One of the most anticipated showdowns this year is the middleweight title clash between Dricus Du Plessis and the undefeated Chechen, Khamzat Chimaev. After years of waiting, ‘Borz’ is finally getting his shot, and he’s not about to let it slip away. To prepare for the South African champion, Chimaev has brought in Olympic-level coaches to sharpen his already relentless wrestling. But what about Du Plessis? Well, things got intense in his camp too; his coach threw down a brutal challenge that left ‘Stillknocks’ momentarily caught in a dilemma.
As the reigning champion, Dricus Du Plessis bears the responsibility of defending his title. His battle against Khamzat Chimaev is just months away, yet the South African appears unfazed by the looming threat. Known for his unorthodox fighting style, many within the community believe he may struggle against Chimaev’s relentless wrestling—the same pressure that overwhelmed powerhouse Robert Whittaker in the very first round.
However, Dricus Du Plessis begs to differ. The middleweight champion recently took to his Instagram handle to upload a visual of his training with the caption which read, “My face when the 2 hour session is done and @coachmornevisser says everyone line up, 10k for the first guy to take down DDP and you think it’s a joke but coach doesn’t joke about these things.”
Paying real money to take down Du Plessis? It seems Morne Visser truly believes in his champion. Let’s not forget—there was a time when five people tried to take Du Plessis down at once, but none of them could handle his pressure. Sure, they weren’t UFC fighters, but that still speaks volumes about his strength. And while Dricus Du Plessis is a powerhouse within the middleweight division, it would be a grave sin to underestimate someone like Khamzat Chimaev.
The undefeated Chechen is a wrestling maniac, but in order to prepare against the champion, Chimaev has appointed a champion at his service. To strengthen his preparation, ‘Borz’ has partnered with the legendary wrestling coach Salim Nutsalkhanov. For those who are unaware, Nutsalkhanov is the coach who trained the Olympic champion, Buvaisar Saitiev.
Well, Nutsalkhanov has been training Chimaev for a while now. ‘Borz’ sought his assistance during the buildup to the Robert Whittaker fight, and we all saw how that ended. Interestingly, Whittaker, who has fought both, has given a rather captivating response when asked about his prediction. Let’s have a look at it.
Robert Whittaker gives his two cents on Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis
Robert Whittaker is one of the very few within the middleweight division who have faced the wrath of both Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis. ‘The Reaper’ fought Du Plessis back at UFC 290, but despite his best efforts, he was knocked out by the South African. Similarly, Chimaev submitted Whittaker in the first round at UFC 308, cementing his status as the next contender for the middleweight title. Having fought two of the best within the division, ‘The Reaper’s prediction might be one of the most looked forward to, and he certainly gave an interesting answer when asked about his opinion on Du Plessis vs. Chimaev.
While having a conversation on the MMArcade podcast, Robert Whittaker stated, “How do you stop Chimaev’s takedowns? I don’t think Dricus will stop Chimaev’s takedowns. Trust me, it kept me up at night. Once Khamzat gets his hands on you… He’s gonna stay there on you.”
He further added, “I believe he will get Dricus down… But if he can’t put him away, what does he look like coming up in round two, round three? Dricus has got a gas tank. If you don’t put him away, he’ll keep fighting. He’ll keep coming at you with his bombs and punches and his kicks.”
Well, Robert Whittaker’s words do hold some weight behind them. Khamzat Chimaev is not particularly known for his cardio, and he knows it as well. That is the sole reason why he pushes to finish right from the first round. On the other hand, Dricus Du Plessis is a cardio monster that comes into force in the later rounds. We have seen from his fight against Israel Adesanya that he was exhausted within the first round, but he bounced back and finished Adesanya.
Will ‘Stillknocks’ be able to stave off ‘Borz’ initial onslaught to rally back in the later rounds? We will have to wait and find out.
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