Dricus du Plessis prepares to face Sean Strickland at UFC 312, Khamzat Chimaev poses at the UFC 294 ceremonial weigh-ins. Credit: Jeff Bottari/Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Dricus du Plessis advised to back out of potential bet with Khamzat Chimaev or risk leaving UFC 319 empty handed

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Kyle Dimond | Last updated Jul 26, 2025 8:57 AM ET

There has been talk surrounding a bet that the UFC’s middleweight champion never made.

The main event of UFC 319 is set to be one of the biggest fights of the year between two of the sport’s most unique personalities and competitors.

Many are split on Dricus du Plessis’ next title defense against Khamzat Chimaev on August 16 due to the fascinating clash of styles.

While some expect Chimaev to run through the champion like he has done to many other opponents, others believe that ‘Stillknocks’ can end his challenger’s undefeated run.

The biggest question is how effective Chimaev’s grappling will be against du Plessis, as it will undoubtedly be the key part of his strategy in Chicago.

Arman Tsarukyan believes that Dricus du Plessis would lose his entire UFC 319 purse if he makes a bet with Khamzat Chimaev

There has been some discussion ahead of UFC 319 surrounding a supposed bet that Dricus du Plessis made to Khamzat Chimaev where he offered him money for every successful takedown.

The middleweight champion never made this offer and it seemed to be taken out of context from the post below where du Plessis wrote about his coach offering his training partners $10,000 for the first person to take him down.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dricus du Plessis (@dricusduplessis)

Chael Sonnen posted a video on his YouTube channel which suggested that this offer had been extended to Chimaev for their upcoming contest on August 16.

While du Plessis has not given any suggestion that this is an offer on the table, Arman Tsarukyan recently gave his thoughts on the potential bet during an appearance on the Overdogs Podcast.

Tsarukyan has been training alongside Chimaev for his upcoming middleweight title fight and isn’t convinced that du Plessis would have much money left if such a wager was put in place.

“Just taking him down is not difficult, but holding him [down] is more difficult. But, if he really thinks he’s going to pay $10,000, he’s not going to make money from that fight. He’s going to give all his money to Khamzat.”

We may not have seen the full extent of Dricus du Plessis’ grappling skills in the UFC

When looking at Dricus du Plessis’ grappling inside the Octagon, it reflects his fighting style as a whole.

The middleweight champion may not have the highest success rate when going for or defending takedowns, but it’s his willingness to constantly give opponents new things to think about that makes him so effective.

UFC grappling stats	Dricus du Plessis
Average takedowns landed per 15 minutes	2.55
Takedown accuracy	50%
Takedown defense (% of opponents takedown attempts that did not land)	50%
Average submission attempts per 15 minutes	0.7

While many expect Khamzat Chimaev to have the advantage in the grappling exchanges, ‘Stillknocks’ is incredibly persistent, so that edge could become more balanced as the fight goes on.

He may not be a feared grappler like his opponent but du Plessis is incredibly durable and has proven his ability to fight over five rounds, which is what makes the matchup so interesting.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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