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Du Plessis vs. Chimaev Headlines UFC 319 in Chicago

Published

11 months ago

June 19, 2025

South Florida Insider

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT BETWEEN (C) DRICUS DU PLESSIS AND (#3) KHAMZAT CHIMAEV HEADLINES UFC^® RETURN TO CHICAGO

June 17th, 2025

FEATURED BOUT: (#7) JARED CANNONIER vs. MICHAEL ‘VENOM’ PAGE

UFC^® 319: DU PLESSIS vs. CHIMAEV

TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 20

UFC^® returns to Chicago with a blockbuster middleweight championship bout that will see Dricus Du Plessis defend his title against undefeated No. 3 ranked contender Khamzat Chimaev. Also, an exciting battle of middleweight strikers will see No. 7 ranked contender Jared Cannonier face Michael ‘Venom’ Page.

UFC^® 319: DU PLESSIS vs. CHIMAEV tickets will go on sale Friday, June 20 at 10 a.m. CT and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^®members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, June 18 at 10 a.m. CT via the website UFCFightClub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, June 19 at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC^® 319: DU PLESSIS vs. CHIMAEV will take place Saturday, August 16 at United Center with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be available on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and Disney+, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The early prelims will kick off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.

Du Plessis (23-2, fighting out of Pretoria, South Africa) has his sights set on another dominant title defense. Unbeaten for nearly seven years, he holds memorable victories over former UFC titleholders Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. Du Plessis now plans to hand Chimaev his first loss to continue his reign atop the middleweight division.

Chimaev (14-0, fighitng out of The United Arab Emirates by way of Chechnya, Russia) intends to make the most of his first title opportunity. A powerful grappler and striker, he has earned thrilling wins against Robert Whittaker, Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. Chimaev now hopes to dethrone Du Plessis and achieve his dream of becoming UFC champion.

Cannonier (18-8, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) looks to build off his spectacular TKO victory over Gregory Rodrigues in February. A perennial middleweight contender, he also holds wins over Sean Strickland, Marvin Vettori and Derek Brunson. Cannonier now aims to turn away Page and earn a shot at the Top 5.

Page (23-3, fighitng out of London, England) returns to middleweight following his dominant performance against Shara Magomedov earlier this year. A dynamic striker, he also holds victories over Kevin Holland, Douglas Lima and Paul Daley. Page now plans to insert his name in the middleweight title picture by taking out Cannonier in emphatic fashion.

Additional bouts on the card include:

Gerald Meerschaert (37-19, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) takes on Michal Oleksiejczuk (20-9 1NC, fighting out of Barki, Poland) at middleweight
Edson Barboza (24-12, fighting out of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) battles Drakkar Klose (15-3-1, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz. by way of South Haven, Mich.) in a lightweight bout
Lightweight veterans clash when King Green (32-17-1 1NC, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.) meets Diego Ferreira (19-6, fighting out of Pharr, Texas by way of Careiro da Várzea, Amazonas, Brazil)
No. 12 ranked women’s flyweight contender Karine Silva (18-5, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) faces No. 15 JJ Aldrich (14-7, fighting out of Aurora, Colo.)
Bryan Battle (13-2 1NC, fighting out of Charlotte, N.C.) locks horns with Nursulton Ruziboev (36-9-2 2NC, fighting out of Tashkent, Uzbekistan) at middleweight
No. 11 ranked flyweight contender Tim Elliott (21-13-1, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) collides with recent title challenger and No. 15 Kai Asakura (21-5, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan)
Chase Hooper (16-3-1, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash.) faces Alexander Hernandez (16-8, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of San Antonio, Texas) in an intriguing lightweight tilt
Former UFC strawweight champion and current No. 5 ranked contender Jessica Andrade (26-14, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) squares off with No. 11 Loopy Godinez (13-5, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico)

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

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As Miami Beach Pride 2026 returns to Ocean Drive this April, Palace Bar Miami Beach is once again set to be one of the biggest centers of the celebration. Known for its drag shows, open-air dining, and longtime place in South Florida’s LGBTQ+ community, Palace will host a full schedule of Pride Week events while standing directly across from one of the most meaningful new symbols of the weekend: the restored rainbow crosswalk in Miami Beach.

On Friday, April 10, the City of Miami Beach will unveil the rebuilt LGBTQIA+ rainbow crosswalk in Lummus Park, just steps from the Palace on Ocean Drive. The installation was recreated using 3,606 salvaged pavers from the original 2009 crosswalk, giving the city a renewed and permanent symbol of LGBTQ+ visibility, unity, and pride. Its location across from the Palace makes the venue a natural backdrop for one of the most talked-about moments of Miami Beach Pride 2026.

That visibility is nothing new for Palace. Owned by Tom Donall, a co-founder of Miami Beach Pride, Palace has spent nearly four decades building its reputation as one of the most iconic LGBTQ+ venues in Miami Beach. For locals and visitors alike, it has become a go-to destination for drag entertainment, brunch, nightlife, and community on Ocean Drive.

This year’s Palace Bar Miami Beach Pride lineup runs from April 8 through April 12 and includes some of the week’s biggest events. The schedule features the Miami Beach Pride Pageant on April 8, the Haus of Gucci Ball on April 10, and a full weekend of brunches, rooftop events, performances, and DJ sets from Oscar Velasquez and Jrny. Pride weekend will close on Sunday, April 12, with a major final celebration featuring DJ Dani Brasil and appearances by RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Jimbo and Trinity the Tuck.