Shara Magomedov gives blunt prediction on Dricus du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev: ‘Two seconds…’

There’s no shadow of a doubt that facing Chimaev is among the toughest challenges du Plessis has encountered in his career so far. The Chechen Wolf, currently riding a five-fight win streak in the UFC, has drawn attention as a serious title contender ever since he joined the promotion.

On the other hand, Du Plessis has dealt with plenty of criticism throughout his career despite holding the title. His unorthodox style doesn’t always win fans over, but it’s hard to argue with his results inside the Octagon.

That dynamic has led some to question the South African’s chances. For instance, Shara Magomedov didn’t hold back when asked about the matchup during his pre-fight press conference ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi

“As I said before, Dricus is in very good, strong hands in this fight,” Magomedov stated. “We’ll make sure to remember his name with two seconds of silence, afterwards.”

Magomedov’s comments reflect how highly regarded Chimaev has become within the division. We’ll soon see if those predictions hold up when they step into the cage at UFC 319.

Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa’s feud heats up again at UFC 318

Chimaev has also been involved in a back-and-forth with former title challenger Paulo Costa. After his win over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318, Costa called out Chimaev and made it clear he still wants that fight to happen before their careers are over.

In the build-up to their originally scheduled bout at UFC 294, Costa accused Chimaev of messaging his girlfriend. The fight was called off after Costa pulled out due to injury.

With Costa coming off a win at UFC 318 and Chimaev preparing for his title shot, there’s still a chance these two cross paths again in the future. Whether it happens inside the cage or not, remains to be seen.