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UFC president Dana White found himself embroiled in a social-media storm after the finish of the 319 main event between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev. The fight aired live over pay-per-view via ESPN+ in what turned out to be an uproar of indifferent criticism ringing from the mouths of the hordes of displeased fans who uttered from “boring” to “disgrace of the sport.”
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Chimaev threw every element of wrestling arts against Du Plessis, frustrating the audience to the point they demanded refunds. However, one disgruntled fan said, “Olympic wrestling is more exciting than a UFC title fight. Let that sink in.” Another stated: “Fucking terrible main event… Most boring fighter of the year award?”
The complaints were not just about the overly grappling-centered style of winning; additionally, most considered that the fight contained no real attempt at damage or submission. “Not a fight, an ass humper holding down DDP and trying to impregnate him,” exclaimed one colorful detractor. Others were suggesting rule changes, one of them writing: “No more than 20 or 30 seconds on the ground. Move your ass off the ground and keep fighting.”
The backlash was robust enough for some threatening to cancel their subscriptions to UFC. “I’m pretty much done watching the UFC if this is what it’s going to turn into,” threatened one disillusioned viewer. Another compared it unfavorably to professional wrestling: “As a 40-year-old I guess it’s time to go back to watching WWE pro wrestling compared to this bullshit.”
Du Plessis vs Chimaev is LIVE NEXT on @ESPNPlus PPV! #UFC319 pic.twitter.com/w6e3EXbKS0
— danawhite (@danawhite) August 17, 2025
Even those that did appreciate this aspect of technical grappling within the construct of MMA weren’t impressed. “Hey, just so you know, everyone hated this fight. Even people who know grappling,” one user remarked. Another stated, “If you are going to just wrestle at least do damage or get a stoppage nobody wants to watch two men lay on each other.”
The comments certainly weren’t restricted to the main event; some went as far as labeling the entire card as “pretty lame.” One disgruntled viewer even drew political comparisons, saying the product “looks as bad as Trump not releasing the Epstein files.”
The criticism had not come from White’s mouth yet, but such an overwhelming negativity has surely raised questions about what fans expect out of main events and whether it’s time the UFC begins considering how it markets some of these matchups. This isn’t the first time in UFC history that such a backlash has followed a grappling-heavy bout, only that this time around, the responses have hardly been so single-mindedly negative.
Some of the harshest criticism came from sources admitting that they had, in fact, not even paid for the event. “Hi Dana I pirated the match – I’d throw myself towards busy traffic before I pay to watch this slop match,” remarked a user, implying that not even the people who hadn’t paid felt it was worth their time.
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Now that the UFC struck that delicate balance defining technical martial arts versus entertainment value, this sort of response is a hard slap reminding folks that dominance with no damage is not worth the cash for many fans. The question remains if or how this reaction will fuel matchmaking or rules changes, but one thing is certain: the Karate Kid of a match at the 319 main event goes down in history with zero fond memories – and that may actually be a blessing in disguise for anybody except Khamzat Chimaev’s most ardent supporter.