UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis says 'special' Khamzat Chimaev worthy of all the praise
Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) will look to notch his third title defense when he takes on Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the UFC 319 headliner on Aug. 16 at United Center in Chicago (ESPN+, ESPN, pay-per-view).
After storming into the UFC with dominant finish after the other, many touted Chimaev as a future champion. Du Plessis thinks Chimaev is as good as advertised.
"I think Khamzat is a special fighter," Du Plessis said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "The first time I saw him fight, I knew this guy was going to be special – 100 percent. There was a stage where he didn't fight for like two years or something. Listen, he speaks a lot more than he fights, I can tell you that much.
"He was calling out every single person. That just started getting annoying the sh*t out of me. He was calling out welterweights, middleweights, light heavyweights, but he wasn't fighting anyone. There was never ever a stage where I went, 'Oh, this guy's overrated.' No, he is as good as people think. I think he is as good as people think, I just think I'm a lot better than people think."
Chimaev has put in plenty of work on his cardio while training with Sam Calavitta in California, but betting underdog Du Plessis is ready to defy the odds once again.
"I have to say, Khamzat looks incredible in training, and people are talking about, 'Oh, he's training with this new coach,'" Du Plessis said. "I'm very happy for him. He did it five weeks out from the fight. I've been doing this my whole life. I've been fighting title fights. I did it for five, six years, entered the UFC, defended my belt twice already. The hard work that he's putting in, that people are going, 'Oh, he's really training hard,' that's what I've been doing every single camp, fight after fight after fight. That's not new to me.
"People are praising him for doing what's required. I'm really happy for him, and I think he's going to come prepared more than ever. I know that feeling of fighting for your first title. I know he's going to come in there prepared. He's a special fighter. He's incredibly good. I can't wait. This is going to be history. I am going out there, and I'm going to shock the world once again like every other time. Everybody said it's impossible: Not this guy, not this guy. You're going to see the boogeyman break in there and then realize, there's only one boogeyman, and that's me."
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