Khamzat Chimaev put together an almost perfect version when the Ultimate Fighting Championship Spotlight burned the brightest.
The Chetsjesse Sloopball carried out Takedowns when he found him and combined with stifling top control and persistent ground-and-pound, while conquering the undisputed middleweight Kroon with a skewed five-round unanimous decision about Dricus du Plessis in the UFC 319 headliner on Saturday in the United Center. All three jury members handed in 50-44 score cards for Chimaev (15-0, 9-0 UFC).
Du Plessis (23-3, 9-1 UFC) had no answers to the ruthlessness of the challenger and the extreme contempt for his skills. Chimaev hit Takedowns in all five rounds, moved several times to the mounted crucifix and picked up points with punches and elbows. Damage was minimal, but the message was sent. Du Plessis had a few glimpses of hope late in the fifth round. There he went against a Takedown attempt in the top position in the decreasing moments and made a short pass with a coded choke. Chimaev easily freed himself, avoided the potential bullet and drove to the checkered flag.
In the meantime, Lerone Murphy from Manchester Top Team remained unbeaten and did this in a spectacular way, while he cut Bellator MMA refugee Aaron Pico with a rotating elbow in the first round of their co-main event of featherweight. Murphy (17-0-1, 9-0-1 UFC) brought it to a dramatic closure 3:21 in round 1.
Pico (13-5, 0-1 UFC) wasted little time to get acquainted with the Octagon. The Jackson-Wink MMA representative walked down Murphy and revealed heavy power bumps to the head and body while mixing a Takedown to keep his counterpart off-balance. Nothing mattered. Murphy pulled the Californian and then let fly with the beautifully timed elbow to the temple. Pico froze where he stood and sank down, his head bounced violently from the canvas.
Murphy, 34, will drive a winning streak with nine fights in his next outing.
Further down the main map, Fighting Nerds wiped striking Carlos Prates Geoff Neal with a sensational rotating elbow in the first round of their welterweight showcase. For the first time in more than eight years, Neal (16-7, 8-5 UFC) met his end 4:59 in round 1.
The 31-year-old Prates (22-7, 5-1 UFC) brought all his weapons to wear. He hit Neal’s lead bone with kicks, connected to one-twos, occasionally absorbed knees in the body and even mixed in a rotating kick in the body. With the time that was used up in the first round, Prates sent a rotating elbow that collapsed in the side of the head of the Fortis MMA product. The impact opened a long horizontal cut above Neal’s ear and sent him to the canvas in a semi-conscious state. No follow -up recordings were required.
Prates has rattled 12 victories over his last 13 assignments.
Elsewhere, London Shootfighters star Michael Page Jared Cannonier surpassed a unanimous decision in their three-round middleweight attraction. All three members of the Cageside Judiciary scored the same: 29-28 for page (24-3, 3-1 UFC), who has achieved Ian Garry Back-to-Back victories since his defeat of June 2024.
Cannonier (18-9, 11-9 UFC) was on the feet from its depth. Page dropped the MMA Lab support pillar with an upper hand in the first round and made it again with a three-punch volley in the second. Yet he left the door open for Cannonier. Page slid out while he threw a super man in round 3, so that the John Crouch Protégé could climb into a top position. Cannonier moved to the assembly several times, briefly flirted with an arm triangle and mixed in a mild ground and pound, but he failed to struggle enough attack to make a real pass during a finish.
The 41-year-old canonier has lost three of his last four attacks.
Finally, “The Ultimate Fighter” season 24 winner Tim Elliott entered the cage for the first time in more than 600 days and fired the former Rizin Fighting Federation champion Kai Asakura with a Guillotine Choke in the second round of their flying weight. Elliott (21-13-1, 10-11 UFC) hit the door 4:39 in round 2.
Asakura (21-6, 0-2 UFC) unleashed his fast, powerful hands in their first stock markets, but gave a Takedown late in the first round that seemed to shift the momentum. He came forward for the Middle Stanza with a much more provisional approach. Elliott carried out another Takedown, dropped a few elbows and left a scrambling. Shortly thereafter, Aakura was hopelessly entangled in the Guillotine. Elliott went to a mounted position, raised the couple and led the tapout after an extensive battle.
It was Elliott’s first submission of Guillotine Choke in almost a decade.
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