Dricus Du Plessis has not been shy about calling for his subsequent title protection to be in opposition to Khamzat Chimaev as an alternative of Sean Strickland. And now he’s revealing how a battle with Chimaev would go, and it sounds fairly thrilling to us.
Du Plessis took the UFC middleweight title off Strickland at the beginning of 2024 in a carefully contested cut up determination, and the UFC tapped “Tarzan” for a rematch after he defeated Paulo Costa in June. However that was earlier than Khamzat Chimaev gorilla-smashed Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, leaving “The Reaper” with half the tooth he entered the Octagon with.
Now there’s loads of hype for Chimaev to face Du Plessis subsequent, and “Stillknocks” is likely one of the primary forces pushing for that to occur despite the fact that he’s a significant underdog within the match-up.
“The Khamzat battle is certainly the larger problem,” he mentioned on a brand new episode of Submission Radio. “It’s one thing I haven’t seen earlier than, it’s the unknown. In any battle that’s the largest issue: how robust is that this man? How laborious does this man hit? How deep into the waters is that this man keen to go? That’s all of the questions. You’re solely getting solutions a method, and that’s within the battle.”
“Sean Strickland, I’ve seen all of it … You already know he’s going to finish up jabbing and teeping and going backwards once more, and possibly attempt to wrestle a bit extra. I’ve been in there with him. The one factor that he had within the first two rounds of that battle was the unknown. And now I do know all of it.
“The Khamzat battle, it’s a brand new problem,” Du Plessis continued. “It’s a really huge problem … I feel he’s an unbelievable athlete and I’d like to battle him. I’d like to share the Octagon with him. And on the finish of the day, I’m there to battle the most effective guys on the planet and present that I’m the champion for a motive.”
Strickland has a repute for grinding out 5 spherical choices. Whereas his battle in opposition to Du Plessis may very well be thought of strategically fascinating, we doubt anybody would name it a barnburner. Evaluate that, then, to how Du Plessis sees spherical one in every of a battle with Khamzat.
“It’s going to be absolute chaos,” he mentioned. “I don’t see him coming in with a distinct recreation plan. And me neither: I’m going on the market to assault. I’m going there to kill him. I’m not going on the market to defend takedowns. Am I going on the market to defend? I’m going on the market to assault.”
That’s simpler mentioned than executed in opposition to somebody like Khamzat, nevertheless it’s clear Dricus has put some critical thought into it.
“Individuals don’t simply go and defend in opposition to him, they’re compelled,” he mentioned of Chimaev’s fashion. “Usman was compelled to defend, and he did an excellent job, after which he began together with his offensive wrestling — exhibiting Khamzat that he’s not the one one that may wrestle in there. I feel that was a giant key in that battle which made it a really shut battle. After which Gilbert Burns being an absolute animal, not being terrified of wrestling and going for it, attacking.”
“That’s it. This recreation doesn’t work by protection. You don’t win fights by defending. You win fights by attacking.”
