It took way longer than anyone expected when he first entered the UFC, but Khamzat Chimaev is officially the middleweight champion. The undefeated Russian fighter put on a record-breaking performance, landing 529 total strikes Saturday in Chicago at UFC 319 in a complete dismantling of now-former champion Dricus Du Plessis .

The co-main event and third fight on the card also produced a first. Carlos Prates and Lerone Murphy both finished their opponents by spinning back elbows in the first round -- in back-to-back fights. Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale and Jeff Wagenheim offer their takeaways from the top of the UFC 319 card.

A prophecy is fulfilled

It just took a little longer than anticipated.

When Khamzat Chimaev made his UFC debut in 2020, many viewed him as the uncrowned midd

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