Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson didn’t hold back when addressing fan criticism of Khamzat Chimaev‘s dominant but wrestling-heavy victory over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago.
During his live companion, Johnson fired back at viewers who labeled Chimaev’s performance “boring” despite the Chechen MMA star’s complete domination en route to capturing the middleweight championship.
“If you guys don’t want to watch grappling and wrestling and jiu-jitsu, don’t watch UFC,” Johnson stated emphatically during his post-match analysis. “Don’t go watch One Championship. Go watch line fighting. Go watch glory. Go watch kickboxing. Go watch Muay Thai right?”
The MMA legend was particularly critical of fans who expected more excitement from what was essentially a masterclass in wrestling control. Chimaev took Du Plessis down 12 times out of 17 attempts, spending the majority of the contest in dominant positions like side control and crucifix.
Johnson, known for his technical expertise, provided detailed analysis of Chimaev’s wrestling approach throughout the contest. He explained how the new champion used fundamental wrestling techniques – positioning his knee in front of Du Plessis to prevent him from getting up, maintaining tight control without going for risky submission attempts, and methodically wearing down the former champion.
“He’s just wrestling. That’s all he’s doing is wrestling,” Johnson observed. “He shoots in, gets their back, goes two-on-one, steps in front of that lead knee, and just gets heavy. You get heavy. You get heavy. That’s literally all he’s doing to control.”
Johnson was also critical of referee Marc Goddard‘s decision to stand the competitors up twice during the contest, calling it unfair to Chimaev’s game plan.
“I disagree with that stand up both times,” Johnson said. “There’s no reason why the ref should have stood him up. This is a match. It’s up to DDP to get to a better position, to be able to better himself, to be able to compete.”
The former champion emphasized that what fans witnessed was simply high-level mixed martial arts even if it wasn’t the most entertaining style for casual viewers.
“This is a sport,” Johnson explained. “It’s not the most exciting way to win a match but those are techniques that DDP wasn’t able to defend or anything like that right? Like the actual competing of mixed martial arts is a sport.”
Johnson noted that Chimaev landed only 37 significant strikes out of 529 thrown but dominated through positional control and wrestling – a testament to his strategic approach rather than a lack of action.
For Johnson, Chimaev’s performance serves as a blueprint for future middleweight contenders. He warned that upcoming challengers like the winner of the rumored Imavov vs. Borralho bout will need serious wrestling credentials to compete.
“Whoever competes with Khamzat, they need to decide – if they do not come with a wrestling defense or a good jiu-jitsu attacking style like going after the legs, elevating Khamzat, they’re going to lose,” Johnson predicted.
The victory marked Chimaev’s first UFC title and solidified his position as one of the most dominant wrestlers in the promotion. While some fans may have wanted more striking exchanges, Johnson’s passionate defense reminds us that mixed martial arts encompasses all aspects of combat sports even when one athlete’s specialty makes for a one-sided affair.
For those who prefer pure striking, Johnson’s message was clear: there are other combat sports to watch. But if you want to see the complete mixed martial arts game, wrestling dominance like Chimaev’s is simply part of the territory.
Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis – FULL FIGHT pic.twitter.com/elTwFEl7xo
— Boxing Massacre (@BoxingMassacre) August 17, 2025
