Las Vegas – UFC returns to Chicago with a blockbuster middleweight championship bout that will see Dricus Du Plessis defend his title against undefeated No. 3 ranked contender Khamzat Chimaev. Also, an exciting battle of middleweight strikers will see No. 7 ranked contender Jared Cannonier face Michael ‘Venom’ Page.
UFC 319: DU PLESSIS vs. CHIMAEV tickets will go on sale Friday, June 20 at 10 a.m. CT and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, June 18 at 10 a.m. CT via the website UFCFightClub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, June 19 at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC 319: DU PLESSIS vs. CHIMAEV will take place Saturday, August 16 at United Center with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be available on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and Disney+, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The early prelims will kick off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.
Du Plessis (23-2, fighting out of Pretoria, South Africa) has his sights set on another dominant title defense. Unbeaten for nearly seven years, he holds memorable victories over former UFC titleholders Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. Du Plessis now plans to hand Chimaev his first loss to continue his reign atop the middleweight division.
Chimaev (14-0, fighitng out of The United Arab Emirates by way of Chechnya, Russia) intends to make the most of his first title opportunity. A powerful grappler and striker, he has earned thrilling wins against Robert Whittaker, Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. Chimaev now hopes to dethrone Du Plessis and achieve his dream of becoming UFC champion.
Cannonier (18-8, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) looks to build off his spectacular TKO victory over Gregory Rodrigues in February. A perennial middleweight contender, he also holds wins over Sean Strickland, Marvin Vettori and Derek Brunson. Cannonier now aims to turn away Page and earn a shot at the Top 5.
Page (23-3, fighitng out of London, England) returns to middleweight following his dominant performance against Shara Magomedov earlier this year. A dynamic striker, he also holds victories over Kevin Holland, Douglas Lima and Paul Daley. Page now plans to insert his name in the middleweight title picture by taking out Cannonier in emphatic fashion.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Gerald Meerschaert (37-19, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) takes on Michal Oleksiejczuk (20-9 1NC, fighting out of Barki, Poland) at middleweight
- Edson Barboza (24-12, fighting out of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) battles Drakkar Klose (15-3-1, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz. by way of South Haven, Mich.) in a lightweight bout
- Lightweight veterans clash when King Green (32-17-1 1NC, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.) meets Diego Ferreira (19-6, fighting out of Pharr, Texas by way of Careiro da Várzea, Amazonas, Brazil)
- No. 12 ranked women’s flyweight contender Karine Silva (18-5, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) faces No. 15 JJ Aldrich (14-7, fighting out of Aurora, Colo.)
- Bryan Battle (13-2 1NC, fighting out of Charlotte, N.C.) locks horns with Nursulton Ruziboev (36-9-2 2NC, fighting out of Tashkent, Uzbekistan) at middleweight
- No. 11 ranked flyweight contender Tim Elliott (21-13-1, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) collides with recent title challenger and No. 15 Kai Asakura (21-5, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan)
- Chase Hooper (16-3-1, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash.) faces Alexander Hernandez (16-8, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of San Antonio, Texas) in an intriguing lightweight tilt
- Former UFC strawweight champion and current No. 5 ranked contender Jessica Andrade (26-14, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) squares off with No. 11 Loopy Godinez (13-5, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.
