UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis reacted to Khamzat Chimaev’s ‘secret weapon’ for UFC 319.
Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev are a little over a week away from clashing inside the Octagon at UFC 319. It’s one of the biggest UFC fights of the year, and a matchup that’s been hotly debated by fighters, fans, and pundits for months.
Despite being one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, few are giving Du Plessis a chance at stopping the unbeaten Chimaev on fight night. Chimaev made his strong case for a title shot when he demolished Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 last year.
Ahead of UFC 319, Chimaev has addressed a gaping hole in his skillset; his cardio and conditioning.
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Dricus du Plessis reacts to Khamzat Chimaev’s rumored ‘secret weapon’
Chimaev has been working with former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw‘s longtime conditioning coach, Sam Calavitta, ahead of UFC 319. Dillashaw has touted Chimaev’s cardio improvements in recent weeks, labeling it a ‘secret weapon’ for the UFC star to use to dethrone the middleweight champion.
But Du Plessis isn’t surprised that Chimaev has been putting in work that he feels he’s put out for years.
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Du Plessis reacted to Chimaev’s rumored ‘secret weapon’ for UFC 319.
“I have to say, Khamzat looks incredible in training, what I’ve seen and people talk about it. People talking about he’s training with this new coach, and I’m very happy with him, he did it five weeks out from the fight. I’ve been doing this my whole life,” Du Plessis said.
“I’ve been fighting in title fights for the past, five or six years, into the UFC. Defended my belt twice already, the hard work that he’s putting in, ‘He’s really turned it on’, that’s what I’ve done every single fight.”
Du Plessis went on to dismiss Chimaev as the ‘boogeyman’ of the middleweight division.
“That’s not new to me. People are praising him for doing what is required, that’s what I feel…he’s a special fighter, incredibly good, but I can’t wait. This win for me is going to be history,” Du Plessis proclaimed.
“I’m going out there and I’m going to shock the world once again, like every other time when everybody said ‘it’s impossible, not this guy’.
“You’re going to see the boogeyman, you’re going to see him break in there, and realize there’s only one boogeyman and that’s me.”
Du Plessis, like Chimaev, is unbeaten inside the UFC Octagon. After winning the belt in controversial fashion at UFC 297, Du Plessis earned dominant wins over Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland en route to the Chimaev fight.
Dricus du Plessis made surprise pick for best opponent he’s faced
Du Plessis went through a slew of dangerous contenders ahead of UFC 319. But for the UFC middleweight champ, one opponent sticks out above the rest, including Chimaev.
Du Plessis touted Adesanya as the hardest opponent he’s fought in his UFC career. This, despite finishing Adesanya at UFC 305 and fighting over ten rounds with Strickland.
Many believe Chimaev will be the toughest test of Du Plessis’s career at UFC 319. But despite Chimaev’s accolades and ferocity, he’s fought at middleweight in just a handful of fights in his UFC tenure.
The winner of Du Plessis vs. Chimaev could potentially challenge for other belts after UFC 319. Former heavyweight fighter Brendan Schaub thinks Du Plessis could fight for a heavyweight belt one day if he gets past Chimaev.