Latest news with #DricusduPlessis
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Is Khamzat Chimaev one of the UFC's biggest stars, or one of the biggest asterisks? (The answer: Yes)
If the UFC is still in the business of creating stars, Khamzat Chimaev qualifies on his own terms. He should be a star, but he comes with this little knapsack of asterisks and uncertainties. With his visa issues, we weren't even sure he'd be able to compete in the United States up until the minute the UFC booked him into a title fight with 185-pound champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago on Aug. 16. Even then it felt hypothetical until Khamzat popped up in California to train. By every measure, Chimaev should be among the top UFC draws as he gets set for his ninth overall fight in the organization next weekend. He's undefeated in his pro career, which is a loud enough detail to market a contender. That he broke into the UFC during the pandemic — starching two dudes in 10 days on 'Fight Island,' just as the fight game's libido for gambling was ramping up — is fodder for a future '30 for 30.' Watching him turn Kevin Holland into human origami is something that'll stick with a man. And honestly, the X-ray of Robert Whittaker's mouth after his encounter with Chimaev — one that ended with a row of Whittaker's lower teeth dislodged — doubled as a warning to stay the hell away. The trouble with Chimaev is that he's a mysterious enough figure that you can't trust him. Not him specifically, but the complex nature of all that he is, and the many lunatic things surrounding him. He has the look of a hitman. The hard Caucasus beard, the cleft lip, the leathery features — it's an aura, all right. Caspian chic. Terrifying. Yet he has associations, too. His dealings with the Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov darkened his appeal in America, even for those who try to keep their politics separate from their sports. In Chimaev's case, that's become next to impossible. His visa issues stemmed from that very association in the first place, and it took no less a figure than President Donald Trump — UFC CEO Dana White's good friend and fixer — to make things right. As Chimaev said in his media day in Los Angeles, he doesn't love the political associations. But then again neither did the Ford Theater. He's stuck with them, especially because the UFC has become a celebratory arm of the very Trump administration that has opened up his prospects. Yet it's not just that. It's that Chimaev has been somewhat unreliable in general. There was a discourse over the last week on that very topic, started by former fighter Din Thomas, who said that if Chimaev won the middleweight title it would be a nightmare for the UFC. Why? Because he doesn't fight enough. Since 2022, he has fought just once a year. Getting him into the Octagon is matchmaker algebra. It's geography, religion, politics and the element of surprise all bound into one. Chimaev had multiple fights with Leon Edwards nixed due to a long, reportedly life-threatening bout from COVID, a stretch during which he contemplated retirement. Even when he's booked things have a way of going sideways. The Holland fight wasn't supposed to include Holland at all. Chimaev was supposed to play the role of executioner against Nate Diaz in the latter's final UFC fight at UFC 279. But Chimaev couldn't make weight for that welterweight showdown and ended up in a Las Vegas emergency room. The UFC was left to scramble, and Chimaev was redirected to middleweight to face Holland, all just to keep him on the card. That meant Holland was the only one who suffered the consequences of Chimaev's botched cut. He was supposed to fight Whittaker in the UFC's first foray to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — which was a big deal, given the money being spent — but was forced out with an illness. Again, the UFC was forced to figure out a Plan B, which ended up being the relatively unknown Ikram Aliskerov standing in against Whittaker in the main event. As far as consolation prizes go, that one was particularly underwhelming. Factor in the blackout dates for Ramadan, and Chimaev is fully capable of holding the middleweight division hostage for long periods of time, something that has perhaps kept him away from a title shot to begin with. The truth is, he comes with a lot of fuss. Yet through all this there's been a feeling that he's inevitable. He's been like a wrecking ball that crashes through the strongest delusions, as he did with Whittaker his last time out. Even as we've squinted to identity his weaknesses — his cardio faltering in the makeshift fight against Kamaru Usman, the vulnerable moments against Gilbert Burns — we suspect a tyrant is in our midst. Usually that kind of thing translates to stardom, especially five years into a dominant UFC career. And Chimaev is a star. Mostly. He's a star shaped like an asterisk, so much so that it's hard to tell the difference. What we've been waiting for is the declarative moment when he becomes everything we thought he was. It's been a lot of noise to cut through, but that's where we are. For better or worse, Khamzat Chimaev — the UFC's great monster in pending — will get his chance at that belt. And maybe it is just as simple as that.
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Chimaev credits Trump for return to United States
Khamzat Chimaev has credited US President Donald Trump after he secured a visa which allows him to fight in America for the first time in nearly three Chimaev's past two fights took place in Abu Dhabi, with the 31-year-old previously denying that travel issues prevented him from fighting in the has ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who is sanctioned by the US over alleged human rights abuses, including repression, torture and middleweight, who has won the first 14 fights of his career, has been pictured numerous times with Kadyrov on social returns to the US for the first time since 2022 when he faces South Africa's Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 in Chicago, Illinois on 16 August."This wasn't my bad. This wasn't my fault," Chimaev said about not fighting in the United States."Everyone knows I didn't have the visa to [travel to] the US. That's why I didn't fight only once [but twice] in Abu Dhabi. So now Donald Trump is here, we go for a fight." Trump is close friends with UFC president Dana White, who was a key supporter during his 2024 election month Trump said he plans to host a UFC event at the White House next year as part of America's 250th anniversary his return to the US to take on Du Plessis, Chimaev does not believe he will be invited to fight at the White House and has downplayed his interest in politics."I don't understand why they're going to put the fights over there," said Chimaev. "I'm an athlete, a sportsman - all my life I've been training. Some people put me in a position like political and break my visa down and I don't know why."I'm just doing [it] for my family - fighting, training. Athletes don't have to be with politics. I'm not connected."Du Plessis is making the third defence of his belt, while Chimaev is fighting for the first time since submitting Robert Whittaker in has long been considered a future UFC champion, but inactivity and illness have stalled his career in recent submitting Kevin Holland in 2022 - his last appearance in the US - Chimaev has fought just once a year, beating Kamaru Usman in 2023 before his win over Whittaker 10 months ago.
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
How to watch Dricus du Plessis defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319
Stillknocks Dricus du Plessis is set to defend his UFC middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16. Photo: Saeed Khan / AFP Image: Saeed Khan/AFP South Africa's UFC champion Dricus du Plessis is stepping back into the octagon next week for what could be the toughest fight of his career.. In the headline fight of UFC 319 in Chicago, Stillknocks is set to defend his UFC world middleweight title against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev of Russia. This will be Du Plessis' first fight since his unanimous decision win over Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, in February. The fight, at the United Center in Chicago, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 16, and will be broadcast at 4 a.m. SA time the following Sunday. It will be shown on SuperSport Action and Maximo 1. The exact time of the fight, though, will be determined by the length of the preliminary bouts on the night. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. The fight against Chimaev will be Du Plessis' biggest test since taking the championship belt off Strickland in January last year. Since then, he's defended it against Israel Adesanya and Strickland, and has become a favourite among UFC fans around the world. The 31-year-old Du Plessis is undefeated in nine UFC fights. To find the last time he lost a fight, you would have to go all the way back to 2018, when he was beaten by Roberto Soldić in a KSW welterweight bout at KSW 45 in London. His only other loss came in 2014 against Garreth McLellan at EFC 33 in Johannesburg. Speaking on FOX 32 Chicago, Du Plessis said he was ready for Chimaev, who has a background in wrestling. 'We are not fighting for the wrestling title; we are fighting for the UFC title, and that's where I am the best. I am not the best wrestler or striker, but when you put all those things together, that is where I am the best in the world… 100%,' he said. Du Plessis acknowledged the escalating challenge that comes with holding a championship belt. 'I believe this is the best opponent I've faced to date, but so was the previous one. Every time you step in there, you're going to face the next most dangerous guy, especially as the champion.' Come Sunday morning, the champion will know whether he's still the best in the world. IOL Sport Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dricus Du Plessis 'begged' UFC to fight Khamzat Chimaev in enemy territory
UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis previews his UFC 319 fight against Khamzat Chimaev, reacts to some of Khamzat's past comments, and surveils the crop of upcoming middleweight title challengers
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dricus du Plessis, plus Paul Heyman, Keyshawn Davis and Keith Jardine all in-studio, On The Nose and more
Catch today's stacked edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show" live on Uncrowned and YouTube at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT/6 p.m. UK time as Ariel Helwani and The Boys In The Back take over the combat sports landscape with an eclectic lineup of guests. Wednesday's rundown can be seen below. 1 p.m. ET: Ariel and the gang kick off the show with the latest news and notes. 1:15 p.m. ET: UFC veteran Keith Jardine joins us in-studio to discuss life after fighting and his new film "Kill Me Again." 2 p.m. ET: Ariel answers all your questions on the latest edition of On The Nose. 2:30 p.m. ET: UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis previews his UFC 319 showdown against Khamzat Chimaev. 3 p.m. ET: Keyshawn Davis returns in-studio to discuss his next move after dropping the WBO lightweight title on the scale. 4 p.m. ET: WWE manager extraordinaire Paul Heyman is next up in-studio after a wild SummerSlam weekend. Catch all new episodes of "The Ariel Helwani Show" live every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET on Uncrowned and The Ariel Helwani Show's YouTube page. To listen to every episode, subscribe on Spotify or iTunes.
