Which Challenger Did It Better? Jon Jones or Khamzat Chimaev?

Fight fans are debating after watching last night’s demolition by Khamzat Chimaev easily beating the champion in Dricus Du Plessis. Fans are asking, is that the most dominant performance by a challenger challenging for a championship ever?

At UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev didn’t just beat Dricus Du Plessis, he dismantled him. From the opening bell, Chimaev imposed his grappling, repeatedly locking Du Plessis in the crucifix and landing heavy ground-and-pound. Du Plessis, who had built his championship reign on grit and durability, looked completely powerless. The judges’ unanimous 50-44 scorecards reflected just how one-sided the fight was.

Jon Jones vs. Shogun Rua (UFC 128, 2011)

• Context: Jones was only 23 years old, stepping in on short notice for Rashad Evans. Shogun was the reigning light heavyweight champion, fresh off his knockout win over Lyoto Machida.

• Performance: Jones dominated from the opening seconds. He out struck Shogun by a wide margin, mixed in brutal elbows and knees, and overwhelmed him with creativity and pressure. By Round 3, Shogun was exhausted, bloodied, and finally finished with a body shot and flurry.

• Impact: This wasn’t just a dominant win, it marked the beginning of the Jon Jones era. With Jones becoming the youngest UFC champion in history and also the greatest of all-time.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis (UFC 319, 2025)

• Context: Chimaev entered undefeated but had yet to capture UFC gold. Du Plessis was the reigning middleweight champion, coming off back-to-back wars with Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland.

• Performance: Chimaev smothered Du Plessis from the opening bell, repeatedly putting him in the crucifix and unleashing heavy ground-and-pound. Du Plessis had no answers for the grappling pressure. The fight went the distance, but the scorecards (50-44 across the board) reflected the one-sided dominance.

• Impact: Fans were stunned at just how easily Chimaev dismantled a champion who had looked nearly unstoppable in recent outings. The fight cemented him as a terrifying new king at 185 pounds. Chimaev story is still being written. So we don’t what his legacy will be in the long term. But we do understand the dominance in the short term.