Preview: The Middleweight Championship is Up for Grabs in Exciting UFC 319 Main Event

The octagon returns to Chicago this weekend for UFC 319 in the United Center. Some of the best fighters in the world will step into the cage, headlined by a highly anticipated Middleweight Championship bout that has a lot of fans talking. And with the UFC’s days on ESPN+ numbered, we can expect quite a show in one of the last cards to be featured on the platform.

The middleweight champ will have his work cut out for him as an undefeated challenger comes into an exciting main event as the slight betting favorite. Plus, a perennial welterweight contender faces off with another promising talent and an undefeated featherweight stud puts perfection on the line against a UFC newcomer.

Welterweight bout: Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates

Geoff Neal will be looking to shake off that “gatekeeper" role in the welterweight division and climb the ranks to prove he is a worthy contender himself. Currently the 11th ranked welterweight contender, Neal is a mainstay in the class rankings, with a 16-6 record and 10 knockouts. He has wins over former champions like Belal Muhammad and Rafael Dos Anjos and has faced off with some of the best in the sport today. Unfortunately, he has proven to be just a step below that top tier in the division, dropping four of his last seven to some of the top contenders. Now, he will look to make that leap and set himself up for a title run.

In his way though is the 12th-ranked welterweight contender. Carlos Prates sports a 21-7 record, with his only UFC loss coming in his most recent outing against Ian Garry. 16 of his 21 wins have come by knockout so this should be a very exciting striking matchup. Both of these guys will likely look to keep their distance and land their strikes without getting into too much danger. Of course, with two guys of this punching caliber, avoiding danger won’t be entirely possible. We should see some fireworks here.

My Pick: Prates via 3rd round knockout

Featherweight bout: Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico

There’s always some added excitement when an undefeated fighter steps into the octagon. Lerone Murphy is a perfect 16-0-1, with an eight-fight winning streak in the UFC. He has also taken out some of the best in the class recently, including Edson Barboza, Dan Ige and Josh Emmett. Murphy scored a lot of knockouts early in his career, but has recently seen his fights going the distance. It is more rare to see knockouts in the smaller weight classes like this one, but that doesn’t mean Murphy is any less dangerous as a striker.  

Across the octagon will be Bellator veteran Aaron Pico making his UFC debut. With a 13-4 record and nine knockouts, there is no questioning Pico’s talent. He has taken out some of the best fighters outside of the UFC, winning nine of his last 10 fights, with the only loss coming because of an injury. Still, there is always a question when making the leap in competition. Will he be ready for the bright lights of a UFC pay-per-view? We’ll have to see, but this is a very tough first challenge.

My Pick: Murphy via decision

Middleweight Championship bout: Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev

The UFC’s middleweight division has been very interesting in recent years. With four title changes in the last three years, fans had been waiting for someone to separate themselves from the competition. Current champion Dricus du Plessis appears to be doing exactly that, successfully defending the crown twice now. However, there is one challenger left who a lot of fans think can take the title away, and Vegas agrees.

Khamzat Chimaev has been circling UFC gold for some time now. Emerging as a contender in the welterweight division, he made the switch to middleweight a few years ago and has found himself at the top of the class again. Chimaev sports a perfect 14-0 record with six knockouts and six submissions. He looked dominant in his most recent outing, submitting former champion Robert Whittaker in just over three minutes. He has shown no weakness in his game and is happy to take the fight wherever it goes and that all adds up to him being a -180 betting favorite as the challenger in this championship main event.

However, du Plessis has shown that his toughness can overcome a whole lot of talent. The champ now boasts a 23-2 record with nine knockouts and 11 submissions, so clearly he can get the job done anywhere as well. And while he may have always seemed a bit like he was out of place atop the division, he has proven he belongs by defending the title twice and winning four straight fights against former champions, including the aforementioned Whittaker. Du Plessis is a powerful striker and grappler and there is no question he is talented, but his greatest weapons are his toughness and his drive. He will push the pace for five rounds and wear down his opponents. It will be interesting to see how Chimaev handles that pressure.

My Pick: du Plessis via decision

UFC 319 will be held Saturday, August 16 at 10 PM ET. ESPN+ subscribers can order the pay per view for $79.99.