Ever since his 2020 UFC debut, when he earned a trio of dominant victories in a stretch of just 65 days, Khamzat Chimaev has been the promotion's greatest enigma as a fighter who is capable of magic in one performance only to look surprisingly human in his next amid a somewhat consistent stretch of inactivity.

In the main event of UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev dethroned Dricus Du Plessis in a dominating performance from beginning to end. The new middleweight champion takes the No. 1 spot in the 185-pound division, bumping Du Plessis down to No. 2.

With fans and pundits expecting a period of dominance from the new middleweight champion, who – if anyone – can stop the Chimaev? And why might it be important that someone does?