It’s another busy weekend of action for followers of Mixed Martial Arts, with several interesting bouts worldwide. The PFL gets things moving on Friday evening with a stacked card showcasing some of the promotion’s top talent. Following the final bell in the PFL, attentions turn to the ever-popular Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday and Sunday. 
UFC 319 comes from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, where we’ll see the UFC middleweight title decided in the main event. The UFC 319 programme features the likes of Chase Hooper and King Green in the preliminary bouts. The main event features five bouts, ranging from flyweight to middleweight.
Celebrating their eighth visit to Chicago, UFC 319 boasts a stunning main event, as Dricus de Plessis defends his UFC middleweight world championship belt against the challenge of undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev. Will the champion defend his hard-earned strap, or will we see a new king crowned in Illinois?
Gamblr offers pre-fight and live betting odds on the best bouts from UFC 319. You can keep it simple and predict the winner or play one of the many specials, including the method of victory and total rounds. There’s an exciting betting market and generous odds to suit every gambler and betting budget.
Plessis form of stats
Dricus du Plessis arrives at fight night as the current UFC middleweight champion. Will he exit the arena with the title? That remains to be seen, but there’s no doubting the current keeper is here on merit, and it’ll take a huge effort from a special fighter to topple him from the number one ranking. Is Chimaev the warrior to do it? South African Plessis is a 31-year-old MMA fighter who has enjoyed success at both welterweight and middleweight. He’s number four in the pound-for-pound rankings, and a win here would help improve that.
Dricus brings a professional fighting record that details 23 wins against two defeats in all promotions he’s fought in over the years. His victories consist of 11 by submission, nine by knockout and three by submission. His losses show one by KO and one submission, proving the South African is a real all-or-nothing combatant who always leaves everything in the ring. He’ll beat his opponent into submission or be carried out of the octagon.
In his most recent bouts, we see Plessis is unbeaten since 2018, when he was KO’d in London by Roberto Soldic in a rematch, having beaten the same man by TKO in Poland in the fight before. Since that loss, Plessis has collected 11 wins from as many outings. That purple patch includes a five-round points win over Sean Strickland, the submission of Israel Adesanya, a split decision over Strickland, a TKO win over Robert Whittaker, and a TKO against Derek Brunson.
Chimaev form and stats
Khamzat Chimaev is the challenger and a feared gladiator who is desperate to continue his winning ways, extend his unbeaten record, and become the new UFC middleweight champion. The 31-year-old from Chechnya, Russia, is a 6ft 2-inch fighter based in Dubai, UAE. Khamzat is currently ranked at number three in the UFC’s middleweight list and holds a respectable 14th in the pound-for-pound charts. Those numbers will both improve if the challenger leaves the arena as the champion on Saturday.
Khamzat brings a professional MMA record of 14 wins from as many bouts. On closer inspection, we see Chimaev has banked six wins by knockout, another six by submission and the remaining two on points. That tells us a little more about the Russian, showing he likes to get things done inside the distance, and his power ensures he doesn’t like to rely on the scoring judges watching from the side of the octagon. He’ll rely on his power, speed and timing to try and secure another early night in Chicago.
Focusing on his most recent form, Khamzat Chimaev has won two of his last three by submission, claiming the spare on points. Looking back a little further, three of his previous five wins have been by submission, with the other two on the scorecards. He earned a crack at the UFC middleweight title belt by beating Robert Whittaker on UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, also earning a Performance of the Night bonus with a first-round stoppage forced by a face crank. Khamzat proved that night he’s a man in a hurry.
Plessis vs Chimaev betting odds
Here are the latest betting odds available on Plessis vs Chimaev at Gamblr.
Plessis to win @ 3.00
Chimaev to win @ 1.40
Plessis by KO/TKO @ 6.33
Plessis by submission @ 13.00
Plessis on points @ 6.66
Chimaev by KO/TKO @ 4.2
Chimaev by submission @ 2.5
Chimaev on points @ 5.33
The odds displayed above are correct at the time of writing, quoted from the Gamblr website and mobile app. Please remember that combat sports betting odds are subject to change, and the offer you see when placing your wager may differ from what was trading when you researched our predictions. Check the site or app now for the latest Plessis vs Chimaev betting odds and promotions.
Plessis vs Chimaev predictions
We’ve arrived at the main part of our Plessis vs Chimaev preview – the final predictions. It’s easy to admire the champion and how he clambered into pole position, but I expect to see a changing of the guard on Saturday evening in Chicago.
I’m siding with the momentum and unbeaten record of Chimaev, who is one of the most feared fighters in the middleweight division and the UFC. A run of incredible wins has lifted him into a position to challenge for the belt, and I’m backing him to win it.
Given the recent form of both men and the fact that Chimaev has won half of his last four bouts on points and Plessis has gone the distance in two of his last three, I’m picking the challenger on a decision. The winning margin isn’t important here. If Chimaev gets the points victory, you’ll land the profits. Gamblr have boosted this market for UFC319.