We are at a point in the UFC’s calendar year when the community is talking about Khamzat Chimaev finally getting his shot at gold. However, the Chechen-born star is under scrutiny for the aftermath of his winning the belt. There is a lot of concern about the future of the middleweight division, as some people tend to believe that Chimaev could put the entire division on hold.

UFC 319 is officially scheduled for August 16, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago, headlined by the Middleweight Championship bout between undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev and reigning champion Dricus du Plessis.

Recently, it was Jon Jones who was called out for holding up the heavyweight division because a fight against Tom Aspinall wasn’t motivating enough. He had the title, so he dictated the terms, while the other fighters who wanted to fight for the championship suffered. Jones would eventually vacate the belt after briefly retiring in June, but now Khamzat Chimaev is making people concerned that he might go on a long hiatus if he beats Dricus du Plessis.

Khamzat Chimaev has a history jof pulling out of fights, which also happened last year when he was placed in the main event of the UFC’s maiden Saudi Arabia show. And over the years, his activity in the UFC has slowed down as well. Meanwhile, Reinier de Ridder, who has fought four times in nine months since joining the promotion, has found himself in the title conversation. His win over Robert Whittaker launched him into the top five in the rankings, and the Dutchman looks keen on fighting Dricus du Plessis for the belt.

Yes, Reinier de Ridder doesn’t want to see Khamzat Chimaev win the title. It’s not jealousy or fear. It’s just because he doesn’t think the Chechen-born star is reliable enough to be as active as he has been in recent months, because ‘RDR’ doesn’t want to wait for too long. “I think if Khamzat wins this one, especially if he wins decisively, he’ll be like a huge name. And that might come with him, taking a lot of time off after,” de Ridder told MMA Fighting in a recent interview. “So, it might be better if Dricus wins, and then we can fight in four to six months. That’d be the best, I think.”

There is no doubt how big a star Dana White will have in his hands if Khamzat Chimaev wins the title. Now, the worry is that if Chimaev wins on August 16, he too might go on a lengthy absence, similarly disrupting the 185‑lb division. But that doesn’t take away the fact that there are a lot of UFC fighters backing Chimaev to win at UFC 319. The list includes former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley as well.

Sean O’Malley is backing Khamzat Chimaev to beat Dricus du Plessis

The former bantamweight champion recently shared analytical comments on Dricus du Plessis’s title defense against Israel Adesanya. Despite the South African star’s win over ‘Izzy’, Sean O’Malley was not sold on the fact that he could beat Khamzat Chimaev. Why? Well, ‘Suga’ claims that Adesanya dominated most of the fight before falling victim to a submission in the fourth round.

“I just watched DDP vs. Israel this morning before practice. Dude, Izzy was looking so good in that fight…DDP took over, but dude, Izzy was, for the most part, dominating,” Sean O’Malley stated on the ‘Overdogs Podcast’. “I feel like Khamzat is hard to count out; DDP is too… Khamzat, after what he did to Whittaker, the way he did it to Whittaker, it’s like, holy — yeah, I’mma go with Khamzat on that.”

Well, we are just a few days away from getting all the answers fans may have when Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis butt heads inside the Octagon. It’s certainly one of the biggest fights Dana White and Co. have put on for the fans this year. But do you believe things are going to get grim if Chimaev wins the title? Drop your comments below.