In the headliner, middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the third time when he meets unbeaten – and favored – challenger Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA,

Khamzat Chimaev has never been a stranger to drama on the scales. After a few weight-cutting issues earlier in his UFC run, he made the move from welterweight to middleweight, a shift that was supposed to make fight week a little less stressful.

In a 5-round middleweight championship bout in the main event, Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev meet Saturday at UFC 319 in Chicago.

CHICAGO – UFC 319 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live round-by-round coverage and official results beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT) from United Center ( ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+)

Undefeated middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev has a history of being unreliable, thanks to a combination of scale fails and mysterious illnesses. That’s why the promotion booked a backup fighter for the UFC 319 pay-per-view (PPV) main event this Sat.

Ahead of his first appearance as a UFC pay-per-view main eventer this Saturday, Khamzat Chimaev offered up a comment that