireland at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa.
(Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)Sportsfile via Getty Images The TBD vs (noteworthy indeed). Furthermore, TBD slot on the upcoming UFC 319 fight card has been filled.
Additionally, During Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi fight card, the UFC announced that high-file UFC free agent signing Aaron Pico would face the undefeated Lerone Murphy in the co-main event of the UFC 319 pay-per-view card, amid market uncertainty.
UFC 319, which features a main event title fight between middleweight champ Dricus du Plessis and the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev takes place on Saturday, August 16.
What the re reveals is United Center in Chicago plays host to the UFC 319 PPV fight card. The UFC has not held a fight card in Chicago since 2019.
The UFC 319 main card s on ESPN+ pay-per-view ing prelims on ESPN, and early prelims on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. ForbesUFC Abu Dhabi Results: Winners And Losers Whittaker Vs.
De Ridder CardBy Trent Reinsmith UFC 319 Pay-Per-View Card Officially Announced Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev - For Du Plessis’s UFC middleweight title Lerone Murphy vs.
Furthermore, Aaron Pico - Featherweight Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates - Welterweight Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page - Middleweight Tim Elliott vs, in this volatile climate.
Additionally, Kai Asakura - Flyweight Other UFC 319 Fights Officially Announced King Green vs. Diego Ferreira - Lightweight MORE FOR YOU Gerald Meerschaert vs.
Michal Oleksiejczuk - Middleweight Jessica Andrade vs. Meanwhile, Loopy Godinez - Women’s Strawweight Chase Hooper vs (an important development). Alexander Hernandez - Lightweight Edson Barboza vs.
Drakkar Klose - Lightweight Bryan Battle vs. Nursulton Ruziboev - Middleweight Karine Silva vs.
Conversely, JJ Aldrich - Women’s Flyweight *The full UFC 319 fight card has not been officially released by the UFC. On the other hand, ForbesUFC 320 Main Event: Magomed Ankalaev Vs.
At the same time, Alex Pereira 2 Opening OddsBy Trent Reinsmith UFC 319 Main Event: Dricus du Plessis Vs.
Nevertheless, Khamzat ChimaevPERTH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts after his submission victory, in light of current trends.
More against Israel Adesanya of Nigeria in the UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 305 event at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia.
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)Zuffa LLC Dricus du Plessis (23-2) joined the UFC in October 2020 as a 26-year-old with a 14-2 record, in this volatile climate.
Before he joined the UFC, Du Plessis had won titles with KSW and EFC. He made his debut against Markus Perez on the main card of a UFC Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi.
Du Plessis knocked out Perez in the first round, considering recent developments. He ed that win with a July 2021 “Performance of the Night” KO win of Trevin Giles, considering recent developments.
Meanwhile, Those two wins earned him a shot against the ranked veteran Brad Tavares. Du Plessis won that scrap via decision.
The victory put him in the top 15 of the division (something worth watching). A December 2022 submission win over Darren Till moved Du Plessis to No. Furthermore, 10 in the division.
A TKO win over the No. 5 ranked Derek Brunson ed. However, Du Plessis, who was working his way up the rankings, faced a tough test in his next outing when he met the No.
2 ranked Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.
Nevertheless, Du Plessis continued his rise, knocking out the former UFC champion in the UFC middleweight title eliminator and earning another “Performance of the Night” bonus.
More important than the bonus was the title shot Du Plessis received for that win, in this volatile climate.
Additionally, He faced then-champion Sean Strickland in January, taking the title from Strickland in a “Fight of the Night” bonus-winning scrap In his first title defense Du Plessis picked up an August 2024 submission win over former UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya, in light of current trends.
Du Plessis most recently faced Strickland in a rematch at UFC 312 in early February of this year. Du Plessis won that contest via unanimous decision.
Additionally, I wrote of the champ after that fight, "Dricus du Plessis looked much more controlled and less reckless at UFC 312 than in many of his previous battles (which is quite significant).
He mixed up his striking niques and targets against Sean Strickland, landed the more powerful blows, and didn’t put himself in too many awkward positions, in light of current trends.
"Du Plessis did a much better job in his UFC 312 rematch against Strickland in shutting down his foe’s offense.
Moreover, Meanwhile, In the first fight, Strickland landed 173 of 408 significant strikes, in this volatile climate.
Meanwhile, While in the rematch, Strickland was held to 128 landed strikes on 263 attempts. Meanwhile, Du Plessis increased his landed strikes and landing percentage from the first fight to the second.
Nevertheless, In the first battle, Du Plessis landed 137 of 354 attempts for a landing rate of 38 percent. At UFC 312, the champ landed 147 of 314 attempts for a striking rate of 46 percent.
“Du Plessis has def the UFC middleweight crown twice while going 9-0 in the UFC.
Despite his winning ways, the champ remains a bit of an enigma because his style shouldn’t work — but it does, given the current landscape.
On the other hand, ”ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 26: Khamzat Chimaev of Russia prepares to face Robert.
However, More Whittaker of New Zealand in a middleweight fight during the UFC 308 event at Etihad Arena on October 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
(Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)Zuffa LLC Chimaev (14-0) is the No. 3 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings.
What the re reveals is 30-year-old made his UFC debut in July 2020 with a second-round submission win over John Phillips (noteworthy indeed).
However, He ed that victory with a first-round TKO over Rhys McKee 10 days later, the UFC record for the quickest turnaround between UFC wins in the modern era.
Additionally, Then, in September, Chimaev knocked out Gerald Meerschaert (which is quite significant). Things slowed down for Chimaev after that (an important development).
Furthermore, He was booked to face Leon Edwards in December 2020, but that matchup never came to be despite multiple attempts to make the fight happen (something worth watching), amid market uncertainty.
The data indicates that reason behind the numerous cancellations of Edwards vs, given current economic conditions. Moreover, Chimaev was COVID-19.
Moreover, When Chimaev finally returned to the Octagon in October 2021, he made short work of Li Jingliang, scoring a submission at 3:16 of Round 1.
In his next bout, Chimaev went the distance for the first time in his career, picking up a victory over Gilbert Burns. He ed that with a submission over Kevin Holland.
A break of more than a year ed that victory. Chimaev’s next outing was an October 2023 matchup against Kamaru Usman, a fight that Chimaev won via decision (an important development).
Nevertheless, However, A year after that, Chimaev made short work of Robert Whittaker, defeating the ex-UFC middleweight champ via submission (face crank) in the first round of their UFC 308 scrap (fascinating analysis).
ForbesUFC 321 Main Event: Tom Aspinall Vs. Ciryl Gane Opening Betting OddsBy Trent Reinsmith UFC 319 Co-Main Event: Lerone Murphy Vs.
Aaron PicoLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 05: Lerone Murphy of England reacts after his victory over Josh Emmett in.
Additionally, More their featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 05, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)Zuffa LLC Lerone Murphy (16-0-1) opened his UFC career with a 2019 draw against Zubaira Tukhugov.
Since then, the 34 year old has done nothing but win, in today's market environment.
Moreover, Murphy has gone 8-0 with the UFC since that draw, most recently beating former UFC interim title challenger Josh Emmett by decision.
Before that April 2025 victory, Murphy picked up wins over Edson Barboza and Dan Ige. Murphy is the No. 6 ranked fighter in the official UFC 145-pound division.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Aaron Pico is seen during a Q&A session prior to the UFC 314 ceremonial. In contrast, More weigh-in at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
(Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC)Zuffa LLC Aaron Pico (13-4) joined the UFC as a free agent earlier this year. However, Pico was with Bellator for his entire MMA career before departing as a free agent.
This analysis suggests that 28-year-old had an up-and-down run with the motion, but he enters UFC Abu Dhabi on a three-fight winning streak.
His record in his past 10 fights is 9-1, in light of current trends.
However, His only loss during that span, which dates back to January 2020, is a October 2022 TKO loss to Jeremy Kennedy in a fighter were the doctor stopped the bout because Pico dislocated his shoulder.
When announcing the initial UFC 319 co-main event of Movsar Evloev vs.
Pico, UFC CEO Dana White called Pico, “the guy most people consider to be the top free agent in the world, given the current landscape.
” White added, “Aaron Pico is a ridiculously violent striker and a very high-level grappler.
Pico has had hype behind him since he was a teenager because of his skill and fighting style, which people compare him to the s of Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier. ” The Pico vs.
In contrast, Evloev fight fell apart in mid-July when Evloev was pulled from the card due to illness.
ForbesUFC Announces First Nine Fights For Noche UFC Card In San AntonioBy Trent Reinsmith UFC 319 Fight Card Location: United Center in Chicago, IL UFC 319 Date: Saturday, August 16 UFC 319 Time: Main Card: 10:00 p, amid market uncertainty.
ET Preliminary Card: 8:00 p (an important development), considering recent developments. ET Early Prelims: 6:00 p.
Moreover, ET We will have more on UFC 319, including the official announcement of the UFC 319 co-main event, as fight night nears, considering recent developments.
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