Dricus Du Plessis puts his UFC Middleweight title on the line as he faces off against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago.
This huge main event sees the champion enter the fight as a 2/1 underdog against the undefeated sensation Chimaev, who boasts an elite freestyle wrestling background.
The rest of the main card sees two big English contenders in Lerone Murphy and Michael Page try to fly up the rankings before the end of the year in their respective divisions.
Here we look at some of the best bets from the main card.
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UFC 319 Tips
Middleweight title to change hands
When it comes to middleweight match-ups, Dricus Du Plessis (23-2-0) and Khamzat Chimaev (14-0-0) is likely to be anyone’s dream title fight.
South African Du Plessis has come through a gauntlet of challengers in the UFC middleweight division to firmly stake his claim at the head of the table. Wins over Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker (all of which are former UFC middleweight champions) have cemented the 31-year-old as one of the great middleweights we have seen.
Saturday, however, produces a very different challenge in Chimaev, who is a fighter like no other. His pace, power and both elite striking and grappling makes him a tough opponent for anyone.
Nobody is yet to beat the Russian, whose most significant wins so far came against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and ex-middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.
Chimaev has won 75% of his UFC fights by stoppage with 50% coming via submission.
The 31-year-old averages 4.31 completed takedowns per 15 minutes with a takedown defence of 100%. He is able to then utilise this to create opportunities for himself on the ground with 2.8 submissions attempted per 15 minutes. This paired with his 58% significant striking accuracy makes him a nightmare matchup for any opponent.
Du Plessis on the other hand has both a 50% accuracy for takedown offence and defence, which is a big red flag when looking at backing the South African, who averages less than one submission per 15 minutes.
With Chimaev being not only a strong grappler but striker as well, it’s hard not to see the challenger stealing the belt from the South African in style, with his takedown ability and ruthless submission game.
Murphy to make featherweight statement
This weekend’s co-main event sees undefeated and #6 ranked featherweight contender Lerone Murphy welcome Aaron Pico to the organisation in a three-round fight.
Murphy (16-0-1) is a striker with a huge tank. The fighter from Manchester has won six of his last seven UFC fights via decision, knocking off some big names in the process with wins over Josh Emmett, Dan Ige and Edson Barboza.
Pico, on the other hand, is making his UFC debut. The once hot MMA prospect decided to sign with the UFC’s main rival organisation Bellator and didn’t get off to the flying start that many thought he would, picking up three losses in his first seven fights for the promotion.
He has managed to somewhat rescue his career to a respectable 13-4 but the competition he has faced so far is of a much lower level than Murphy.
The pressure could be all too much for Pico in his UFC debut and the well experienced Murphy should have enough to get his hand raised at a decent price.
Page fancied to get the job done
Another intriguing fight is the middleweight bout between Jarod Cannonier (18-8-0) and Michael Page (23-3-0).
London-born ace Page moves up from 170lbs to 185lbs as he attempts to become ranked in two different divisions in the UFC.
The 38-year-old has a UFC significant striking accuracy of 62%, leaving him with the very elite across the roster in that department, while his ability to switch stance means his opponent can never be comfortable and has to prepare for a plethora of styles.
Cannonier has been a constant feature in five-round main events, but he will be appearing in a three-round bout for the first time since January 2021 and he could struggle.
There is more of an emphasis on a fast start in three-round contests and the American doesn’t seem to have the same level of cardio as Page does.
Cannonier has lost two of his last three fights and we think that stretches to three in four on Saturday against one of England’s best mixed martial artists.
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