Undefeated and heavily hyped challenger Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) did his part on the scale at official weigh-ins from the UFC host hotel, locking in his championship showdown with reigning titleholder Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC). The fight headlines the event at United Center ( ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

The top lightweight contender made weight as the backup fighter for UFC 317’s main event, which concluded with Ilia Topuria knocking out Charles Oliveira to become champion at 155 pounds. Since then, Tsarukyan has frequently had his claim to the next shot rejected by the new titleholder.