In an electric and often chaotic UFC 319 press conference, UFC president Dana White was forced to intervene multiple times as reigning middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis and undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev traded verbal jabs, threats, and boasts. Chimaev, brimming with confidence, didn’t hold back, declaring: “I’m gunna go f*** him up bro … take his head and go home,” and further warning that “Africa is never going to see the belt again.”
The South African champion, known for his psychological warfare in press events, remained unfazed, promising that if Chimaev wasn’t prepared for war, he was “in for the worst night of his life.” The tension between the two escalated throughout the event, with White stepping in physically during face-offs to keep them apart. Chimaev, grinning confidently, told the crowd: “It’s my time, I take over UFC, man,” before slamming his microphone to the sound of wild applause.
Adding to the drama, the press conference introduced a surprise newcomer—Chechnya’s Baysangur Susurkaev. Only three days removed from winning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, the unbeaten 24-year-old now finds himself sharing the stage with Chimaev and on the same fight card. Chimaev hyped his countryman even further, boldly claiming Susurkaev was “better than me, bro, don’t worry.”
Susurkaev’s short-notice bout against American Eric Nolan came with its own layer of animosity, as Nolan labelled the debutant “Khamzat Chimaev’s butt boy.” The insult drew an immediate reaction from both Chechens, with Susurkaev snapping back, “I’ll smash you boy … we’re going to kill these guys.” White praised both fighters for taking the match on short notice, saying, “I love it from both guys. That’s what the Contender Series is all about.”
Meanwhile, du Plessis faced an unusually hostile Chicago crowd, with boos so loud during his first question that he had to pause for over 40 seconds. Instead of backing down, the champion embraced the moment. “That was one of the best boos I’ve heard,” he said, engaging in a verbal sparring session with fans. “Well done. But you’ll run out of steam quickly, I’ve seen this before …”
True to his word, du Plessis seemed to win the battle against the crowd, playfully provoking them to “C’mon America, let’s hear the boos,” and then mocking the waning energy: “No, short lived, short lived, I thought so.” As the exchanges continued, he declared, “Now, you’re getting sad guys,” flashing a grin that only fuelled the atmosphere further.
When the final stare-down came, the already heated environment almost turned physical. Both fighters inched toward each other, and the crowd erupted as White jumped in once more to prevent escalation.
Elsewhere on the card, UFC debutant Aaron Pico reignited talk of a potential clash with Australian featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Pico, who faces England’s Lerone Murphy in the co-main event, stated: “The most important thing is to win. But if I do it in a knockout, the next person that I fight is Alexander Volkanovski. And that’s who I want. But I know the task at hand is Lerone Murphy. But we take care of the job and Volkanovski is next.”
As UFC 319 draws closer, anticipation is reaching fever pitch. With Chimaev aiming to claim UFC gold and declare a new era, du Plessis determined to defend his belt at all costs, and fiery newcomers like Susurkaev making their mark, Sunday’s main event is shaping up to be one of the most explosive showdowns in recent UFC history.
