Khamzat Chimaev is the betting favorite to claim his first UFC championship.
UFC CEO Dana White recently announced that Khamzat Chimaev will challenge Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title. This highly anticipated matchup is set to headline UFC 319 on August 16 at the United Center in Chicago.
According to FanDuel, Chimaev has opened as a significant favorite, listed at -194. The defending champion, Dricus du Plessis, is the underdog at +150.
These odds imply a 66 percent probability of Chimaev winning the fight. A $100 bet on Chimaev would yield a profit of $51.55 (total return $151.55), while a $100 wager on du Plessis would return $250.
Chimaev is coming off what many consider the most impressive performance of his career: a first-round submission win over former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 last October in Abu Dhabi. This marked `Borz`s` first fight in over a year and just his third since September 2022, but the dominant showing solidified his claim for a title shot.
Dricus du Plessis initially won the middleweight title by defeating Sean Strickland via decision at UFC 297 in January 2024. Since then, he has defended his belt twice: first with a stoppage victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 last August, followed by a dominant decision win in a rematch against Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in February.
