With UFC 319 just around the corner, Dricus Du Plessis looks fired up and ready for battle, both in and out of the cage. Lately, he’s been going back and forth with fans on social media, adding even more heat to the buildup. Du Plessis had been campaigning for a fight against Khamzat Chimaev for quite some time, and Dana White gave the green light. As for Chimaev, he’s already earned the UFC boss’s admiration, with White once praising ‘Borz’ as one of the most unique talents he’s ever witnessed in the Octagon.

However, the champion is not only busy preparing for his fight but also supporting the talent of his compatriot. One of the brightest talents in South Africa at the moment is 19-year-old dual-sport sensation Riley Norton. On Saturday, he guided the Junior Springboks to a long-awaited triumph at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, as South Africa toppled six-time champions New Zealand 23-15. The victory ended a 13-year title drought and marked a crowning moment for the young star and his team. Leading the charge was Captain Riley Norton, a remarkable dual-sport athlete who also donned South African colors at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup just last year.

During that campaign, Norton featured in five matches, helping his team reach the semifinals before falling short against India. With the bat, he contributed 50 runs, but it was his right-arm medium pace that stood out, claiming 11 wickets and underlining his all-round prowess on the cricket field as well. ‘Stillknocks,’ who himself is a world-class athlete, took notice of the remarkable achievement of the 19-year-old Norton. The champion took to his Instagram account to share some words of encouragement for the youngster.

He shared a story that highlighted the achievement of the youngster. The message read, “Riley Norton, makes History in Cricket and Rugby World Cups for South Africa.” Du Plessis also chimed in with his own message and wrote, “Wow, this is absolutely incredible.” 

Du Plessis is currently preparing for the biggest battle of his life and is leaving no stones unturned. Dricus Du Plessis is brimming with confidence ahead of his upcoming title defense against Khamzat Chimaev. But Caio Borralho feels it will be ‘Borz’ who will come out on top this time around.

Khamzat Chimaev will win the fight in the first round, according to Caio Borralho

Plenty of fighters are eagerly anticipating the clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis. One such fighter is Caio Borralho, who recently weighed in with his own prediction. The Fighting Nerds standout made it clear he respects Du Plessis, acknowledging that ‘Stillknocks’ has consistently backed up the hype with solid performances. But when it comes to Chimaev, Borralho sees a different kind of challenge. He pointed out how difficult it is to truly prepare for someone as unpredictable and relentless as ‘Borz,’ which is why he’s leaning toward Chimaev to get the job done, just as he did against Robert Whittaker.

While speaking to MMA Crazy, the Brazilian fighter said, “I think it could be as fast as the Whittaker fight. Because people don’t prepare well to fight Khamzat. They think it’s just about training against wrestlers. It’s not about that.” He further added, “So let’s see what kind of preparation Dricus is going to do for this fight. But every time that I bet against Dricus, he shuts my mouth. (But) I think it can be as fast as the Whittaker fight.” It’s clear that Khamzat Chimaev has no shortage of supporters backing him to take down Dricus du Plessis. But the South African champ remains unfazed by the noise.

After all, he’s already taken out three former titleholders on his rise to the top. His composure in the face of pressure has only fueled the excitement among fans, who are itching to see this showdown happen as soon as possible. Du Plessis has time and again used his unorthodox technique to come out on top during most of his fights. However, this time he will be having a completely new challenge in front of him in Chimaev. What do you think—who takes the win? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.