Champion Dricus du Plessis and challenger Khamzat Chimaev engaged in a high-stakes middleweight title bout at UFC 319, which took place on August 16, 2025, at the United Center in Chicago.
In addition to the exciting bouts, du Plessis and Chimaev’s financial compensation has piqued the interest of both fans and insiders. Here is a breakdown of what the UFC 319 main card fighters might have earned from UFC 319 as per industry estimations and fighters’ most recent reported payouts.
What happened at UFC 319?
Chimaev, the new middleweight champion, defeated Dricus du Plessis in a lopsided, grappling-heavy victory to take home the 185-pound belt, capping up Saturday’s event at United Center in Chicago.
Chimaev’s performance was more than sufficient to earn him a sweep on the scorecards, despite the fact that a number of fighters voiced their discontent when he controlled du Plessis for the bulk of the five-round fight without inflicting any serious damage.
He received an additional $50,000 because he was one of only four competitors to be awarded a Performance of the Night prize after UFC 319.
Lerone Murphy and Carlos Prates are among the boxers who join Chimaev in the bonus circle, which is not surprising. Both competitors won back-to-back bouts, much to the pleasure of the Chicago crowd, and did so with amazing spinning back elbow knockouts.
All about Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis’s earning
Dricus du Plessis
Du Plessis, the defending champion, was expected to make roughly $2.5 million at UFC 319. The amount comprises a guaranteed $1 million base purse and potential $1 to $1.5 million from pay-per-view revenue and promotional bonuses.
Du Plessis made about $3.34 million at UFC 312, demonstrating his status as a top UFC earner.
Khamzat Chimaev
Payout projections for Chimaev ranged from $1.55 million to $2.3 million, taking into account a $750,000 base salary, a $500,000 win incentive, and $750,000 to $1 million in PPV shares.
Chimaev earned about $1 million following his convincing victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. He was supposed to make $1.8 million on winning UFC 319.