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MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
(c) Dricus Du Plessis (185 lbs.) vs. #3 Khamzat Chimaev (183 lbs.)
#6 Lerone Murphy (146 lbs.) vs. Aaron Pico (145 lbs.)
#11 Geoff Neal (171 lbs.) vs. #12 Carlos Prates (170 lbs.)
#9 Jared Cannonier (186 lbs.) vs. Michael Page (186 lbs.)
#15 Kai Asakura (126 lbs.) vs. #11 Tim Elliott (126 lbs.)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, Disney+, 8 p.m. ET)
Eric Nolan (183 lbs.) vs. Baisangur Susurkaev (186 lbs.)
Gerald Meerschaert (185 lbs.) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (186 lbs.)
#5 Jessica Andrade (116 lbs.) vs. #11 Loopy Godinez (115 lbs.)
Alexander Hernandez (156 lbs.) vs. Chase Hooper (155 lbs.)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, Disney+, 6:30 p.m. ET)
Edson Barboza (155.5 lbs.) vs. Drakkar Klose (156 lbs.)
Dione Barbosa (125.5 lbs.) vs. #11 Karine Silva (125 lbs.)
Alibi Idiris (126 lbs.) vs. Joseph Morales (126 lbs.)
Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC 319, I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host. On the heels of a major announcement about the future broadcast home and rights for the UFC next year we’ve got UFC 319. If you’re curious about the UFCs home next year, it’ll be over on Paramount/CBS and will basically end PPV for the UFC apparently. The deal is also for 7.7 billion dollars over 7 years, so yeah the general state of MMA might not be great but the UFC’s business is just fine. Anyway tonight our main event is one of the better fights in the sport right now when middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis goes for his third title defense against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. Chiamev has been kind of a force of nature in the UFC but health and visa issues kept his appearances a little more sporadic, but he most recently tapped out Robert Whittaker in the first round so he shouldn’t be overlooked here. The co-main event got a fairly late shift as Aaron Pico finally makes his UFC debut, originally he was to fight Movsar Evloev but Evloev pulled out and now he’s being welcomed by the unbeaten Lerone Murphy. Murphy could take a big step forward with a win while Pico might get pushed into the title picture if he gets an impressive win. Carlos Prates vs. Geoff Neal is good, Michael Page tries for his second middleweight win against ranked Jared Cannonier, and Kai Asakura vs. Tim Elliott should be pretty high paced. On the prelims we’ve got Chase Hooper vs. Alexander Hernandez, Edson Barboza vs. Drakkar Klose, and a pointless TUF finale kicking everything off. The card did suffer a few setbacks as it lost King Green vs. Diego Ferreira and Bryan Battle vs. Nursulton Ruziboev but all in all it’s pretty strong and the main event is one of the rare fights where you genuinely have no idea what will happen between the two fighters.
UFC 319 comes to the world from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, USA. We’ve got the usual stateside PPV trio of Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and Daniel Cormier on commentary with Charly Arnolt as the roving reporter. For those who care about that role, Megan Olivi will be back soon as this was about the end of her maternity leave. We will be in the 30 foot cage since we’re not in the warehouse and the newer rules should be in play though I’ll update if I’m incorrect about that.
This is the flyweight final for TUF 33, if that has any value anymore. Alibi Idiris is undefeated coming into this TUF finale and looks to claim that particular prize here as well as make a good first impression on the UFC audience. Joseph Morales went 1-2 in the UFC from 2017-2018 but he did win three in a row before entering TUF and now looks to get his second UFC run going with a win. The odds are pretty solidly with Idiris at -470 to +360 on Morales.
Flyweight Bout: Alibi Idiris (10-0, 126 lbs.) vs. Joseph Morales (12-2, 126 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Morales has an inch of reach advantage. They touch gloves to get us going. Both men land rights in close, Idiris is showing a few stance switches as he circles. Calf kick from Idiris. Morales lands a left to the body then an elbow in close. Bit of a knee from Idiris then they tie up and start fighting for position on the fence. A few knees from Idiris land. Inside trip from Idiris but Morales elevates then wrestles up and lands a knee as they clinch again. Bit of an elbow from Morales, then Idiris lands a punch as they break. A few front kicks go back and forth. Morales avoids a spinning back fist and hits a takedown into full guard. Both men start throwing elbows from the mat as Morales passes to half guard. Morales works to set up an arm triangle attack and passes to full mount with it. Idiris gives up the back then stands with Morales in the backpack position. Idiris rams Morales’ head into the fence, that’s a new one on me. Morales loses the backpack but grabs a kimura and they wrestle back to the mat where Morales gets the back again with one hook in. Both hooks in now for Morales and he grabs at a choke but Idiris sees out the round.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Morales
ROUND TWO: Morales gets back on pressure and avoids a hook kick. Idiris tries a spinning elbow, Morales avoids it and ties up but they just break. Bit of a leg kick from Idiris. Body kick from Morales. Morales gets a clinch and they start fighting for position. They trade rights as they break the clinch. A couple body shots from Morales then Idiris lands a right hand. Right hand from Morales then another one. Front kick from Idiris but Morales hurts him with a right to the body. Morales with a few more body shots then a right hand drops Idiris. Morales gets the back again and grabs at a Suloev Stretch to keep Idiris from basing up but Idiris is able to spin into him and get on top. Triangle choke from Morales, that’s pretty tight and he hits the angle then Idiris taps.
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Joseph Morales via Submission, triangle choke, at 3:04 of Round 2
Mic time for Morales after winning TUF, he thanks God first then his family and asks someone out there to buy his mom a beer and says his son will be pumped to see him talking with Joe Rogan. He talks about how long it’s been in the sport and puts over his team for helping him. Dana White gives him the trophy to close.
JOSEPH MORALES GETS THE SUBMISSION WIN AND IS THE #TUF33 FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION 🏆 #UFC319 pic.twitter.com/cAhh80Lewq
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 16, 2025
Karine Silva has gone 4-1 in the UFC but most recently had a nine fight winning streak broken, now she’s trying to avenge an earlier career loss while also defending her ranking. Dione Barbosa has gone 2-1 in the UFC, most recently beating Diana Belbita, she also has a 2019 win over Silva and if she can replicate that outcome here she’ll likely be a ranked contender next week. Silva is the favorite at -185 to Barbosa’s +155.
Women’s Flyweight Bout: Dione Barbosa (8-3, 125.5 lbs.) vs. #11 Karine Silva (18-5, 125 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Barbosa is an inch taller while Silva has half an inch of reach advantage. Both women do some feinting to start. Bit of a calf kick from Barbosa. Silva misses a couple of strikes. A few body jabs from Barbosa. Bit of a right from Silva. Jab from Silva. Barbosa with a calf kick. Barbosa hits the body a couple of times. Front kick from Barbosa. Front kick from Silva then they both land lefts. Silva with a calf kick. Right hand from Silva to counter a body shot. Barbosa with a right to the body but she does eat a counter punch. Barbosa sprawls away from a double leg. They trade body kicks. Barbosa moves to the back standing and hits a mat return then gets both hooks in. Silva is able to hand fight away from a choke attack but she’s in a pretty bad spot. With short time Barbosa tries an armbar but Silva defends long enough to end the round.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Barbosa
ROUND TWO: Silva comes out poking out calf kicks. Both women probe with the jab. Bit of a one two from Silva. Both women miss head kicks then Silva gets a takedown into full guard. Some punches from Silva as Barbosa wall walks into a clinch. Silva avoids a headlock throw and gets to a hip against the fence. They wrestle back up into another clinch. Elbow from Barbosa. Some knees go back and forth as they jockey for position. Silva tries a takedown but winds up just kind of pulling guard. Silva goes for a rubber guard, if she knows what she’s doing she could go for a Dead Orchard here. There is a Dead Orchard briefly and Silva fires punches and elbows from her back but Barbosa postures through the attack. The round ends with Barbosa on top.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Silva but could go either way, 19-19 overall
ROUND THREE: Barbosa shows the jab and circles. Bit of a right from Silva. They tie up and trade knees then break. Bit of a left hook from Silva. Another right from Silva. Left hook then a right hand from Silva. They tie up and Silva hits a knee but Barbosa then lands a hip toss into top position. Silva grabs a gogoplata, that forces Barbosa to address it and Silva gets on top and grabs a ninja choke. Barbosa is able to escape the choke but gives up her back in the process. Silva works to keep top position, Barbosa wrestles to her knees but Silva moves to her back again and grabs a body triangle. The position isn’t great and Barbosa is able to turn into Silva and get back on top. They trade a few strikes on the mat but nothing serious as we’re under a minute left. Things just kind of stall out there until the round ends.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Silva, 29-28 Silva overall but will hinge on the second round
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Karine Silva via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Commentary is a little stunned by that decision but Silva and the translator do get an interview, the crowd is a little unhappy as well but Silva feels she won the second and third rounds and fought well down the stretch. She admits she still has work to do but looks to get more finishes going forward.
Edson Barboza has been with the UFC since 2010 and he’s fought a genuinely incredible list of fighters across both lightweight and featherweight including Tony Ferguson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Justin Gaethje to name just a few. Barboza is back at lightweight for the first time since 2020 here and he’s looking to continue adding to his long legacy in the UFC. Drakkar Klose has gone 9-3 in the UFC and is 4-1 in his last five fights, he did lose his last fight though and now he’s trying to avoid his first losing streak. Close one here, -115 on Barboza to -105 for Klose.
Lightweight Bout: Edson Barboza (24-12, 155.5 lbs.) vs. Drakkar Klose (15-3-1, 156 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Barboza is two inches taller with five inches of reach advantage. Some early feinting from both men. Inside leg kicks go back and forth. Klose tries a rush but Barboza circles away. Calf kick from Barboza. Barboza is looking to jab to counter the lead leg kicks of Klose. Calf kick from Barboza. Overhand right from Barboza. Calf kick from Klose. Inside leg kick from Barboza then a bit of a body kick. Klose punches into a clinch and they hit the fence. Barboza spins Klose to the fence, Klose is working some foot stomps and heel strikes to the calf. A few body shots from Barboza then he pulls free and they reset. Klose lands a left hand. They trade rights. Calf kick from Barboza but Klose pushes into another clinch. Barboza spins Klose pretty quickly this time. A few knees from Barboza land then he pushes free. Calf kick from Barboza. Spinning back kick from Barboza. They clinch and trade uppercuts before breaking apart. Calf kick from Barboza again then a couple of body shots. Klose lands a left hand then clinches up. Barboza gets Klose on the fence again as the round ends.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Barboza but could go either way
ROUND TWO: Both men come out and we get some boxing in close. Wheel kick from Klose partially lands. Right hand from Klose. Barboza with a jab. Barboza’s left foot has some visible swelling from the foot stomps in the prior round. Klose backs Barboza to the fence and lands a few punches then clinches up. They break without incident. Calf kick from Barboza. Klose avoids a calf kick and lands a bit of a right hand. They tie up again and Klose pushes things to the fence. Elbow from Klose. Another elbow from Klose on the break. Both men miss rights. They get close and trade, Klose seems to be landing a little better thus far. Spinning back kick from Barboza then a left to the body. Both men swing punches in close then Klose grabs a clinch. A few knees from Barboza as he’s got Klose on the fence. The round will end in the clinch.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Klose, 19-19 overall
ROUND THREE: Both men show jabs to start the last round. Bit of a right hand from Barboza. Body kick from Barboza then they trade rights. Klose grabs a clinch but Barboza pushes him into the fence. A few knees from Barboza land to the body. Klose is able to spin free and they reset. Right hand from Klose. Barboza with a hard calf kick. That right hand lead from Klose is doing some work. Barboza with another calf kick then a right hand. Klose lands a right hand. Another right from Klose connects. Jab from Barboza then he avoids a right hand. Both men land punches in close. Inside leg kick from Barboza. Klose with a couple of calf kicks then a right hand. They punch into a clinch and Klose pushes things to the fence. A few knees go back and forth as Barboza gets Klose on the fence. They break with 20 seconds left. Barboza misses a wheel kick, then Klose does as well. Klose with a cartwheel kick for the meme, it doesn’t land but that closes the round.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Klose but another close one, 29-28 Klose overall
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Drakkar Klose via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
No interview for Klose.
Alexander Hernandez has gone 8-7 in the UFC but he is on a two fight winning streak and if he can win again here it would make for his longest UFC winning streak to date. Chase Hooper has gone 5-0 since returning to lightweight in 2023, now he’s looking for a sixth win which would probably mark his transition from prospect to legitimate contender as well as get him a shot at some ranked opposition. The odds are with Hooper at -360 to +285 for Hernandez.
Lightweight Bout: Alexander Hernandez (16-8, 156 lbs.) vs. Chase Hooper (16-3-1, 155 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Hooper is four inches taller with two inches of reach advantage, he’s also 7 years younger. They touch gloves, Hooper comes out southpaw and shows some side kicks early. Front kick from Hooper. Bit of a head kick then a spinning back fist from Hooper. Body kick from Hernandez. Another front kick from Hooper. Bit of a knee from Hooper then a couple of probing lefts. Hernandez is showing stance switches now, he’s really struggling to navigate the distance. Right from Hernandez in close. Bit of a left hand from Hooper. Hernandez lands a left hand to counter a body kick. Hooper with another front kick. Hernandez avoids some long range weapons. Body kick from Hooper, Hernandez does fire back with a left hand though. Single leg from Hooper, that hits the fence though and they break without incident. One two from Hooper. Both men land lefts. Hernandez avoids a takedown attempt. Front kick to the knee from Hooper, then a side kick to the leg as well. Bit of a right from Hernandez. Glancing left from Hooper. A right from Hernandez drops Hooper, he lands enough punches to get the ref to jump in and stop it just before the round ends.
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Alexander Hernandez via TKO, punches, at 4:58 of Round 1
The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Hernandez for his work. Mic time for Hernandez, he puts over Hooper a bit but he got him to step into range so the counter right could land. He talks us through the finish then puts over his team. Asked about the future he just wants to fight soon, specifically on the Noche card in San Antonio as he went to school in the area.
Jessica Andrade is a former strawweight champion and fought for the flyweight belt as well, she’s getting a little long on the mileage at 40 fights but she’s only 33 and if she wants to make one more push towards UFC gold she needs to win here in her return to strawweight. Lupita Godinez has gone 2-2 in her last four fights but she is coming off of a win and could get her highest profile win if she beats a former champion and recognizable name like Andrade. Another close fight, -140 for Godinez while +120 on Andrade must tempt a few bettors out there.
Strawweight Bout: #5 Jessica Andrade (26-14, 116 lbs.) vs. #11 Loopy Godinez (13-5, 115 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Godinez is half an inch taller while Andrade has an inch of reach advantage. Both women probe with calf kicks early. Andrade generally moves forward and lands a right hand after a calf kick. They trade rights. Godinez with a one two. Left hook from Godinez. Right hand from Andrade, Godinez then returns it. Godinez with another right hand, Andrade just doesn’t have defense. Right to the body from Andrade. Left to the body from Andrade. Godinez with a calf kick. Right hand from Godinez. Leg kick from Godinez then a right hand. Andrade has a few punches blocked. Godinez with a combination. They tie up but nothing comes of it. Another right from Godinez. Andrade with a left hand. Andrade fires hooks and clocks Godinez with a right hand. They trade left hooks, Godinez is a little rattled by that. Andrade looks to capitalize on that but Godinez threatens a takedown and gets a reset. One two from Godinez to close the round.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Godinez
ROUND TWO: Andrade works forward again and they trade a few punches. Godinez tries a takedown, she’s able to get a clinch then trip things down. Arm triangle attack from Godinez, Andrade defends that but Godinez has moved to full mount. Andrade shrimps to half guard then eventually gets to her knees but Godinez is landing punches from the ride. They’re upright and then they separate. Bit of an uppercut from Andrade but Godinez counters with a couple of left hooks. Andrade with a calf kick. Jab from Godinez then a body kick. Godinez with a knee in close. Andrade with a left hand. Andrade swings a few hooks up and down then Godinez lands a counter right. Godinez with a right hand after faking a takedown. Andrade lands a left hook. Both women land punches in close. Andrade avoids a takedown and lands a short left hook. Godinez with a few jabs. Left hand from Godinez then she slips to the back standing. Andrade quickly spins and gets Godinez on the fence then fires knees. They break and Andrade misses a right hand to basically close the round.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Godinez, 20-18 Godinez overall
ROUND THREE: Andrade defends an early takedown. Godinez misses a few punches. Calf kick from Andrade then a few punches behind it. Andrade is hitting the body a bit more now to try and set up her head shots. One two from Godinez but she eats a couple of counters. Bit of a right from Andrade. One two from Godinez. A few rights from Andrade partially land. Right to the body from Andrade. They trade punches in close again. Godinez blocks a few hooks and lands a knee to the body. They split jabs. Andrade is just doggedly pursuing Godinez and swinging hooks. Right hand from Andrade. Right to the body then a left hook from Andrade. Andrade with an inside leg kick. Clubbing right from Andrade. Godinez with a knee but the pressure and damage is getting to her. Right to the body from Andrade. Another right to the body then a left hook from Andrade. Godinez ties up to slow the pace but Andrade knees her then they break and trade rights. A couple more body shots from Andrade land. Right hand from Godinez. Front kick then a right hand from Andrade. Godinez lands a left hook. Andrade shoves off a takedown attempt and fires a few more hooks. Right hand from Andrade, they get close and both women swing a bit, Godinez hits a desperation single leg to close the round.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Andrade, 29-28 Godinez overall
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Loopy Godinez via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Mic time for Godinez, she knew the fight would be tough but she’s worked hard on her game and thanks her coaches for all of their work. Asked about the future she wants to fight up in the rankings.
Gerald Meerschaert has gone just 2-4 in his last six bouts and is riding a two fight losing streak, he needs to halt that skid here because a third loss would pretty clearly set his ceiling going forward. Michal Oleksiejczuk has gone just 2-3 in his last five fights and recently broke a three fight losing streak, he badly needs to get consecutive wins here as he hasn’t had them since 2022 and if he’s going to have a future in the weigh class he must win here. The odds are with Oleksiejczuk at -220 while that +180 comeback on Meerschaert might be a tempting value bet.
Middleweight Bout: Gerald Meerschaert (37-19, 185 lbs.) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (20-9 1 NC, 186 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Meerschaert is an inch taller with three and a half inches of reach advantage, he’s also 7 years older. Both men fight southpaw. Oleksiejczuk misses a one two. Left to the body from Oleksiejczuk. Leg kick from Meerschaert. Oleksiejczuk keeps backing up Meerschaert and is looking to line up a left hand. Meerschaert tries a single leg but Oleksiejczuk defends. Left hand from Oleksiejczuk then one to the body as well. Glancing elbow from Oleksiejczuk. Bit of a left hand from Oleksiejczuk. Meerschaert avoids a right hook. Jab from Oleksiejczuk then he avoids another takedown attempt. Left hand from Meerschaert in close. Left uppercut then a left hand from Oleksiejczuk has Meerschaert rocked. Oleksiejczuk with another left to drop him then he makes him stand up. Another uppercut from Oleksiejczuk then a one two drops Meerschaert. Oleksiejczuk gets on top and fires punches and hammer fists until the ref steps in.
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Michal Oleksiejczuk via TKO, punches, at 3:03 of Round 1
The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Oleksiejczuk for his work. Oleksiejczuk gets an interview along with the translator, he speaks some English first to talk about moving to Brazil to join the Fighting Nerds team but feels that’s paying off then thanks the team for all of their work. He switches to some Polish, there’s a non-trivial Polish contingent in Chicago so they appreciate that. Asked about the future he wants Marvin Vettori, reasonable call out.
Baysangur Susurkaev is undefeated and got this fight this week after winning on the Contender Series and asking for a spot on the card, now he’s got the chance to make a good first impression to the UFC audience. Eric Nolan brings a four fight winning streak into his UFC debut, the last three of which have been finishes, and he’s looking to continue that streak here for that all important first UFC win. Susurkaev is the biggest favorite on the card at -1050 to +675 for Nolan.
Middleweight Bout: Eric Nolan (8-3, 183 lbs.) vs. Baisangur Susurkaev (9-0, 186 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Susurkaev has five inches of reach advantage. They touch gloves to get things going. Some stance switching from Susurkaev. Nolan shows the jab. Front kick from Susurkaev. Uppercut then a left hook from Nolan. Front kick from Susurkaev. Nolan blocks a few kicks. Bit of a knee from Nolan. Susurkaev with a right hand then he eats a knee and they clinch up. Nolan avoids a body lock takedown and gets Susurkaev on the fence. Susurkaev avoids a spinning elbow as they break. Bit of a right from Nolan then a few jabs. Susurkaev with a front kick but he eats a counter right. Right hand then a calf kick from Susurkaev. Susurkaev with a double leg against the fence and he looks to mount the legs. Nolan moves to turtle then stands with Susurkaev still on his back. Susurkaev with a few mat returns but he can’t secure position. Nolan breaks the grip and they reset. Right hand from Nolan then a combination to follow up. Left from Nolan. Front kick from Susurkaev then they clinch again. A few knees from Susurkaev land then Nolan escapes the clinch. They trade punches and Susurkaev is hurt, Nolan with knees then an elbow against the fence but the round ends.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Nolan
ROUND TWO: Both men come out looking to punch again. Front kick from Susurkaev but Nolan then lands a knee in close. Back leg kick from Susurkaev but Nolan then lands a right hand. Susurkaev with an inside leg kick, that left leg of Nolan is not doing well. They tie up and Nolan looks to roll for a leg but gets stuck in turtle. Nolan rolls for half guard. Susurkaev tries an arm triangle attack and uses that to get to the back. Both hooks are in for Susurkaev and he lands punches. Nolan is trying to move, Susurkaev grabs the choke and after a bit Nolan has to tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Baisangur Susurkaev via Submission, rear naked choke, at 2:01 of Round 2
Mic time for Susurkaev and the translator, Nolan’s knee is clearly messed up as he’s limping around in the background. Susurkaev jokes that he’ll fight again in September then plays with the crowd. Asked about the future he’s just happy then tries to get the crowd to chant his name, that doesn’t go over.
Well that’s it for preliminary action, onto PPV for the main card.
Tim Elliott has gone 2-2 in his last four fights but he’s been out of action since 2023 and now finds himself trying to defend his ranking as well as reassert himself as a relevant flyweight. Kai Asakura has gone 5-2 in his last seven fights and made his UFC debut in a title fight, he came up short against the champion but did fight well and now looks for his first UFC win while trying to climb back to the title picture. The odds are with Asakura at -300 while +240 for Elliott might tempt some bettors.
Flyweight Bout: #15 Kai Asakura (21-5, 126 lbs.) vs. #11 Tim Elliott (20-13-1, 126 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Asakura is an inch taller with three inches of reach advantage, he’s also 7 years younger. Elliott will do a lot of stance switching. Both men with some early feinting, some lead leg kicks from Elliott but they don’t land. Right hand then a left hook from Asakura. Elliott keeps probing with kicks but nothing lands. Asakura lands a left to the body. Right hand from Asakura. Asakura with a combination against the fence, Elliott gets stunned but recovers. Another right from Asakura lands. Asakura with a few punches in close then he avoids a clinch. Elliott just can’t find any offensive success. Jab from Asakura then a right to the body. Knee to the body from Asakura then a left hook. Right from Asakura. Elliott lands a right hand. Head kick from Asakura but Elliott eats it and gets a takedown into side control. Elliott tries a few knees to the body. Not much goes on down there then Asakura fights up as the round ends.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Asakura
ROUND TWO: Asakura shows the jab as the round starts then lands a right hand. Overhand left from Elliott lands. They trade in close. Asakura with a calf kick. Elliott misses a few punches then Asakura lands a right to the body. They trade punches in close again. Elliott lands another left. Right hand from Asakura. Short left from Asakura then a jab. Counter right from Asakura. Right to the body from Asakura but Elliott does land a left. Asakura with a left hook. One two from Asakura. Elliott hits a knee tap but Asakura scrambles up and free immediately. Elliott ducks a left hook and hits a double leg into full guard. Elbow from Elliott then he grabs a mounted guillotine as they scramble. Full mount for Elliott, the choke is a dangerous one and Asakura winds up tapping.
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Tim Elliott via Submission, mounted guillotine choke, at 4:39 of Round 2
Mic time for Elliott, he feels blessed for his longevity and puts over his opponent. He says trying to knock him out with head shots doesn’t usually work so since that was all Asakura brought he was able to fight through it. He expresses gratitude and hopes for a new UFC contract.
What a performance 💪@TElliott125 gets the submission victory in round two! #UFC319 pic.twitter.com/VGlV60OKPX
— UFC (@ufc) August 17, 2025
Jared Cannonier has gone 3-2 in his last five fights and most recently stopped Gregory Rodrigues to break a two fight losing streak, he’s trying to build another winning streak and defend his ranking. Michael “Venom” Page has gone 2-1 in the UFC but scored a win in his middleweight debut his last time out when he halted the hype train around Shara Magomedov, now he’s taking a step up in class to battle the ranked Cannonier. Page closed at -205 against a +170 comeback on Cannonier.
Middleweight Bout: #9 Jared Cannonier (18-8, 186 lbs.) vs. Michael Page (23-3, 186 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Page is four inches taller with an inch and a half of reach advantage. They touch gloves, Page opens orthodox but will switch his stance a lot. Some early jabs from Page as he moves around. Cannonier looks to get closer. Right to the body from Page then a body jab as well. Jab from Page then he avoids the counters from Cannonier. Right to the body from Page, he’s sniping and probing thus far nicely. Cannonier pushes into a clinch on the fence. They trade a few knees then Page with a foot sweep to get free. Cannonier misses a head kick then Page avoids a few punches. Solid intercepting right from Page drops Cannonier but Cannonier regains his feet quickly. Jab from Page. Another jab from Page. Cannonier avoids a punch and gets a clinch on the fence. Not much going on here, Cannonier is trying to get his knees going but is mostly concerned with holding Page on the fence. Page avoids being off balanced then they break. Page avoids a few punches to close the round.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Page
ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Hard right from Page to start then a few jabs. Cannonier tries to get his jab going but he’s not landing it. Another right from Page. Cannonier misses a few punches. Three punch combination from Page drops Cannonier again but Cannonier regains his feet. The hand speed of Page is absurd when he goes. Right to the body from Page. Intercepting right from Page partially lands. Right to the body from Cannonier but he’s really struggling to get to Page with offense. Page avoids a few punches. Calf kick from Cannonier then they clinch. They jockey for position then Cannonier hits an inside trip but Page wall walks right away. Bit of a knee from Cannonier then Page slips free. Bit of an uppercut from Page. Page avoids a right hand and Cannonier grabs another clinch on the fence. The round will end as they break the clinch.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Page, 20-18 Page overall
ROUND THREE: Page opens with a kick then fires a few punches that mostly land. Side kick from Page. Right hand from Page and he avoids the counter. Cannonier with a well timed cut kick and he gets on top in half guard. Arm triangle attack from Cannonier and he uses it to get to full mount. Page hip escapes to half guard. Bit of an elbow from Cannonier. Now Cannonier looks to pass again, Page blocks that. Kimura attack from Cannonier but he loses the grip. Cannonier passes back towards mount and he’s got an arm triangle attack again. Page gets out of the arm triangle and again shrimps to half guard. Elbow from Cannonier. Page blocks another pass. The round will end with Cannonier still on top.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Cannonier, 29-28 Page overall
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Michael Page via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Page gets an interview he knew he wanted to push more in the third round but made a mistake and Cannonier was incredibly strong on top. He plays with the crowd and hopes they enjoyed the fight. Seems like they did. He still has thoughts about welterweight but if he gets more good fights like this at middleweight he’ll stay here.
Geoff Neal has gone 1-2 in his last three fights, he did get a win his last time out but it was due to a knee injury to his opponent in 90 seconds, he’s looking to remind everyone that he’s a dangerous welterweight and that he could still factor into the title picture with a little luck. Carlos Prates just had an 11 fight winning streak snapped when he dropped a decision to Ian Machado Garry, but he did fight well in that bout and had Garry in trouble down the stretch. Now he’s trying to get back on the right side of things and resume his ascent through the ranks while also avoiding his first ever losing streak. The odds liked Prates the first time this fight was made and still do now at -200 against +165 for Neal.
Welterweight Bout: #11 Geoff Neal (16-6, 171 lbs.) vs. #12 Carlos Prates (21-7, 170 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Prates is two inches taller with three inches of reach advantage. Both men fight southpaw. Neal probes with some kicks early. Calf kick from Prates. Bit of a left from Neal over a jab. Spinning back kick from Prates then a calf kick as well. Neal punches in close, both men landed in there. Calf kick from Prates. Neal blocks a couple of punches. Left hand from Neal. Prates with a calf kick. Another calf kick from Prates. Neal avoids a jab. Bit of a one two from Prates. Prates with another calf kick. Both men land lefts. Neal lands a left hand, Prates responds with a left hand then a right hook. Knee from Prates in close and Neal fires a left hand. Prates avoids a few punches. Neal slips a left hand then lands a body kick. Right hand from Neal. Prates with a solid left to the body then a knee as well. The left eye of Neal is swelling up a bit. Prates tries a wheel kick but doesn’t really land it. Knee from Prates. Short uppercut from Neal. Left hand from Prates. Neal eats another left hand and is a little wobbled. Knee from Prates but Neal clinches him off of it. They break without incident. One two from Prates then a calf kick. Chopping elbow from Prates then a spinning elbow that FLOORS Neal right before the round ends.
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Carlos Prates via KO, spinning elbow, at 4:59 of Round 1
The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Prates for his work. Prates gets an interview after that lovely KO, he feels amazing then says tomorrow is his birthday and he wants to fight in Brazil soon then advocates for a teammate to get into the UFC, plus he’d like a bonus. The bonus seems like a fairly safe bet. He wants to prove he can be a champion while still enjoying life. Rogan confirms they’ll get Prates a fight in Rio and he’s likely to get a bonus. He says he’d like to fight Leon Edwards in Rio, ballsy callout.
CARLOS PRATES KNOCKED OUT GEOFF NEAL WITH A SPINNING BACK ELBOW 😳
ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS 🔥 #UFC319 pic.twitter.com/9lmRiaYDUA
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 17, 2025
Lerone Murphy is undefeated including being 8-0-1 in the UFC, he’s steadily climbed the ranks and most recently bested Josh Emmett. Murphy did take this fight on fairly short notice but a win would push him closer to a title shot. Aaron Pico was one of the most hyped MMA prospects when he made his pro debut with Bellator back in 2017, and he’s had ups and downs since then but he’s bringing a three fight winning streak into his UFC debut and a win here would put him close to the title picture right away. Pico is the favorite at -170 while that +140 on Murphy has to be considered a very good value bet.
Featherweight Bout: #6 Lerone Murphy (16-0-1, 146 lbs.) vs. Aaron Pico (13-4, 145 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Murphy is an inch taller with three inches of reach advantage. Murphy with a lot of early feinting as Pico looks to get close. Both men land rights then Pico hits the body and clinches up. Murphy gets free pretty quickly. Calf kick from Pico then another left to the body. Murphy with an elbow then as Pico level changes Murphy tries a ninja choke, Pico is able to escape but that was a serious attempt. Pico moves to a ride, Murphy wall walks then separates. Body jab from Murphy then a front kick. Double leg from Pico and he’s got Murphy down against the fence. Murphy wall walks pretty quickly. Bit of a Mir lock from Murphy to get motion in the clinch then he spins free. Spinning back kick from Murphy. Pico walks into a knee but finds the clinch anyway. A few knees to the body from Murphy before they break. Now Murphy is playing with his stance a bit. Pico moves into the clinch again then lands a left to the body. Front kick from Murphy then he ENDS Pico with a spinning elbow.
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Lerone Murphy via KO, spinning elbow, at 3:21 of Round 1
The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Murphy for his work. Mic time for Murphy after that thing of beauty, he feels he finally created a big moment on short notice and he wants the next shot at Volkanovski. Hard to disagree with that one. He talks us through the finish and puts over Pico but knew Pico would walk onto something eventually. Rogan says Murphy will get a bonus, then he puts over a team mate who should be in the UFC.
Khamzat Chimaev is undefeated including 8 UFC wins, most recently a majority decision with Kamaru Usman at middleweight then a very quick submission win over former champion Robert Whittaker. Chiamev is looking to make the most of his first shot at UFC gold here. Dricus du Plessis is the middleweight champion, he’s got two title defenses under his belt already and hasn’t lost in the UFC at all or in this weight class since his 5th professional fight back in 2014. While catching Anderson Silva seems unlikely, if du Plessis can get another defense here he’ll actually be more or less in the same category of middleweight greats as Chris Weidman and Israel Adesanya in a lot of ways. It’s a little surprising to see the challenger Chimaev as a rather heavy -270 favorite against +220 for du Plessis.
Middleweight Title Bout: (c) Dricus Du Plessis (23-2, 185 lbs.) vs. #3 Khamzat Chimaev (14-0, 183 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Chimaev is an inch taller but Du Plessis has an inch of reach advantage. They touch gloves to get things going. Quick double leg from Chimaev, Du Plessis scrambles around but Chimaev winds up on top in side control. Chimaev is working for a mounted crucifix, he’s got it and lands a few punches. Du Plessis looks to buck and get out of the position but Chimaev is keeping him down. Chimaev tries an arm triangle but Du Plessis gets out of that quickly though he’s still on his back. They scoot a little closer to the fence. Chimaev tries to mount, Du Plessis blocks that. They scoot around a little more, Chimaev gets the back briefly but Du Plessis reverse then Chimaev hits another takedown into side control. Du Plessis keeps threatening a guillotine but can’t find it. The round ends with Chimaev on top still.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Chimaev, could be 10-8 but the lack of damage keeps it out for me
ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Calf kick from Du Plessis. Chimaev tries a double leg then slips to the ride position against the fence. Du Plessis looks to start wall walking, Chimaev is throwing some little knees but not much else. Mat return from Chimaev, he’s got a nice ride going here. Du Plessis is struggling to get the grip of Chimaev off of him. Chimaev grabs at the choke but can’t find it. Not much going on here, just riding from Chimaev with a few small knees to the leg. Chimaev just keeps the control as the round ends.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Chimaev but again might be 10-8, 20-18 Chimaev overall
ROUND THREE: They touch gloves again. Both men show stance switches. Left hand from Du Plessis but Chimaev then shoots on him and gets to the back standing again. We’re back to riding for Chimaev. Du Plessis gets to guard but Chimaev passes to side control. Still not much going on here, Chimaev just holding on. Mounted crucifix now for Chimaev again and he lands some more small punches. Chimaev starts sneaking in some elbows but they’re few and far between. More punches from Chimaev but Du Plessis gets his arm out of the crucifix. Chimaev goes to full mount then gets the back and looks for a choke. Du Plessis defends the choke then looks to escape, Chimaev grabs a front headlock and that’ll close the round.
SCORECARD: 10-8 Chimaev, 30-26 Chimaev overall
ROUND FOUR: They touch gloves again. Bit of a right from Du Plessis. Chimaev lands a body kick. Du Plessis defends a takedown, Chimaev just keeps shooting and gets to the ride position against the fence. Du Plessis is able to stand but Chimaev rides him back down. Chimaev keeps up his ride and peppers in some small punches. Du Plessis tries to roll, Chimaev gets on top in side control again. Chimaev works for the crucifix again but can’t quite get it. The ref separates them as Du Plessis got to a knee, that’s fair. Bit of a jab from Du Plessis then a body kick but Chimaev takes him down again and gets back to the ride. Chimaev just keeps his ride, he grabs for a choke but can’t find one before the round ends.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Chimaev, 40-35 Chimaev overall
ROUND FIVE: They touch gloves again. Chimaev fires a head kick. Bit of a high kick from Du Plessis. They split jabs. Chimaev shoots and gets to the back then rides things down to the mat into side control again. Again Chimaev gets the mounted crucifix. Du Plessis escapes the crucifix and gets to his knees, Chimaev moves into the ride again. They stand and Chimaev rides things back down to the ride. Again they’re up then back down. Du Plessis stands then reverses position to get on top in half guard with 2:25 left in the round. Du Plessis tries a guillotine as Chimaev wrestles up, and Chimaev gets his head out to be on top in full guard. Bit of an elbow from Du Plessis. The ref then stands them up, things had stalled out. Calf kick from Chimaev. Bit of a body kick from Du Plessis. Right hand from Du Plessis. Chimaev with a jab then a double leg, Du Plessis sprawls then starts landing elbows. They wrestle up and Du Plessis hits a takedown into mount. Du Plessis with elbows, he grabs the choke but can’t quite find a finish. Chimaev still has his back taken but he just waits out the clock.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Du Plessis, 49-45 Chimaev overall
OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – and NEW UFC Middleweight Champion Khamzat Chimaev via unanimous decision (50-44 x3)
Mic time for the new champion, he feels generally happy and wants to get paid. He says he always just tries to fight like he works in the gym, then puts over du Plessis for being willing to fight him when most champions avoided him.
They give a brief interview to du Plessis as well, he puts over Chimaev’s control and wrestling acumen. He went for it and could taste a win near the end but couldn’t find it. He does say he’ll be back and wants the title back in the future, and he plays with the crowd a bit. He apologizes for letting people down, especially in South Africa. Chimaev wanders over to talk again and sends love to several dictators who’d supported him in training.
Well on that note UFC 319 comes to a close. We’ll be unpacking the fallout from this event on the 411 Ground and Pound MMA Podcast tomorrow, plus looking ahead to next week when the UFC is back in China. I’ll be back at some unhealthy early morning hour to cover that one and I hope you will as well. Until then thank you again for reading, be that live or after the fact, stay safe out there and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.
