UFC 319: Dana White post-event interview
UFC CEO Dana White spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at the UFC 319 post-fight press conference and talked the top storylines.
CHICAGO – Dana White expected Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis to be different from what unfolded.
This past Saturday, Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) challenged champion Du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) for his UFC middleweight title in the main event of UFC 319. As the odds predicted, Chimaev left UFC 319 with his unbeaten record and a UFC championship belt after handing Du Plessis a 50-44 score on all three judges’ scorecards.
White, CEO of the UFC, isn’t totally surprised that the fight ended up being dominant for Chimaev, but he did think there was going to be more action.
“The lead up to this fight, I said, ‘I bet the main event is the Fight of the Night.’ I didn’t see that coming, but not shocked either,” White told reporters at the UFC 319 post-fight press conference. “The way that he dominated, if he could do it the first round, more likely you’re going to do it the second and throughout the rest of the fight.”
Chimaev is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, stars actively fighting in the UFC today. He made big waves in the MMA world after taking a fight immediately after his debut win in 2020. Since, Chimaev’s career has only gone up.
“The night when we were on Fight Island, and he said, ‘I want to fight next Saturday,’ ever since then, the guy has been a rocket ship,” White said. “He’s obviously very popular, too. People love him and fighting back here in the United States, and obviously, Chicago loves him, too.”
As far as Du Plessis, the South African fighter saw an 11-fight winning streak come to an end. That run not only saw him win the UFC middleweight title, but also defend it twice. Despite getting dominated, White has much respect for what Du Plessis showed in the cage.
“I had every round a 10-8, except maybe for the last round,” White said. “To be in the position that the was in, and the crucifix and just getting dominated on the ground and getting punched on the face and elbowed, it’s a frustrating place to be, and I thought he handled it well. Every round trying to get in the fight and win, yeah, impressive.”
