The UFC matchmakers will not be happy to hear what Dric Du Plessis may have leaked to the public.
UFC Middleweight Champion Dric Du Plessis is less than two months away from the unbeaten Juggernaut Khamzat Chimaev on UFC 319 in Chicago. It will demonstrably be the most difficult test for the career of Du Plessis and Chimaev, after all their earlier UFC opponents.
Du Plessis wants to stop the meteoric turnout of Chimaev after the Chechense submitted his former rival, Robert Whittaker, to UFC 308 last October. A victory over Chimaev would probably raise the pound-for-pound rankings of the UFC and add his great legacy of all time.
UFC 319 contains the middleweight return of Michael 'Venom' page, along the comeback battles of former title challenges Kai Asakura and Jared Cannonier. But if the recent claims of Du Plessis are true, the Co-Main event of UFC 319 still has to be revealed and contains two of the greatest stars of the UFC.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Dricus Du Plessis let Major Leak before the UFC 319 card in Chicago
We are only a few days away from an eventful night on UFC 317 when Ilia Topuria Charles Oliveira turned off to win the empty lightweight title. Islam Makhachev has left the belt to challenge Jack della Maddalena before the UFC Welterweight Championship later this year.
After he eliminated Oliveira, Topuria had a hostile faceoff with Paddy Pimblett who quickly became physical. Fortunately, security staff could intervene before the two heated rivals threw hands in the cage.
Topuria and Pimblett's Faceoff led many to believe that it was the next UFC light weight title fight. But according to Du Plessis, the UFC matchmakers still have to solidify the first lightweight title defense of Topuria, and UFC 319 will give some answers to those persistent questions.
In a recent cameo on the YouTube channel of content maker Ahmed Amwell, du Plessis said that the UFC 319-CO-Main event will contain a lightweight confrontation between Pimblett and former BMF title holder Justin Gaethje.
Dry Du Plessis leaked the Co-Main event of #UFC319 in August 👀👀
“It will be a large map. The Co-Main event is Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje.”
🎥 yt / ahmed amwellpic.twitter.com/wbgpzw1nht
– Championship Rounds (@champrds) 30 June 2025
At present, the UFC must formally announce the full line-up for UFC 319, including what the Co-Main Event Slot will fill. Pimblett and Gaethje have both stopped their next UFC bookings in recent days, indicating that the claims of Du Plessis might be true.
Gaethje threatened to retire if he was passed on for the next lightweight title shot. But a victory over Pimblett would almost certainly solidify its position as the first lightweight title -Uitdager from Topuria.
As far as Pimblett is concerned, a victory over Gaethje would achieve a confrontation with Topuria, a man he publicly admitted that he 'hates'. The two light weights kicked their intense feud during a fighter hotelbrawl in 2022 in London.
Justin Gaethje hits potential pension delay after leaked paddy Pimblett Showdown
Gaethje has not fought anymore since the beating of Rafael Fiziev in their UFC 313 -Rematch earlier this year. Before beating Fiziev, Gaethje had not participated since a stunning buzzer-knocking knockout loss for Max Holloway on UFC 300.
Pimblett moved the lightweight ranking by the former rival of Gaethje, Michael Chandler, on UFC 314. He remains unbeaten in his UFC official period with recent victories over Tony Ferguson and Bobby Green.
The rumors Pimblett vs. Gaethje Fight puts no. 1 competition Arman Tsarukyan on the outside of the title photo. From this letter, Tsarukyan will not be booked for his UFC recovery after his amazing withdrawal from UFC 311 earlier this year.