Who's fighting on the UFC card tonight, August 16, 2025? Know your UFC 319 main and prelim card fighters, records, and highlights

The UFC returns to Chicago after more than five years, as UFC 319 takes place at the United Center tonight, August 16, 2025. The pay-per-view event features a solid bout line-up with intriguing matchups that could influence the title pictures in several weight classes. So let's delve in and know the UFC 319 fighters and their track record.

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UFC card tonight: UFC 319 main card fighters

UFC 319 main card fighters are as follows:

Main event: Middleweight - Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev (Undisputed middleweight title fight)

Co-main event: Featherweight - Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico

Welterweight - Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates

Middleweight - Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page

Flyweight - Tim Elliott vs. Kai Asakura

Dricus du Plessis (23-2)

Dricus du Plessis is the first UFC champion who trains and lives in Africa. 'Stillknox' has shown the ability to outwork his opponents with smart strategy, cardio, and physicality.

Du Plessis has defeated three former champions in his recent fights. Undefeated in the UFC thus far, 'Stillknox is coming off a unanimous decision win over Strickland in their UFC 312 rematch that took place in February.

Khamzat Chimaev (14-0)

Khamzat Chimaev is regarded as one of the most dominant and aggressive wrestlers in the UFC's upper weight classes. The Chechen-born fighter is favored to win at UFC 319, primarily due to his wrestling advantage.

Chimaev's wrestling credentials were proven legit with his dominant first-round submission win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in October of last year. While most of his opponents have failed to defend his takedowns, particularly in the first round, questions about his ability to maintain the pace for five rounds remain unanswered.

Lerone Murphy (16-0-1)

Lerone Murphy is the No.6-ranked featherweight contender. In his last fight, Murphy defeated former interim title challenger Josh Emmett by unanimous decision, extending his UFC record to 8-0-1. Many believed that he could be a couple of wins away from a title shot. However, fans have criticized his fighting style for the perceived lack of entertainment value.

Aaron Pico (13-4)

A former Bellator top contender, Aaron Pico was considered among the best fighters competing outside the UFC. He is riding a three-fight win streak with two knockouts and was initially scheduled to make his UFC debut against Movsar Evloev. However, Evloev had to withdraw, and Murphy stepped up on short notice to face Pico.

Highly touted Bellator veterans such as Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Mix failed to meet expectations in their recent UFC debuts. Pico will look forward to breaking the trend at UFC 319.

Geoff Neal (16-6)

One of the highly regarded strikers at welterweight, Geoff Neal, has tested himself against the best opponents the division has to offer. With his UFC 308 win over former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, Neal stopped the two-fight loss streak and got back in the win column. He will look forward to continuing the momentum with a potential win over Carlos Prates this weekend.

Carlos Prates (21-7)

Carlos Prates, a standout from The Fighting Nerds camp, rose to prominence in the UFC with a series of dominant wins. Hailed for his power and sharp striking, Prates started his UFC career with four consecutive knockout wins. After experiencing his first UFC loss against Ian Machado Garry in his last outing, Prates will get back in the win column if he manages to beat Geoff Neal.

Jared Cannonier (18-8)

One of the three UFC fighters to score knockout wins in three weight classes, Jared Cannonier is a former middleweight title challenger. At 41, Cannonier has retained his top 10 spot in the rankings, having defeated Gregory Rodriguez via a come-from-behind knockout in February.

Michael Page (23-3)

Michael Page is a British mixed martial artist known for his flashy and elusive fighting style. Having competed in the welterweight division for the majority of his career, Page made his UFC middleweight debut against highly touted Sharaputdin Magomedov in his last fight. Despite Magomedov's own striking prowess, Page outclassed him with unorthodox attacks and won the bout by unanimous decision.

Tim Elliott (20-13-1)

A veteran of the flyweight division and former title challenger, Tim Elliott is known for his high-energy, unorthodox fighting style and a strong wrestling background. Elliott has been inactive in recent years and has not competed since the first-round submission win over Su Mudaerji in December 2023.

Kai Asakura (20-13-1)

Kai Asakura is Japanese mixed martial artist and a former Rizin bantamweight champion. Known for his explosive striking, Asakura made his highly anticipated UFC debut against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in December 2024. Unfortunately for Asakura, he lost the fight by second-round submission and will look forward to scoring his maiden UFC win against Tim Elliott.

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UFC card tonight: UFC 319 preliminary card fighters

UFC 319 preliminary card fighters are as follows:

Middleweight - Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric Nolan

Middleweight - Gerald Meerschaert vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk

Women's strawweight - Jessica Andrade vs. Loopy Godinez

Lightweight - Chase Hooper vs. Alexander Hernandez

Baisangur Susurkaev (9-0)

Baisangur Susurkaev is an undefeated mixed martial artist with a more than 90 percent finish rate. He recently earned the UFC contract with a devastating knockout win over Murtaza Talha in 'Dana White's Contender Series' and will face Eric Nolan less than a week after this fight.

Eric Nolan (8-3)

Eric Nolan is a former CFFC welterweight champion. He boasts a versatile skill set with a strong wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu base. Nolan is currently riding a four-fight win streak with three consecutive knockouts.

Gerald Meerschaert (37-19)

A veteran of the middleweight division, Meerschaert is considered among the most skilled grapplers and submission artists. He has competed against some of the most elite fighters on the roster and will look forward to snapping his two-fight loss skid at UFC 319. Meerschaert lost to Reinier de Ridder and Brad Tavares in his recent fights.

Michal Oleksiejczuk (20-9-0-1NC)

Michal Oleksiejczuk is a Polish mixed martial artist and a former Thunderstrike Fight League champion. Following three consecutive losses, 'Lord' bounced back with a TKO win over Sedriques Dumas at UFC 314.

Jessica Andrade (26-14)

Jessica Andrade is a former women's strawweight champion and flyweight title challenger. She is one of the most powerful strikers in women's divisions and has shown the ability to stop her opponents with relative ease. While she has shown signs of decline in recent years, amassing a 2-5 record, her losses have come against the elite crop of fighters in the strawweight and flyweight divisions.

Loopy Godinez (13-5)

A rising contender in the women's strawweight division, Loopy Godinez is known for her aggressive, high-paced, and grappling-heavy fighting style. Following back-to-back defeats against Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern, Godinez got back in the win column with a unanimous decision victory against Julia Polastri in March.

Chase Hooper (16-3-1)

One of the youngest fighters to sign a contract with the UFC, Chase Hooper has amassed a five-fight win streak in recent outings. While he gained popularity as a grappler, Hooper has shown significant advancements in his striking, outworking veteran fighters such as Clay Guida and Jim Miller en route to victories.

Alexander Hernandez (16-8)

An explosive striker, Alexander Hernandez had hit a rough patch in his professional MMA career, going 4-7 from 2019 to 2024. He has since bounced back with consecutive wins over Austin Hubbard and Kurt Holobaugh, and will look forward to building on the momentum at UFC 319.

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UFC card tonight: UFC 319 early prelims fighters

UFC 319 early prelims fighters are as follows:

Lightweight - Edson Barboza vs. Drakkar Klose

Women's flyweight - Karine Silva vs. Dione Barbosa

Flyweight - Alibi Idiris vs. Joseph Morales

Edson Barboza (24-12)

A veteran with massive experience, Edson Barboza is one of the best strikers in the UFC. His career is characterized by highlight-reel knockouts and a fundamentally sound kick-heavy game. Barboza is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Lerone Murphy.

Drakkar Klose (15-3)

Another veteran with a versatile skill set, Drakkar Klose has been on a successful run with a couple of setbacks along the way. Klose was on a four-fight win streak before suffering a knockout defeat against Joel Alvarez in his last fight that took place in December 2024. He will look forward to getting back to winning ways at UFC 319.

Karine Silva (18-5)

A highly-touted women's flyweight contender from Brazil, Karine Silva experienced her first defeat in more than half a decade when she lost to Viviane Araujo at UFC 309 in November 2024, snapping her nine-fight win streak. She will enter the Octagon on Aug. 16 to regain her momentum.

Dione Barbosa (8-3)

Parimarily a grappler, Dione Barboza has scored several of her wins by submission. She is coming off a first-round submission win over Diana Belbita.

Alibi Idiris (10-0)

Alibi Idiris is an undefeated fighter from Kazakhstan, known for his finishing ability. He is coming off a first-round knockout win over Edilson Santos Jr.

Joseph Morales (12-2)

A member of Urijah Faber-led Team Alpha Male, Joseph Morales has a versatile skill set with a strong grappling base. He is currently riding a three-fight win streak and defeated Anthon Do by third-round submission in Urijah Faber's A1 Combat 8 event.