We’re three weeks away from the biggest UFC fight of the year.
The fans may have missed out on super-fights like Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, but they’re still getting a massive middleweight title fight between undefeated stars Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 320 on Aug. 16.
Champion du Plessis is a perfect 9-0 in the UFC with stoppages over Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, recently beating Sean Strickland for a second time at UFC 312 in February.
14-0 as a pro, Chimaev is one of the scariest fighters the UFC has seen in recent memory. ‘Borz’ manhandled Whittaker and former pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman in back-to-back fights at middleweight to earn his shot at gold.
Chimaev is highly-touted for his wrestling and grappling skills, whereas du Plessis is unorthodox but well-rounded, with his heart unquestioned in his UFC title run.
No one has figured out the puzzle of Chimaev’s wrestling game, with many trying to run from it. A former UFC Middleweight Champion advises du Plessis against making the same mistake next month.
Michael Bisping tells Dricus du Plessis to fight Khamzat Chimaev ‘at his own game’
Chimaev averages 4.31 takedowns per UFC fight with 100% takedown defense.
Chimaev took down Usman four times, who is notorious for his incredible takedown defense.
To win against Chimaev, former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping says Dricus du Plessis has to wrestle and fight Chimaev ‘at his own game’.
“Dricus du Plessis, I mean, you cannot doubt this guy,” Bisping said on the UFC Abu Dhabi post-show.
“He’s not intimidated. There’s videos of Dricus du Plessis online taking on an entire Gracie Barra black belt team and submitting them all one by one.
“He’s big. He’s strong. He wrestled. He’s got great judo. He’s got knockout power. He’s had a nose job, so he’s got a great gas tank now as well.
“[Chimaev’s] going to get you down,” Bisping added.
“Look at what he did to Usman… That’s how good Khamzat Chimaev is at wrestling. So if you try and just do everything you can to avoid him and get away and run, you’re just running away the entire time. He’s gonna get you.
“Nah. Screw that. Meet him head on,” Bisping said of what du Plessis should do against Chimaev.
“Fight him at his own game…”
Dricus du Plessis hasn’t been submitted in 11 years
Du Plessis might be undefeated in the UFC, but the champion has tasted defeat before.
In 2018, du Plessis suffered his last loss outside the UFC to top striker Roberto Soldic in a KSW title rematch. Du Plessis had TKO’ed Soldic in the previous fight, leaving their series tied up at 1-1.
This is one of two pro losses for the champion du Plessis.
The South African’s only submission loss came to former UFC fighter Garreth McLellan in Aug. 2014, by way of guillotine choke.
Chimaev has twelve finishes on his record, six by knockout and six by submission. We’ll see if the undefeated boogeyman has what it takes to dethrone Dricus du Plessis, who has yet to get stopped in the UFC.