Du Plessis Vs. Chimaev – Who Wins?

Dricus du Plessis defends his UFC Middleweight Title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 on August 16, as we look at how the pair could approach the fight. 

The South African picked up the belt by beating Sean Strickland. He has made two successful title defenses, beating Israel Adesanya and Strickland in a rematch. A win over Chimaev will increase the calls on Du Plessis to move up in the hope of adding a second belt. While a move to light heavyweight could materialize after previous links with Alex Pereira, he must first overcome Chimaev.

“I think whoever wins out of Khamzat and DDP, whoever wins that can go for three belts. DDP’s bigger than Khamzat, so light heavyweight, he’s probably a light heavyweight naturally. So it makes sense for DDP to go to light heavyweight. Heavyweight’s not as far a stretch for him. DDP’s a big boy,” Brendan Schaub said 

The Approach

Du Plessis has built his career on defying the odds. He is known for his relentless pressure: He is a master of creating scrambles, constantly looking for a way to get back to his feet or turn a bad position into a good one. This makes it incredibly difficult for a control-based grappler to settle in.

He has also developed a reputation for an iron chin and an endless gas tank. He’s proven he can absorb punishment in the early rounds and still have the energy to take over in the championship rounds. This was shown the Adesanya fight, as he submitted Izzy after the latter had caught him with some right hands prior to the stoppage. The blueprint for the champion is simple: If he can weather Chimaev’s early onslaught, his cardio and durability will become his greatest assets.

Who Wins?

Chimaev will aim to get the fight to the ground and finish it. His wrestling pedigree is world-class, and he uses his grappling to break opponents both physically and mentally. Chimaev broke Robert Whittaker’s jaw in a first-round submission in his last fight. He is a master of takedowns, using his crushing top pressure and ground-and-pound to overwhelm his opponents. However, Du Plessis has warned Chimaev, stating that it will take more than wrestling to beat him. 

“We are not fighting for the wrestling title, we are fighting for the UFC title and that’s where i am the best. I am not the best wrestler or striker, but when you put all those things together, that is where i am the best in the world…100% I believe this is the best opponent I’ve faced to date, but so was the previous one. Every time you step in there, you’re going to face the next most dangerous guy, especially as the champion,” Du Plessis stated