Dricus Du Plessis isn’t afraid of a challenge. He proved that when he silenced doubters and outworked Sean Strickland to defend his middleweight title at UFC 312. Yet, even before the sweat dried, his mind had already moved on to bigger prey. His post-fight interview? A callout aimed directly at Alex Pereira, the light heavyweight wrecking machine.

But here’s the problem: ‘Poatan’ isn’t just another name on the roster. True to his Brazilian nickname, he is a stone-cold finisher with knockout power that rewrites careers. And according to many, including no.6 ranked middleweight Caio Borralho, ‘Stillknocks’ should rather set his sights on Khamzat Chimaev instead!

Dricus Du Plessis’s challenge to Alex Pereira receives a chilling warning from Brazilian middleweight  

At the UFC 312 post-fight press conference, fresh off a resounding win over ‘Tarzan, Dricus Du Plessis addressed his remarks in the cage and shared, “I want to beat a guy — I’ve beaten [Israel] Adesanya, who has beaten him. I know I can beat him, and at 205 [pounds]. One hundred percent.”

The South African champion has yet to taste defeat inside the Octagon as he has bulldozed through the 185 lbs. division since making his UFC debut in 2020. That includes wins over Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and now Sean Strickland, twice.

Yet, he might have to slow his roll a bit. Why? According to Caio Borralho, another middleweight on the rise, “Every time I doubt Dricus, he wins.” Speaking to Laerte Viana, he further shared, “However, I think Poatan would kill him. Dricus makes so many mistakes, and Pereira will kill you if you make just one.”

So where does this leave Du Plessis? Well, there’s an undefeated middleweight waiting in the wings for a shot at the gold. And according to Dana White, he’s the next in line for a chance to step into the cage against the South African.

Khamzat Chimaev’s name has been linked to a title opportunity since he demolished Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in just one round.

As such, with Dana White’s confirmation and Borralho’s warning ringing in the air, the South African champion may have no choice but to prove himself against the undefeated Chechen before daring to challenge ‘Poatan.’ So what will a fight between the two middleweight titans look like? Well, according to a UFC legend, ‘Borz’ may have his work cut out for him!

Du Plessis’s ‘confusing’ fighting style may be Chimaev’s kryptonite  

Dricus Du Plessis’s fighting style is an enigma, wrapped inside a mystery for Chael Sonnen! One moment, he’s brawling with reckless abandon, and the next, he’s outpacing the most technical strikers in the world. As such, speaking on a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, the UFC legend confessed, “I am as confused by Dricus Du Plessis as anyone in the history of this sport that I have followed.”

Du Plessis bends the rules of conventional wisdom, proving time and again that the textbook isn’t always right. How? Sonnen further explained, “His kickboxing is not as clean as Israel Adesanya or Alex Pereira — we’re not even in the same conversation. But he used that kickboxing, to defeat Israel Adesanya, who has beaten Alex Pereira. How do we just dismiss him?”

Then, came the bombshell. While Du Plessis is often recognized for his awkward but effective striking, Sonnen believes his wrestling is the real secret weapon. And against Khamzat Chimaev, that might be the key to stopping ‘Borz’s relentless grappling that has kept him undefeated so far.

According to Sonnen, “He wrestled with Sean in the first fight, there was none in the second, but he wrestled him in the first contest, and he looked really good. He did not need a scramble or two to set it up. This guy can wrestle, and moreover, nobody is out-wrestling him.”

To wrap things up, could ‘Stillknocks’ actually outwrestle the undefeated Chechen? Or will Chimaev do what he always does, and smash him on his way to securing the middleweight crown? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!