Incumbent middleweight kingpin, Dricus du Plessis has performed down the obvious “boogeyman” nature of unbeaten contender and certain subsequent foe, Khamzat Chimaev in his return to the UFC — claiming he doesn’t share the identical opinion of the previous as many others within the sport.
du Plessis, the present undisputed middleweight titleholder, recorded his second consecutive protection of the divisional crown at UFC 312 earlier this month, touchdown a one-sided unanimous determination win over two-fight rival and former champion, Sean Strickland.
And all however booked to tackle the unbeaten Chechen by UFC CEO, Dana White, du Plessis has greater than welcomed a pairing with Chimaev — even suggesting different prime contenders, Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho vie in a title eliminator to face him subsequent.
Dricus du Plessis performs down menace of “boogeyman” Khamzat Chimaev
Nevertheless, regardless of the surging contender’s roughshod run over middleweight contenders, du Plessis instructed Ariel Helwani for Uncrowned this night how he actually doesn’t imagine Chimaev is the “boogeyman” of the division.
I feel after the (Robert) Whittaker efficiency, positive, positive, why not?” Dricus du Plessis mentioned of Khamzat Chimaev’s title battle credentials. “You understand, for me, it’s the subsequent huge man and everyone speaks about him as if he has ever been near a title, which he hasn’t. However for me, it’s simply good to be combating any person with, , what individuals consider Khamzat as this boogeyman, individuals, that’s a truth.
“People think of Khamzat as this boogeyman. That’s a fact. I don’t. I don’t see that. For me, I only see one thing. That’s the potential to do good to my legacy. The potential to make my legacy even better.”
Dricus Du Plessis on his matchup with Khamzat Chimaev. pic.twitter.com/UnqQiLjH2E
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 18, 2025
I don’t. I don’t see that,” Dricus du Plessis defined. “For me, I only see one thing and that’s the potential to do good to my legacy, the potential to even make my legacy even better.”
Most lately enhancing his unbeaten run in fight sports activities to a staggering fourteen fights, quantity three ranked contender, Chimaev made extremely brief work of common-foe, former undisputed champion, Whittaker at UFC 308, touchdown a gnarly first spherical face crank submission win over the ex-titleholder.
