Top Five UFC Fights To Look Forward To In August

Roman Dolidze v Anthony Hernandez

When: Sunday, August 10, SA time

August will be a big month in the middleweight division with a title tilt and a number of key clashes on the cards. One of them is the marquee matchup of UFC Vegas 109 at the UFC APEX, where Dolidze and Hernandez will duke it out.

Dolidze brings a three-fight win streak into the contest and kicked off his 2025 campaign with a decision victory over former title challenger Marvin Vettori in March.

Hernandez is on an even bigger roll with seven straight wins. “Fluffy” is firing on all cylinders and heads into his second main event having beaten Brendan Allen in February.

Two well-rounded fighters, this should be a high-level and action-packed affair.

July’s Top Five UFC Knockouts

Dricus du Plessis v Khamzat Chimaev

When: Sunday, August 17, SA time

Chaos comes to Chicago as Du Plessis defends his middleweight title against the undefeated Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319 at the United Center.

With both men being unbeaten inside the Octagon, something has to give as South African grit meets Chechen power in one of the biggest fights of the year.

Du Plessis is a perfect 9-0 inside the Octagon, marching to the top of the mountain and putting South Africa on the mixed martial arts map as the country’s first UFC champion.

Since capturing the 185-pound title last January, “Stillknocks” has successfully defended it twice, against the great Israel Adesanya, and most recently, against the man he beat for the gold, Sean Strickland, in their rematch in February.

A dominant force, Chimaev has never tasted defeat. The malicious mauler boasts a flawless record of 14-0 and earned what many viewed as an inevitable title shot by crushing Australian ace Robert Whittaker’s jaw with a nasty face crank last October.

Lerone Murphy v Aaron Pico

When: Sunday, August 17, SA time

UFC 319’s co-headliner will see Pico make his much-anticipated promotional debut in a pivotal featherweight fight against the unbeaten Murphy.

A former Bellator standout, Pico is a power puncher of note with nine wins by knockout. On a three-fight win streak, the 28-year-old’s exciting style is tailor-made for the Octagon.

In Murphy, he’ll have a willing dance partner. Stepping in for Movsar Evloev on short notice, “The Miracle” is undefeated in his 17-fight career and outworked Josh Emmett over five rounds in April to advance his title aspirations.

Jared Cannonier v Michael Page

When: Sunday, August 17, SA time

Another cracker in Chi-Town will see perennial top middleweight contender Cannonier clash with Page.

A veteran with dynamite in his hands, Cannonier hasn’t given up on his dream of becoming a UFC champion and will be making his 20th walk to the Octagon. “The Killa Gorilla” stopped Gregory Rodrigues in February to preserve his place in the 185-pound elite, and will aim to land a bomb at UFC 319.

Page, meanwhile, has an opportunity to propel himself into the top 10 in just his second fight at middleweight. A fast and elusive striker, “Venom” made a splash in his divisional debut when he handed Shara Magomedov his first loss in February and seeks to shoot up the ladder by slaying the former title challenger.   

Johnny Walker v Zhang Mingyang

When: Saturday, August 23, SA time

The main event of UFC Shanghai will be a thrilling slugfest for as long as it lasts.

A staple in the light heavyweight top 15, Walker will look to snap a two-fight losing skid, while Zhang will be out to cement himself as a new contender.

It’s a tall order for Walker, and with his back against the wall, the Brazilian will come out swinging looking to pull off the upset. China’s Zhang is on a nine-fight win streak with three of those wins coming inside the Octagon.

A pure predator, he’s hunting his 20th first-round finish in front of his home crowd.