Khamzat Chimaev Sends Strong Message to Doubters After Dominant UFC 319 Display

Khamzat Chimaev Sends Strong Message to Doubters After Dominant UFC 319 Display originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Heading into UFC 319, plenty of people had their doubts about Khamzat Chimaev. It wasn’t his wrestling, his power or his finishing instincts they questioned — it was his gas tank. In past battles with Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, Chimaev looked unstoppable early but slowed down noticeably as the fights dragged on, and those were only three-rounders. 

So, with five championship rounds on deck against Dricus du Plessis, fans and analysts alike wondered if he could keep the pace. By the time the final bell rang in Chicago, though, Chimaev had delivered the kind of performance that silenced every critic of his cardio in one go.

"Now they know." ????????

Khamzat Chimaev sends a message to his cardio critics after landing 529 total strikes and 12 takedowns in his #UFC319 title win. pic.twitter.com/JNU3mw1nuo— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) August 17, 2025

Speaking to the media following an impressive title win, Chimaev shared his thoughts on those who doubt his cardio and delivered a response. He said, “I don’t care what people think about me. I am doing my thing. Like you said, how many strikes I landed on him? How many takedowns I had? So I did not gas out, and now they know.”

Total Control by Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319

Dricus du Plessis asked for Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago — he got exactly that, and paid the price in brutal fashion. Chimaev put on a suffocating performance to claim the UFC middleweight title, winning a lopsided unanimous decision with all three judges scoring it 50-44. Frankly, the scorecard margins could have been even wider, but the lack of heavy damage kept most rounds from being ruled 10-8.

The fight couldn’t have started worse for du Plessis; he was on his back just seven seconds in. From there, Chimaev racked up 12 takedowns and an insane 21 minutes, 40 seconds of ground-control time in a 25-minute fight. 

To put it in perspective, du Plessis had only spent five minutes total on the bottom in his entire UFC career before this. Strike totals told the same story: Chimaev outlanded him 529-45. Du Plessis showed some life late, but the fight was already decided. The crowd booed Chimaev’s grinding style, but he didn’t seem to care with gold wrapped around his waist.

Related: Khamzat Chimaev Sets Dominant Records in UFC 319 Win

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.