Chicago is buzzing as Dana White and the UFC take over, with the United Center becoming the city’s hotspot for fight fans. Just hours before UFC 319, fighters are gathering for a meet-and-greet and the pre-fight press conference. Fans are eagerly focusing on the fight of the year: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title.

Fans aren’t just excited for the action inside the Octagon—they’re here for the trash talk too. Dricus Du Plessis has built a reputation that has even brought Israel Adesanya to tears and thrown Sean Strickland off his game. He now sets his sights on the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, known for his confident yet sometimes aggressive persona—a combination that surprises many fans.

The mix of personalities promises a perfect storm at the press conference, and fans have already flocked to the streets hours before it begins. On X, senior journalist Mike Bohn captured the crowd from his car, captioning, “Already INSANE lineup outside Radius Chicago more than two hours out from the UFC 319 press conference. This is going to be a wild one!”

Fans erupted, with the scene highlighted by Jed I. Goodman on X, as the hype intensified. When White asked him, “Did you answer the question?” Du Plessis replied with a smile, “I don’t think so. This is one of the biggest boos I ever heard. Well done, James. Well done.” The event quickly became one of the largest press conferences for a UFC pay-per-view. Excitement was high among fans, especially in Chicago, where the promotions haven’t visited since June 2019. The anticipation and hype show no signs of slowing down.

While some fans attended the UFC 319 pre-fight press conference in person, those who couldn’t were following on social media, hoping meaningful questions would be asked to the fighters. Recently, press conferences have faced criticism, as media personnel haven’t always asked the questions fans wanted. Many confirmed their hopes that the UFC 319 pre-fight press conference would finally deliver the answers they were looking for.

Hype builds for UFC 319 Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis press conference

UFC reigning middleweight kingpin Dricus Du Plessis has been a dominant force in the promotion’s middleweight division since his debut. Meanwhile, the division is expected to see former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad make an impact. As Islam Makhachev moved up to 170 lbs to avoid facing his occasional partner, Muhammad hinted at moving to 185 lbs, making ‘Stillknocks’ his primary target in the lead-up to the fight. Muhammad even warned Dricus Du Plessis that he was “not welcome” in Chicago, as the two have a history of online beef.

Fans, however, showed up in droves. One mocked Belal Muhammad in a comment: “@bullyb170 could never get an attendance like this even in his own city.” A clear rebuke for Muhammad. Still, fans hoped the media would ask meaningful questions, rather than just bootlick Dana White & Co. One fan commented on raising concern: “Let’s hope it last more than 15 minutes.”

Despite the hype, Dricus Du Plessis wasn’t engaging much in trash talk, while Khamzat Chimaev, despite English not being his primary language, showed his Chechen wolf persona. One fan remarked, “Dricus is gonna disappoint y’all at the presser, I’m sorry to say it.” In the past, at UFC 305, ‘Stillknocks’ got under the Kiwi-Nigerian fighter’s skin by alleging he had servants, mentioning his upbringing, and even bringing up controversial allegations about Adesanya and his dog.

The same tactic Dricus Du Plessis used against Sean Strickland—bringing up childhood issues—was all he needed before stepping into the Octagon. It’s hard for Du Plessis to stay away this time. Another fan compared the UFC 319 crowd to last month’s Dustin Poirier fight at UFC 318 in New Orleans, where fans gave Poirier a bittersweet farewell. The fan wrote, “Was like this for 318 too. Was insane.”

But it wasn’t only Dricus Du Plessis on fans’ minds; Khamzat Chimaev, who has softened since becoming a father last year, also drew attention. Fans couldn’t forget “Professor” Chimaev, now seen with spectacles, and still hoped “Chimaev effecr took an action.” With the UFC 319 press conference currently underway, we’ll be bringing you all the details, from trash talk to every dramatic moment at the pre- and post-fight events. Stay tuned for updates.