Following an entertaining preliminary card slate punctuated by a second-round finish by recent Dana White’s Contender Series grad Baisangur Susurkaev, the action at United Center shifted to the main card, where business picked up even more.
Tim Elliott kicked things off by submitting Kai Asakura before Michael “Venom” Page bested Top 10 mainstay Jared Cannonier to earn his third win in four UFC appearances. That was followed by consecutive first-round knockout wins by spinning back elbow courtesy of Carlos Prates and Lerone Murphy.
And in the main event, Khamzat Chimaev manhandled Dricus Du Plessis for five rounds, earning a clean sweep of the scorecards to become the new UFC middleweight champion.
It was an electric night in Chicago and we have the details on what transpired inside the Octagon assembled for your review below.
Prelim Results | Official Scorecards | Order PPV
Live Results, Fight Recaps & Backstage Interviews
This page will be updated live throughout the night with full fight recaps and exclusive post-fight interviews with every winner.
Khamzat Chimaev defeats Dricus Du Plessis by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44)
Khamzat Chimaev is your new UFC middleweight champion, turning in a truly dominant effort to unseat Dricus Du Plessis.
The undefeated challenger put the champion on the canvas in under 10 seconds, advancing to the mounted crucifix and blanking the South African for the remainder of the round. It was the same in the second and third, with “Borz” bulldozing Du Plessis, taking him down and keeping him stapled to the canvas throughout.
As the fight hit the championship rounds, Chimaev stayed attacking, chaining his wrestling together fantastically to close the distance, shutting down any chance of offense from Du Plessis and generally moving him around the Octagon at will. The champion had one Hail Mary offensive push towards the end of the fight, but couldn’t not capitalize, resulting in the title changing hands for the fifth time in less than three years.
Now 15-0 and stationed atop the middleweight division, it’s going to be interesting to see how this new reign plays out as Chimaev continues to look like an absolute force inside the Octagon.
Lerone Murphy defeats Aaron Pico by KO (spinning elbow) at 3:21 of Round 1
Lerone Murphy is still undefeated after knocking Aaron Pico out cold with a spinning elbow.
Pico closed the distance early and looked sharp to start, attacking the body and dragging Murphy to the canvas a couple of times. But midway through the round, as the newcomer came forward again, Murphy spun to his left, planting his elbow in the middle of Pico’s forehead, ending the fight in an instant.
With the next featherweight title challenger still undetermined, Murphy certainly made his case on Saturday night, picking up his ninth straight victory and a statement finish against the highly regarded and heavily favored Pico. The Brit is on a brilliant run and could very well be next in line for a shot at the belt.
Carlos Prates defeats Geoff Neal by KO (spinning back elbow) at 4:59 of Round 1
Right on the buzzer, Carlos Prates made good on his declaration that his fight with Geoff Neal would be a one-round fight.
After finding his range and rhythm midway through the frame, Prates landed a spinning back elbow to the side of Neal’s head just as the horn sounded, sending the Fortis MMA man falling to the canvas. Referee Jason Herzog waved off the fight immediately, giving Prates a dramatic return to the win column.
That’s the first time Neal has been knocked out and an amazing early birthday present for Prates, who turns 32 tomorrow. The Fighting Nerds welterweight remains a wildly dangerous threat in the 170-pound weight class and will likely find himself in the Top 10 following this performance.
Michael Page defeats Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Michael Page scored the best win of his UFC career on Saturday, out-striking perennial middleweight contender Jared Cannonier early before successfully navigating a tricky final round.
“MVP” was at his fluid, bouncy best to start, keeping Cannonier swinging at air while putting him on the deck with clean punches in both the first and second. But when he got too aggressive in the third, Cannonier took him down and spent the remainder of the frame controlling things from top position, hunting for submissions and opportunities to land big blows.
All three judges scored it 29-28 for Page, who picked up his second consecutive win at middleweight and third victory in four UFC appearances. The always entertaining British veteran remains an entertaining option in the 185-pound weight class, and could find himself in something fun whenever we see him again.
Tim Elliott defeats Kai Asakura by submission (mounted guillotine) at 4:39 of Round 2
Tim Elliott returned from an extended hiatus to collect a second-round submission win over recent title challenger Kai Asakura.
Fighting for the first time since December 2023, Elliott took some shots in the opening round, but closed out the frame by taking Asakura to the canvas, which seemingly extinguished the confidence of the Japanese fighter. In the second, the American veteran pressed the action more, and after hitting a beautiful double leg to get Asakura to the canvas, he climbed into mount, latched onto the choke, and squeezed out the win.
The divisional stalwart has now earned back-to-back submission wins and victories in four of his last five to reaffirm his standing in the flyweight ranks. This is a massive win for the former Ultimate Fighter winner, who should get another marquee opportunity next time out.