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Khamzat Chimaev needed just one punch and 17 seconds to flatline UFC veteran

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 12:39 PM ET

Khamzat Chimaev fights Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319, a major achievement since his debut frenzy in 2020.

Before he was crushing the jaws of the middleweight elite, Chimaev debuted with unprecedented activity, scoring three wins in two months, absorbing naught but one strike across the board.

Perhaps the most emphatic victory in this timeframe was Chimaev's stunning 17-second knockout over then-44-fight veteran Gerald Meerschaert.

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Khamzat Chimaev's super-clean knockout over Gerald Meerschaert

Chimaev's 2020 fight against Meerschaert in the UFC APEX was meant to serve as his first legitimate Octagon test. 'M3' fought the who's-who of men's middleweight, and was the first name-value fighter Chimaev met in the cage.

He'd pass with flying colors, stalking Meerschaert to the Octagon side and landing a picture-perfect right cross down the pipe. Meerschaert collapsed, and some follow-up shots secured the KO win inside 17 seconds.

Khamzat Chimaev fights Dricus du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title

Five years after his UFC debut, Chimaev gets his first title opportunity at UFC 319. A plethora of injuries and other issues have kept him outside the cage, but he maintains an undefeated 14-0 record. Chimaev last fought Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, where he flattened 'The Reaper's' teeth with a face crank inside one round.

Defending his middleweight belt against Chimaev is Dricus du Plessis, a dynamic striker with an underrated grappling pedigree. It makes for one of the most interesting stylistic championship fights in recent memory.