Lerone Murphy stakes his claim for a title shot with a sensational knockout of Aaron Pico, while Khamzat Chimaev dominates Dricus du Plessus to win the middleweight belt at UFC 319.

Khamzat Chimaev may not have made many new fans with his dominant win over Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC 319 on Saturday, but the top title challenger is taking home the UFC middleweight championship after winning a lopsided decision with a smothering grappling performance.

In a display of dominance that outdid even his path to the title, Chimaev spent five rounds smothering the life out of what was once an impressive champion, winning by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44) to take the UFC middleweight belt.

Khamzat Chimaev controlled Dricus Du Plessis for more than 21 minutes and set a UFC record for total strikes to win the middleweight title at UFC 319.

Full UFC 319 main card recap with results, big moments, and reactions from Chicago

Khamzat Chimaev was destined to fight for gold since his UFC debut. Once he was finally given a shot, he proved why he's the most dangerous fighter in MMA. Chimaev (15-0) dominated Dricus du Plessis for five rounds to become the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 319.

The best strategy is to target Du Plessis live after Round 1, assuming his odds climb from the +195 range to +300 area. Once upon a time, Aaron Pico was the biggest prospect in MMA. He was expected to dominate the competition in Bellator before moving through the ranks, but that’s not how things have turned out.