Expert picks, best bets for UFC 319 and PFL championships - ESPN

This weekend is going to be filled with MMA championships. The UFC is in Chicago on Saturday for its last pay-per-view of the summer (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV; prelims at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+) and the PFL World Championships continue from Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday (9 p.m. ET on ESPN; prelims at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+).

At UFC 319, South African middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis makes his third title defense in the main event against ESPN's No. 2 middleweight, Khamzat Chimaev. Neither fighter has lost inside the Octagon, with Du Plessis a perfect 9-0 with six early stoppages and Chimaev 8-0 with six stoppages.

In the co-main event, former Bellator MMA standout Aaron Pico will make his anticipated UFC debut against undefeated featherweight contender Lerone Murphy, whose eight-fight winning streak is the longest among active 145-pounders. The winner could see himself in the Octagon opposite champion Alexander Volkanovski next.

In Week 2 of the 2025 PFL World Championships, the lightweight, bantamweight and women's flyweight titles are up for grabs. Former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche will look to add another belt to her collection against Jena Bishop. Power punchers Alfie Davis and defending champion Gadzhi Rabadanov lock up for the lightweight title. And a pair of first-season PFL contenders, Marcirley Alves and Justin Wetzell, battle for the bantamweight championship.

ESPN MMA analysts and commentators provide their Du Plessis vs. Chimaev predictions, and ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight on the value bets available on the UFC and PFL fight cards.

Dricus won't stop the takedown. I don't believe Du Plessis can stop the takedown, but is he going to be good enough to get back to his feet and strong