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Du Plessis Leaks Major News About UFC 319 Co-main Event
Dricus Du Plessis Leaks UFC 319 Co-Main Event Featuring Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje
DDP Drops a Bombshell and Sparks UFC Rumors
I’m accustomed to being an imaginary UFC matchmaker, and while the likes of Hunter Campbell and Dana White are usually those who create and announce fights, their middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, has seemingly done some of the work for them.
Two months shy of defending his 185lb crown versus Khamzat Chimaev, and days out from Ilia Topuria’s historic knockout win over Charles Oliveira to lift lightweight gold, DDP has revealed the potential co-main event of his upcoming UFC 319 title defense, and it would have serious implications on the division ‘El Matador’ now reigns in.
When Topuria and Paddy Pimblett faced off following this past weekend’s fight, it had everyone buzzing that we were about to witness the next UFC lightweight title showdown. Who needs a crystal ball when you have a face-off like that?
According to du Plessis, however, it seems the UFC matchmakers are still playing a game of “who’s next” with Topuria’s first lightweight title defence.
In a recent guest appearance on content creator Ahmed Amwell’s YouTube channel, Du Plessis dropped the bombshell that the UFC 319 co-main event is set to showcase a lightweight clash between the ever-charismatic Pimblett and the former BMF titleholder, Justin Gaethje.
If true, we can only imagine that the UFC matchmakers are going to be pissed.
Did Dricus du Plessis leak the co-main event of #UFC319 in August 👀👀
“It’s gonna be a big card. The co-main event is Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje.”
🎥 YT / Ahmed Amwellpic.twitter.com/wbgPzW1NHt
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 30, 2025
Does Pimblett Need One More Fight?
With Du Plessis’ UFC news bombshell and Topuria’s in-octagon faceoff with Pimblett, the MMA universe is understandably conflicted. The question many are asking, however, is whether Pimblett deserves the shot at the champ, or whether the rumored clash with Gaethje is warranted.
In all honesty, Pimblett is No.10 ranked, and his most impressive win to date, versus Michael Chandler, doesn’t warrant an immediate shot at gold. With that said, it’s not always about the rankings, as the ongoing beef between El Matador and Paddy the Baddy is undoubtedly the biggest lightweight fight the UFC can make right now.
IT’S GETTING HEATED 😱 #UFC317
Is Ilia Topuria vs Paddy Pimblett next?! pic.twitter.com/sWIEMbquQi
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) June 29, 2025
Paddy might be a few ranking places shy of deserving a title opportunity. Still, for the sake of selling pay-per-views and giving the fan base a heated rivalry we can get behind, I don’t believe anyone would argue if the Liverpudlian was Topuria’s first 155lb title defense.
Topuria and Pimblett have been at each other’s throats since a backstage altercation happened in 2022. Before either men were top-ranked in their respective divisions at the time, a scuffle occurred backstage, and the name “Hand Sanitizer Boy” surfaced after Paddy threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria.
And the rest is history. These two have genuine disdain for one another, and as two undefeated UFC fighters with huge fan bases, there’s no bigger fight to make!
🧴😬 When Paddy Pimblett threw hand sanitizer at Ilia Topuria in 2022 when they were just prospects.
Today this is one of the biggest fights that UFC can make. pic.twitter.com/2EjiQFvAF6
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) April 19, 2025
Du Plessis Might Be Wrong
Even if Du Plessis slipped up and announced a legitimate UFC 319 co-main event prematurely, he may have just pushed the UFC bosses to rearrange the UFC schedule and book the Topuria/ Pimblett bout. This becomes even more possible when you look at the hype and social media traction their UFC 317 face-off has generated.
Either way, DDP won’t be focused on the lightweight division because he has Khamzat Chimaev to worry about. At the time of writing, Chimaev is a -170 favorite on the UFC betting odds to dethrone Du Plessis.
Dricus Du Plessis will defend his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at #UFC319 in Chicago on Aug. 16, Dana White announced. pic.twitter.com/Ts0EFlZp9S
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 13, 2025
What do you think?
Much like the Topuria/Paddy situation, both DDP and Chimaev are unbeaten as UFC competitors. It’s arguably the biggest main event of the summer, and with or without a potential Gaethje vs. Pimblett co-main, we cannot wait!
