Undefeated and heavily hyped challenger Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) did his part on the scale at official weigh-ins from the UFC host hotel, locking in his championship showdown with reigning titleholder Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC). The fight headlines the event at United Center ( ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Khamzat Chimaev has looked the part of a pound-for-pound great from the first time he stepped into the Octagon in 2020. In the opening round of his UFC debut, Chimaev landed 118 strikes, the second most by a middleweight in any round in the promotion's history.