Robert Whittaker defends Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant performance over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 against fans who called it boring.

So, with five championship rounds on deck against Dricus du Plessis, fans and analysts alike wondered if he could keep the pace. By the time the final bell rang in Chicago, though, Chimaev had delivered the kind of performance that silenced every critic of his cardio in one go.

Memorable card in a number of ways — along with a couple of absolutely shocking outcomes. Will be one we talk about at year’s end, certainly. Lee: Could have used one more spinning back elbow knockout,

Now Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will look to fulfill his championship potential when he challenges middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 319 headliner (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at United Center in Chicago.