UFC Middleweight king Dricus Du Plessis finds himself in a tough spot these days, as rumors of a title defense against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev continue to swirl. The stakes are high, and the South African’s position is becoming increasingly precarious, much like someone facing a daunting challenge and going to great lengths to defend what they hold dear.

With a dominant win over Robert Whittaker last month in Abu Dhabi, ‘Borz’ leaped to the third rank in the middleweight division, positioning himself as the next potential title challenger. This has raised alarms for ‘Stillknocks’, who successfully defended his title back in August at UFC Perth. Now, Du Plessis is leaving no stone unturned in preparing for the challenge.

Recently, a post on his gym’s Instagram, CIT Performance Institute, revealed that ‘Stillknocks’ has mandated his teammates to grow beards like Khamzat Chimaev and shout “I kill everybody” before sparring. The caption read: “Breaking: @dricusduplessis has mandated that teammates grow out their beards and shout ‘I kill everybody’ before sparring in preparation for a potential title defense against @khamzat_chimaev.”

However, this intense preparation seems somewhat excessive from Dricus Du Plessis, especially considering both he and Chimaev have remained undefeated in the promotion, with impressive win streaks. The South African native has already defeated top contenders like Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya, while the Chenchen native has dominated fighters such as Kamaru Usman and Kevin Holland.

While Du Plessis has remained active in the division, several fight cancellations have disrupted Chimaev’s progress over the past four years, largely due to illness and medical issues. Despite this, the highly anticipated showdown between ‘Borz’ and ‘Stillknocks’ has yet to be officially confirmed by Dana White and the UFC. However, Chimaev has already weighed in with some comments about Du Plessis.

Khamzat Chimaev being practical against Dricus du Plessis

Khamzat Chimaev’s journey in the UFC has been nothing short of dramatic. Despite his unblemished record, multiple fight cancellations have marred it and have added doubt in the minds of fight fans around the world. The most notable one occurred earlier this year when ‘Borz’ was initially scheduled to face Robert Whittaker in the headline event for the UFC’s debut in Saudi Arabia. However, just weeks before the fight, ‘Borz’ withdrew due to an undisclosed illness. His spot was subsequently filled by the Dagestani prospect, Ikram Aliskerov.

This incident once again raised questions about the Chenchen native’s fitness and ability to sustain a career in MMA, with concerns linked to overtraining and a reportedly weak immune system that makes him vulnerable to illnesses before fights. Sven Koch, a renowned coach, described the situation as “overtraining syndrome,” or “overreaching,” emphasizing that Khamzat Chimaev’s lack of rest was taking a toll on his body.

Recently, the uncertainty surrounding Chimaev resurfaced during a conversation with Adam Zubayraev. When asked about his rumored fight against Dricus du Plessis, ‘Borz’ refused to make a prediction, saying, “If you don’t fight, you won’t know… I can have certain opinions about my fights, but in reality, you only find out when you get in the cage.” As of now, the clash between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev has yet to be confirmed by the UFC. Still, many fans and oddsmakers are already backing ‘Borz’ to overcome Du Plessis.

That said, it’s worth remembering that the current 185lbs champ has a proven track record of silencing doubters, having upset the odds in his last two fights as the underdog against Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland. What are your thoughts on this potential matchup? Drop your predictions below!