“I will be very happy if Du Plessis loses his belt. I don’t understand how he managed to get this belt.” These words were aimed at the current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis by Shara Magomedov. The Dagestani striker is finding it hard to imagine how the South African managed to become the champion with his lackluster fighting style. The drama intensified as ‘Stillknocks’ acutely responded, with Khamzat Chimaev finding himself caught in the crossfire.

The atmosphere in the UFC middleweight division has started to catch a little heat as Dricus Du Plessis prepares for his inevitable showdown against Khamzat Chimaev. The champ profoundly welcomed ‘Borz’ as his next challenge after he completely outclassed and shut down Sean Strickland in the rematch at UFC 312. However, ever since, the No.1 contender has not responded to his winning streak in the same way that Shara Magomedov has.

‘Bullet’ has been very clear about on which shoulder he wants to see the middleweight strap, and it’s no shock that he’s fully backing Khamzat Chimaev. In an effort to provoke Shara Magomedov, the South African champion took to social media with his ice-cold response, which also included a pointed jab at ‘Borz’. Dricus Du Plessis wrote on X “Between Khamzat and Shara there are only 3 senses, touch, smell and sound”

If you’re having trouble understanding what Dricus Du Plessis meant with his post, let’s clarify. The human body has five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. He only mentioned three because, clearly, Shara has a problem with his eyesight. Additionally, Khamzat Chimaev lost his sense of taste when he contracted COVID-19, which adds another layer to the message. Love it or hate it, you cannot deny, that’s a genius post by the South African. He has also hilariously doubled down with his responses on this post. A user wrote – “Shara‘s tears flowing down in zigzag lines”, to which Du Plessis replied – “You mean tear (?)”

It’s undeniable that ‘Stillknocks’ has become the focal point for all potential challengers. He’s been putting on an incredible show for us fans, showcasing performances that are unique yet undeniably excellent. Among all the contenders, there’s one opponent in particular who has their eyes set on him—someone he was supposed to face before, but unfortunately, that match never materialized.

Kelvin Gastelum eyes Dricus Du Plessis for the title after their first encounter fell through

Let’s go on a trip back a few years back to UFC 276 when Alexander Volkanovski defended the featherweight championship against ‘The Korean Zombie’. Dricus Du Plessis vs Kelvin Gastelum was also one of the featured bouts on the card. However, Gastelum pulled out because of an undisclosed injury that ultimately scrapped the fight.

After three long years, the Mexican-American has given up on his prospects in the welterweight division. Now, he aims to climb the ranks in the middleweight category and earn a shot against DDP. Gastelum is also confident that he will capitalize on the champion’s weaknesses.

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Gastelum said, “We were like, ‘That guy. That guy. He fights weird,’” Gastelum recalled about trying to land a short-notice replacement. “Sure enough, Ali (Abdelaziz) made some calls, next day we were matched up. The thing was, that very next day I went into sparring and I injured my knee, man. We were training for him, we already strategized for him. Obviously he’s got huge holes in his game, the thing that makes him dangerous is his cardio, his pressure.”

Kelvin Gastelum was scheduled to face Joe Pyfer at the UFC Fight Night Mexico. However, Pyfer’s unexpected pull-out due to illness has put things on hold until the next update. We’re not sure if he’ll ever come close to facing Du Plessis in the Octagon. Regardless, what do you think about Dricus Du Plessis and Shara Magomedov’s verbal exchange? Please comment below.