At next month’s UFC 319 in Chicago, middleweight champion Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis takes on undefeated contender Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev, a matchup that stylistically, physically, and tactically may pose his toughest challenge to date.
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Elite-Level Wrestling
Chimaev arrives unbeaten at 14-0, with 12 of those wins coming via finishes, often in the opening round. His dismantling of Robert Whittaker, sealed with a vicious first-round face crank, showcased not only his suffocating ground control but also how quickly he can overwhelm elite opponents. If Du Plessis can weather the early storm and force the fight into the later rounds, he may shift the momentum. The first five minutes will be critical.
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Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev
Dricus Du Plessis
Winner
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Unmatched Finishing Momentum
Chimaev arrives with a perfect 14‑0 MMA record, boasting 12 finishes spread across knockouts, submissions, and dominant ground control. His win over Robert Whittaker ended with a first-round face crank, a brutal demonstration of his ability to combine wrestling with submission power.
Du Plessis’ Path to Victory
Du Plessis is no stranger to tough tests: he dispatched former champions Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland in title fights using aggressive pressure, unorthodox striking patterns, and late-fight pacing. His mental toughness and relentless forward movement have served him well. However, unlike previous opponents, he has yet to face someone with Chimaev’s wrestling volume and pace. Over five rounds, the champion must neutralise extended control phases while finding openings as the fight deepens.
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Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev
Winner
Odds are subject to change.
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Styles Make Fights
This matchup presents a strong contrast: du Plessis brings chaos, pace, and durability; Chimaev brings calculated wrestling dominance and early finishing efficiency. Both men enter the contest as undefeated UFC middleweights, but Chimaev is favoured at 1.53, a rare position for a challenger in a championship matchup.
Khamzat Chimaev represents an entirely different type of threat for du Plessis, relentless, physical, and fundamentally elite in wrestling exchanges. If du Plessis can survive early ground control and drag the fight into deeper rounds, his endurance and chaotic striking could swing momentum. But in a matchup where physical domination meets psychological stamina, this may well be the champion’s toughest test yet.
