Fans are ecstatic about Khamzat Chimaev‘s possible middleweight fight against Dricus Du Plessis. Chimaev noted for his dominant wrestling and explosive power, will encounter a strong fight against Du Plessis, whose unpredictability and unrelenting pressure make him the Chechen’s biggest threat ever. Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling recently weighed in on what Chimaev needs to do to win, providing a vital breakdown of the fight dynamics and explaining why the undefeated phenom may not have it as easy as many believe.
Sterling emphasized that for Khamzat to have a chance of winning against someone like ‘Stillknocks,’ he needs to end the fight early. He said, underlining that if the fight goes on beyond that, Du Plessis will be near impossible to stop. He pointed out that Du Plessis’ ability to maintain a fast pace throughout the bout will make things difficult for Chimaev, especially if he starts to fatigue. “Khamzat is going to need to get him out of there in the first round. I think if he lets that fight get out of the first and he goes crazy like he normally does, that’s a bad place to be with a guy like Dricus who just keeps going up as the fight’s progressing.”
‘Aljo’ further added that while the South African fighter has proved himself as the best time and again, Khamzat Chimaev has yet to go one-on-one against some of the best in the promotion, with Robert Whittaker being the only great opponent ‘Borz’ squared off against. “My heart says Khamzat; my brain says Dricus, the more proven, fought more consistently, been in more tougher situations. I feel like there’s a lot to weigh on that. It’s almost like Merab vs. Umar. One is proven; one hasn’t really fought the best of the best.”
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According to Aljamain Sterling, the key to Du Plessis’ success is his ability to set the tempo early and hold it throughout the five rounds. While ‘Borz’ has been explosive, particularly in the first round, his stamina and ability to continue that aggression in later rounds have been questioned, giving Du Plessis a major advantage as the fight progresses. In fact, even Dricus Du Plessis is aware of it and has made his game plan accordingly.
Dricus Du Plessis’ game plan against Khamzat Chimaev
‘Stillknocks’ is well aware of the difficulty that Khamzat Chimaev brings in the Octagon, but he remains confident in his abilities to defeat the Chechen. While many opponents have succumbed to Chimaev’s aggressive wrestling, Dricus Du Plessis believes his well-rounded skill set will be crucial to success. He emphasized that MMA is about how all aspects of the fight mesh together—an area in which he believes he outperforms ‘Borz.’
Du Plessis is no stranger to grappling, having competed in a quintet-style grappling tournament in 2021, defeating five members of Team Gracie Barra. As a result, the South African fighter feels ‘Borz’ has yet to face a fighter of his quality, claiming that aside from Robert Whittaker, the Chechen star has not been fully challenged against the division’s best. This was the same claim made by Aljamain Sterling earlier in the aforementioned clip.
He told ESPN MMA, “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.” Despite Chimaev’s spectacular submission win over Whittaker at UFC 308, Du Plessis seems unfazed. He is sure that his cardio and durability will allow him to take the fight to deeper seas, where he believes Chimaev will struggle. What do you think? Will his game plan work against the phenom? Let us know in the comments.
The post “No Way Khamzat Is Just Going to Run”- Chimaev Gets Clarity on Dricus Du Plessis Fight Breakdown by Ex-UFC Champ appeared first on EssentiallySports.
