By Matthew Wells, MMA Junkie,

7 hours ago

Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will look to extend his title reign when he takes on undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319.

Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) seeks to defend his middleweight title for the third time. The South African became champion in a split decision over Sean Strickland at UFC 297. He successfully defended against former champ Israel Adesanya, winning by submission in the fourth round at UFC 305. In his most recent outing, Du Plessis won a unanimous decision against Strickland in a title rematch at UFC 312.

Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is coming off arguably his most impressive outing to date, a first-round submission finish of former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. The Chechnya-born middleweight has been labeled a future champion since stepping onto the UFC scene, a forecast he supported by finishing his first four opponents and earning bonuses in his first five appearances.

According to DraftKings, Du Plessis is a +164 underdog to retain his title against unbeaten challenger Chimaev, who's a -198 favorite.

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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 319 headliner