issue 220

August 2025

Could this be the scariest pre-fight look in MMA? His meme-like single eyebrow was cocked so menacingly it could have been scored as a 10-8 round. It’s the kind of look that says everything you want about a terrifying champion. Just minutes later, he proved it by rag-dolling Dricus du Plessis across five rounds to seize the middleweight crown. Twelve takedowns. A UFC-record 529 strikes. Twenty-one minutes of control time that looked like he was orca playing with a baby seal. Before this bout, Du Plessis remained unbeaten in the UFC, and while he showed the heart of a lion, he was still reduced to surviving instead of roaring. Chimaev didn’t get the finish. But he didn’t need it because his domination was surgical. That pre-fight stare, immortalized in one raised brow, will forever be one of the most terrifying warnings in MMA. And right now it’s the face of an undefeated champion.

Date: August 17, 2025

Location: UFC 319, United Center, Chicago, Illinois