Dricus du Plessis has been unstoppable within the UFC and his head coach doesn’t anticipate Khamzat Chimaev to finish that streak.
In an interview with Submission Radio, du Plessis coach Morne Visser mentioned the damage rumors that the UFC middleweight champion needed to just lately dispel, and extra importantly, Chimaev, who was partially chargeable for these rumors circulating. On-line chatter questioned why du Plessis had not been introduced to defend his title in opposition to the unbeaten Chimaev at UFC 317 on June 28, however du Plessis and his workforce have stood by their story that the reserving was by no means official.
Ought to the 2 finally face off as anticipated, Visser sees du Plessis defending his title as soon as once more in spectacular style by beating Chimaev at his personal sport.
“Khamzat’s a wrestler,” Visser stated. “We wish to struggle him on the ground. That’s the one approach to show that you just’re an actual champion. Beat the fellows—It’s MMA, it’s not boxing, it’s not wrestling, it’s not grappling, so that you’ve obtained to struggle. When you assume you’re higher than the opposite man as an MMA fighter, you’ve obtained to struggle him clearly the place you’re good at, however we’re good in every single place. Dricus can wrestle, grapple, his ground-and-pound is sweet, submission is sweet, his standup’s phenomenal, we confirmed within the final struggle. Nonetheless not the place I would like it to be, nonetheless not the Dricus that exhibits up within the health club and is a ten out of 10 fighter. He was a seven out of 10 with the Strickland struggle, however he did convey it dwelling. He introduced it dwelling. He received all 5 rounds. So yeah, we wish to struggle Khamzat on the ground. That’s the plan.”
“What has he executed?” Visser added. “Have a look at—he fought [Gilbert] Burns, Gilbert places the hassle in, he’s truly a light-weight. Kamaru [Usman] actually gave him a correct run for his cash with no preparation on the wrestling aspect, in order that’s the place we wish to struggle him. I consider he’s coaching with larger guys now to get power. It’s not going to assist him. He must struggle. It’s not grappling or wrestling, it’s a struggle. That’s what we wish to do. We wish to struggle him on the ground and break him up in items on the ground. He’s simply a kind of annoying guys. I’ve by no means had a problem with [Israel Adesanya] or any one of many fighters. This man is simply annoying… I’ve had my eyes on him for a very long time and Dricus goes to complete him on the ground and [Chimaev] doesn’t consider it, he doesn’t assume it. That’s the place we wish to struggle him, on the ground.”
Visser is especially agitated by the suggestion that du Plessis would pull out of any struggle with out a good purpose, pointing to his athlete’s current observe report. Du Plessis received the UFC middleweight title in January 2024, defended it the next August, after which defended it once more this previous February.
In distinction, Chimaev has turn out to be infamous for his restricted availability, having not fought greater than every year since 2022. He continues to impress when he enters the cage, most just lately scoring a brutal submission win over former UFC champion Robert Whittaker.
“It’s truly ridiculous what number of occasions [Chimaev] pulled out,” Visser stated. “When you take a look at simply his final six fights or his final six supposed fights, he pulled out of three of them. Then he fought [Kevin] Holland the place he was obese. He fought Kamaru on ten days’ discover and I believe Kamaru gave him a correct run for his cash, ten days’ discover. I don’t know why Kamaru by no means requested for a rematch there.
“After which his one over Robert was additionally type of ridiculous as a result of Robert went in that struggle with damaged enamel, which Dricus did, Dricus broke [Whittaker’s] jaw and his enamel. So what has he executed? I don’t even assume he deserves a title shot. So he shouldn’t say something. He ought to simply stroll up, get his hiding, so he can get this over and executed with.”
If Visser is being sincere, one more reason he’s reluctant to anoint Chimaev as the following challenger for du Plessis is Chimaev’s historical past of lacking fights. Chimaev has had a historical past of well being issues, together with a bout of COVID-19 in 2020 that will have had long-term results on his well being, however Visser thinks there are different points at play.
“That’s his factor, his factor is pulling out,” Visser stated. “He likes to be a film star. Have a look at his profession. I believe he fought 3 times within the final three years. Dricus has fought 3 times within the final simply over a 12 months. I believe over 13, 14 months we fought three fights and all three have been title fights. It was two five-rounders and a four-rounder, all onerous fights, title fights. [Chimaev] has fought 3 times within the final three years, so he’s all concerning the present. I don’t assume he actually needs to do that. He’s a film star.”
