Latest news with #KhamzatChimaev
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Khamzat In Danger Of UFC 319 ‘Fraud Check'
Khamzat Chimaev is currently ranked No. 3 at 185 pounds and widely-expected to earn the next crack at defending middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, assuming 'Borz' can make it to fight night without another mysterious medical malady. Don't worry, matchmakers have a backup plan. Advertisement Chimaev's 'special' rise to the top, which included a pit stop at 170 pounds, came with a considerable amount of hype, to the point where fight fans were calling for a potential title shot after just two fights under the UFC banner. Former UFC lightweight, Josh Thomson, wants to pump the brakes. 'How bad is he ... or is he good? We're gonna find out when he fights DDP,' Thomson said on We Want Picks. 'I've said this for the longest time, the sample size is not big enough for me with Chimaev. It's just not big enough. Are we giving him too much credit? Everyone's like, 'Oh, he's muslim, he's got the beard, he can wrestle.' Are we giving him the Khabib credit? No one is like Khabib [Nurmagomedov], nobody is like Islam [Makhachev]. We associate the two things, they are not the same. Khabib didn't get tired. Is [Chimaev] as good as we think? Or we getting a fraud check here with DDP?' Thomson argues the 31 year-old Chimaev (14-0) has been able to capitalize on favorable circumstances, like a washed-up Gilbert Burns, hot-and-cold Kevin Holland, short-notice Kamaru Usman, and even the grill-challenged Robert Whittaker, who already had existing teeth issues. Advertisement 'He's fantastic when he's fresh, but we've seen him wilt in rounds two and rounds three,' Thomson continued. 'He got dropped by Gilbert Burns [at UFC 273] and look at Gilbert since they fought, he can't seem to buy a win right now. So is he as bad or is he as good as people wanna make him? I don't think he's as good as people want him to be. He's fantastic when he's the hammer, I'm not denying that, but what is he like when 'boom' all of the sudden he gets cracked? Is Chimaev that guy, does he fold? Does he break? I'm leaning more towards he does.' We'll find out at UFC 319 this summer in Chicago. More from
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
UFC Fans get divided as new training video of middleweight fighter Khamzat Chimaev goes viral ahead of the title bout at UFC 319
Khamzat Chimaev. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC UFC fans get divided over a recent video of the undefeated Russian middleweight fighter Khamzat Chimaev training in his gym, which went viral. The fighter is seen preparing for the upcoming title bout against the current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, at UFC 319 . A couple of days ago, fans got to witness another video of Chimaev, where the fighter is seen practising some fierce wrestling moves with Abdulrashid Sadulaev, a prodigy in the world of wrestling with two Olympic gold medals and six world championships. Khamzat Chimaev isolates himself to concentrate on his training camp, practices hardcore wrestling moves involving takedown attempts and pins Borz seems to be keeping no stone unturned for his upcoming title run at UFC 319. The fighter, apparently, even isolated himself to avoid any distraction and has been focused on his training in the mountain villages of Kislovodsk. The last video that Khamzat Chimaev uploaded on Instagram featuring Abdulrashid Sadulaev garnered a lot of attention from the fans, which even included the ones supporting the current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis. The recent video that went viral showed the fighter practising some rapid grappling moves and takedown attempts while also training to evade any such attempts from his opponent. Chimaev is known for his vicious wrestling moves, which have landed him as the Swedish National Champion in wrestling for three straight years. The fighter's wrestling record stands at an undefeated 12-0. Borz's very past, involving aggressive wrestling, has left the fans of Dricus worried, while they still try to stand behind the latter and support the fighter. Fans of Chimaev seem to be quite confident about the fighter winning the division golf, owing to his undefeated streak in his pro-MMA career. One of the fans wrote, 'The real future MW champion, The Borz !' A section of fans believes that no matter which direction the fight goes, it is the press conference that will be interesting, owing to DDP's past history of trash-talk records. A user wrote, 'dpp gonna crash khamzat during the press conference tho. we might see some crazy things happens during the press because khamzat isnt someone who can accept trash talk. Haha' Another user wrote while supporting the current middleweight, 'DDP gonna dog walk this man' Also read: Irish fighter Paddy McCorry seemingly yells pro-Palestine slogans while landing brutal blows on former IDF member turned fighter Shuki Farage The fight between Chimaev and DDP will be the headlining event of UFC 319 scheduled for August 16, 2025. Fans are eagerly waiting for this matchup which will feature two legends going head on against each other for the championship gold of the division. Chimaev is currently ranked 3rd in the entire division.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dricus Du Plessis Sends Explicit Response to Contender Ahead of UFC 319
There's never a dull moment in the UFC, and the lead-up to UFC 319 proves it once again. Set for August 16 at the United Center in Chicago, the event will see middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis defend his title in a highly anticipated bout. A recent tweet exchange may have just fanned the flames for what could become one of the most heated title fights in recent memory. It started with some emojis—yes, emojis—and ended with a clapback sharp enough to slice through the internet. A simple post was all it took to set the champion off—and fans are here for it. The war of words between Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev has been simmering for months, but things hit a boiling point on social media. The entire exchange was captured in a thread by ACD MMA, quickly gaining traction across the fight community. Khamzat tweeted a photo of Du Plessis and his team alongside five donut emojis and a laughing face, a move interpreted by many as calling the champ and his crew overweight or soft. But Du Plessis didn't let it slide. He fired back with: 'O sh*t would get you but there's no inbred emoji…' Advertisement When a fan chimed in with: 'At least he knows who his father is,' Du Plessis delivered the final blow: 'Yes his older brother probably.' Fan reaction heavily favored the South African champion. Many fans joked that Du Plessis 'woke up and chose violence,' while replies like 'No mercy I love it' and 'Lowkey DDP becoming the goat of trolling…' flooded the thread. Dricus Du PlessisGetty Images One thing's for sure: this back-and-forth is only adding fuel to the fire ahead of UFC 319—and fans wouldn't have it any other way. Khamzat probably didn't expect Du Plessis to respond with that level of savagery, but here we are. If anything, this feels less like the end of a beef and more like the opening bell—because it's only getting started. Advertisement Related: Former UFC Champion 'Pissed' After Being Passed Over for Ilia Topuria Fight Related: Jake Paul Responds to Logan's MMA Challenge in Latest Twist to Sibling Rivalry
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 319 headliner
Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will look to extend his title reign when he takes on undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev preview Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) seeks to defend his middleweight title for the third time. The South African became champion in a split decision over Sean Strickland at UFC 297. He successfully defended against former champ Israel Adesanya, winning by submission in the fourth round at UFC 305. In his most recent outing, Du Plessis won a unanimous decision against Strickland in a title rematch at UFC 312. Advertisement Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is coming off arguably his most impressive outing to date, a first-round submission finish of former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. The Chechnya-born middleweight has been labeled a future champion since stepping onto the UFC scene, a forecast he supported by finishing his first four opponents and earning bonuses in his first five appearances. Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev odds According to DraftKings, Du Plessis is a +164 underdog to retain his title against unbeaten challenger Chimaev, who's a -198 favorite. How to watch Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 Where: United Center, Chicago Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view When: Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev UFC 319 odds
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC Abu Dhabi Opening Betting Odds
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 26: Robert Whittaker of New Zealand prepares to face ... More Khamzat Chimaev of Russia in a middleweight fight during the UFC 308 event at Etihad Arena on October 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) The UFC will return to Abu Dhabi on July 26 for an UFC Fight Night event. The developing fight card, which will feature a UFC on ABC main card, has a middleweight main event between former UFC 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker and the fast-rising Reinier de Ridder. When BetOnline first published the betting line for the UFC Abu Dhabi 2025 main event, Whittaker was listed as the -190 betting favorite over the +165 De Ridder. Those odds have shifted slightly. Today, Whittaker is listed at -185, while De Ridder is a +160 betting underdog. RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - JUNE 22: Robert Whittaker of New Zealand reacts after his victory against ... More Ikram Aliskerov of Russia in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Kingdom Arena on June 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Whittaker (26-8) is the No. 5 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings. Whittaker has long been one of the best fighters in the UFC's 185-pound division. His only losses under the UFC banner as a middleweight have come against Israel Adesanya, Dricus Du Plessis, and Khamzat Chimaev. The 34-year-old was on a two-fight winning streak since his loss to Du Plessis in a middleweight title eliminator in July 2023 when he stepped into the Octagon to face Chimaev at UFC 308 in October 2024. Chimaev ran through Whittaker in that matchup, handing the ex-champ his first submission defeat as a member of the UFC roster. UFC Abu Dhabi marks the first fight for Whittaker in 2025. He fought three times in 2024. DES MOINES, IOWA - MAY 03: Reinier de Ridder of The Netherlands reacts after his TKO victory over Bo ... More Nickal in their middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Wells Fargo Arena on May 03, 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC) Reinier de Ridder (20-2) joined the UFC in 2024. De Ridder was a two-division champion with ONE, claiming titles in the middleweight and light heavyweight weight classes. A talented grappler with 11 career submission victories before inking his UFC deal, De Ridder is 3-0 with the UFC, picking up submission wins over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland, while most recently putting and end to Bo Nickal's unbeaten run with a knockout win on the UFC Des Moines fight card in early May. De Ridder is the No. 13 fighter in the official UFC rankings. He gets the opportunity surge in those rankings when he faces Whittaker in July. De Ridder has fought twice in 2025. His win over Holland took place on the UFC 311 pay-per-view card. Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder - Middleweight Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Marc-André Barriault - Middleweight Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov - Light Heavyweight Ramazan Temirov vs. Asu Almabayev - Flyweight Ibo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana - Light Heavyweight Saturday, July 26, 2025 TBA Etihad Arena, Yas Island, United Arab Emirates Man Card: ABC Preliminary Card: ESPN2 We will have more on the UFC Abu Dhabi 2025 fight card as news becomes available.
