The global UFC stage shook completely on Saturday night. Khamzat Chimaev turned his very first opportunity into a victory, controlling South African Dricus du Plessis inside the cage. He set a UFC record by landing 529 strikes throughout the fight.
Right in the opening minute, Chimaev dropped du Plessis to the mat and stayed ahead every single moment. In each round, he brought du Plessis down again. The third round showed his true power, as he landed 156 heavy strikes—far more than du Plessis managed in the entire fight.
Chimaev maintained 21 minutes and 40 seconds of control time, but still couldn’t finish du Plessis. However, all three judges scored the fight 50–44 in his favor, securing him the win.
After the fight, he spoke: “I never make game plans. I fight just like I train. That guy is strong, I couldn’t finish him. But I respect him. He has the heart of a lion, a true African lion.”
Born in Chechnya, Chimaev now holds an undefeated record of 15-0-0. Illness and visa issues limited his recent fights, but with Donald Trump’s help, he secured a visa to return to the U.S.
Today, the UFC world speaks of only one name—Khamzat Chimaev. He is now the new Middleweight King.
