Dricus du Plessis targets finish against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319
Synopsis UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis plans an aggressive approach in his UFC 319 title defense against unbeaten contender Khamzat Chimaev on Aug. 16 in Chicago. Du Plessis, with two successful defenses since winning gold, says he will pursue a finish from the opening bell against Chimaev's high-pressure style UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis is preparing for an aggressive title defense against Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 319 main event on Aug. 16 in Chicago. Du Plessis, who captured the belt in January 2024 to become South Africa's first UFC champion, has since defended it twice.
ADVERTISEMENT The champion entered the UFC nearly five years ago with titles in two different weight classes from regional promotions. While acknowledging that his development took time, du Plessis said his rise through the ranks was steady.
Also read: Dricus du Plessis could move to light heavyweight or ...
'I needed the time, for sure,' du Plessis told The Post . 'But I did that climb easy.'Chimaev's early UFC performances drew comparisons to championship-level competition after winning his first three bouts in three months. Du Plessis views those early assessments as premature, citing Chimaev's 2023 bout against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman as an example.'Kamaru Usman was the [welterweight] champion at that stage,' du Plessis said. 'He fought Usman, off the couch and [on] 10 days' notice [at middleweight], and that fight could have gone either way, in my opinion. So, yeah, no, he wouldn't have been champion.'
ADVERTISEMENT Despite his critique of early projections, du Plessis acknowledged Chimaev's record and status.'He's unbeaten at the top of the sport. That makes anybody special,' du Plessis said. 'To stay unbeaten in this game is really, really hard. Another thing that makes him special is the fact that he has this hype, and people see him as a champion but he is not one.'
ADVERTISEMENT Chimaev holds a 14-0 professional record with 12 finishes. His only two decisions came in competitive three-round bouts against Usman and Gilbert Burns. Du Plessis, 23-2 with 20 finishes, has defeated four former champions, Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland (twice), and Israel Adesanya, in his last four fights.A victory over Chimaev could bolster du Plessis' standing in pound-for-pound discussions, given the challenger's reputation for dominance.
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Chimaev is known for high-pressure offense, a style du Plessis sees as an opportunity for a decisive finish. While some opponents have tried to exploit potential cardio weaknesses in Chimaev's game, du Plessis rejected the idea of relying on an opponent's flaws.'No, that's not me. That's never going to happen,' du Plessis said. 'You can't go and say, 'Oh, this guy always gets tired.' What if he doesn't?'
ADVERTISEMENT 'You don't bargain on somebody else's weakness when you go and fight,' he added. 'When the ref says, 'fight,' I'm fighting as hard as I can for as long as I can.'Du Plessis has gone the distance only three times as a professional, with two of those against Strickland. While Strickland's defensive style limits finishing opportunities, du Plessis believes Chimaev's aggression increases the likelihood of an early conclusion.
'In a fight like this, the finishes are much more all around us than a fight like Strickland,' du Plessis said.
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