When you take a good look at Dricus Du Plessis’ fighting style, what stands out the most? His awkward style, yes, but what about his style is the most striking feature? Mostly a stand-up fighter with good takedowns and sensible grappling? It’s that last bit we’re a bit worried about when it comes to a possible matchup against the #3-ranked middleweight Khamzat Chimaev. ‘Stillknocks’ has a pretty good sense of grappling, as displayed in his bouts against Derek Brunson and Israel Adesanya, but is it good enough to neutralize the Chechnyan’s wrestling and grappling?
To lend credence to his grappling, in 2021, an out-of-shape ‘Stillknocks’ entered a quintet-style grappling tournament where he submitted all five members of Team Gracie Barra. It’s no secret that DDP has a respectable grappling game but we’re not sure if matches up with the elite submission-grappling game of ‘Borz’. Still, Du Plessis doesn’t seem too worried about Chimaev’s game, as he rightly pointed out that this is MMA and not pure grappling.
Chimaev is coming off a first-round win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, where he severely injured the former middleweight champion with a first-round face-crank submission. The bout was over as soon as it began with Khamzat shooting low and deep, rag-dolling ‘The Reaper’ before sinking in the submission.
‘Stillknocks’ feels he has all the skill set to counter the threat of ‘Borz’ and is looking forward to the challenge of facing him next. While speaking on the ESPN MMA show after his fight he shared his honest opinion on the 30-year-old fighter. He said, “Khamzat is an incredible fighter. Nobody has been able to beat him. But he hasn’t fought anybody of note other than Robert Whittaker. That is it”. However, he did remind him that there’s a lot more in MMA rather than grappling and added, “This is not a grappling competition. I am not the best grappler or wrestler or striker. When we mix it all up, I am. That’s why I have this. He couldn’t even get a title at Welterweight. Now he wants to come to middleweight. Great let’s go.”
There’s no doubt the Chimaev is indeed a force to reckon with inside the Octagon. His relentless pressure makes it tough for his opponents to find a way around him. However, it’s not like the champion will be an easy opponent for him whom he can dismantle in the first round. Just like most of the fans and experts, Daniel Cormier is also waiting for the fight to happen. And he feels ‘Stillknocks’ will be the favorite for the potential clash.
Daniel Cormier is super impressed with Dricus Du Plessis after UFC 312
The UFC middleweight division is abuzz with anticipation over a potential showdown between reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis and the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev’s impressive performance has shifted the narrative, with many, including Du Plessis himself, advocating for Chimaev to be the next challenger. Du Plessis emphasized his excitement for the matchup, noting the allure of handing Chimaev his first professional loss. Although the fight is yet to be announced, experts have already started picking their favorite for the clash.
Former UFC dual-champion Daniel Cormier took to his YouTube channel to share his honest opinion on the potential fight. He said, “Khamzat Chimaev is problem number one. But watching Dricus today, I don’t know if Chimaev just drives across the mat and takes him down. He’s so good at what he does. He’s the man! Dricus Du Plessis is the man, and once again, he proved that it’s going to be very difficult to take the belt off him. I know Chimaev has a massive following, and people like him—he’s been dominant—but I just don’t know if he’s ever faced anyone like Dricus Du Plessis.”
Both fighters have a completely different fighting style which makes the battle even more interesting. But first, there has to be an official announcement of the fight by the UFC. Who do you think holds the upper hand in the clash? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post “I’m Not the Best Grappler” – Dricus Du Plessis Gives Khamzat Chimaev a Hard Hitting Reminder on Middleweight Title Shot appeared first on EssentiallySports.