It is safe to say that Dricus Du Plessis was closely watching the encounter between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308. The middleweight champion, in an interview, responded to a query surrounding a hypothetical scenario where he fights the undefeated Chechnya-born juggernaut. Will Chimaev do the same thing to Du Plessis that he did to Bobby Knuckles? The South African native doesn’t believe that’s a possibility.
‘Stillknocks’ has studied Khamzat Chimaev’s style enough to learn about the bag of tricks the Emirati star possesses. He believes it’s going to be full-on carnage when he’s locked inside the Octagon with the undefeated star. Just like ‘Borz’, who, according to Du Plessis, has the same approach to each of his fights, the 185lbs top dog also plans to follow his instincts.
His plan includes the simple strategy of an all-out attack, in addition to his ‘schoolyard bully spazzy arms swinging’ fighting style. “Absolute chaos! [chuckles] It’s going to be absolute chaos [and] I just think, you know, I don’t see him coming in with a different game plan and me neither. I’m going out there to attack, I’m going out there to kill him,” Dricus Du Plessis told ‘Submission Radio’. “I’m not going out there to defend Khamzat’s takedowns, I’m not going out there to defend [because] I’m going to attack. So I think it’s going to look a little bit different [than Whittaker].”
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For context, longtime commentator Joe Rogan gave his honest take recently after Chimaev dispatched Robert Whittaker, claiming, “That guy’s a scary-a– mother–ker! Scary.” But that doesn’t scare Dricus Du Plessis, and he might have shared his opinion regarding a hypothetical fight during the interview, but he wishes this fight to happen soon. During another interview just over a week ago, the South African star would back Khamzat Chimaev, claiming that the next title shot rightfully belongs to the Emirati star.
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Dricus Du Plessis prefers defending the title against Khamzat Chimaev
If we go by the recent UFC metrics, next in line for the 185lbs gold is Sean Strickland, who’s been calling for a title shot ever since he defeated Paulo Costa. But Khamzat Chimaev’s recent triumph has placed him directly alongside ‘Tarzan’ in a race to grab that title shot. While some support Strickland’s case, others support Chimaev’s claim, and now, Dricus Du Plessis has also hopped on the latter’s bandwagon, claiming that the Emirati star should be next in line. Also, he believes that this fight is what excites fans the most.
“As a fan of the sport and as the middleweight champion of the world, that’s a fight that gets me more excited, taking somebody’s ‘0’. I’ve beaten Strickland before and I know I’ll beat him again. Getting that Khamzat fight, that gets me excited,” Dricus Du Plessis told ‘RadioRaps’.
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Is Dricus du Plessis right to prioritize Khamzat Chimaev over Sean Strickland for the next title shot?
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“The UFC is going to do what they’re going to do, but from a fan perspective and from a fighter’s perspective, I think Khamzat should get the next shot.”, the South African added. The UFC hasn’t yet said anything about the possibility of a Khamzat-Dricus clash, and as far as Dana White is concerned, the UFC CEO had last given a title shot shout-out to Sean Strickland.
So unless there’s any reported change, we can’t be sure of what to expect in the next middleweight title fight. Who do you think will get the opportunity next? Tell us in the comment section below!
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Is Dricus du Plessis right to prioritize Khamzat Chimaev over Sean Strickland for the next title shot?