Du Plessis vows to learn and return stronger after UFC 319 loss

Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis vowed to learn and return stronger after losing his belt to Khamzat Chimaev in a lopsided unanimous decision at UFC 319 on Aug. 16 in Chicago. Du Plessis, who entered the event unbeaten in the promotion, posted an emotional statement on Instagram a week after the fight, acknowledging he was outmatched and thanking fans, family and even critics for the support and motivation to rebuild.

Chimaev dominated the five round headliner, earning identical 50-44 scorecards from the judges to claim the middleweight title. Fight statistics reported after the bout showed Chimaev completed 12 of 17 takedowns, controlled roughly 88 percent of the fight time on the mat and outlanded Du Plessis by a wide margin, with 529 strikes to Du Plessis's 45. The victory extended Chimaev's unbeaten run and followed earlier signature wins over Robert Whittaker and Kamaru Usman.

In his Instagram message, Du Plessis wrote that he had spent time with family and would "embrace this loss with open arms," while stressing accountability. "I have absolutely no excuses for my performance, I was beaten by a better fighter on the night," he wrote. He added that the...