“It’s hard to go out to the people,” Khamzat Chimaev told ESPN MMA, admitting he’s been avoiding fan photos ahead of his first title fight against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. The reason is clear: ‘Borz’ doesn’t want to get ill before the most important fight of his career. He even relocated half of his training camp to Southern California in an attempt to avoid any medical setbacks before the ultimate showdown. Yet, a recent incident has stirred up memories of those frustrating bouts where sickness got the better of him.

During a press conference earlier this week, Khamzat Chimaev appeared to be shivering and asked for a jacket. As reported by ‘Casual MMA’ on X, the post read, “BREAKING: Sources are telling me that Khamzat Chimaev is sick. He even had to put his jacket on during media day after getting the chills.” However, since that moment, the UFC’s undefeated phenom has shown no signs of illness. Still, amid all the uncertainty, Dricus du Plessis isn’t holding back! He’s ready to strike first ahead of their showdown at the United Center Arena in Chicago.

Dricus du Plessis throws shade at Khamzat Chimaev ahead of UFC 319 showdown  

Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev have been trading verbal shots ever since they realized their fight was inevitable. The reigning middleweight champion once commented under Chimaev’s Instagram photo, “Put on a shirt, princess, before you catch another cold,” taking aim at the history of Chimaev’s canceled bouts due to illness. Now, ‘DDP’ has fired off another similar but even sharper message for the title challenger as they both prepare to step on the weighing scale. 

The 185-pound kingpin posted on Instagram, “There’s a reason the Lion is the king of the jungle.” The jab may have been fueled by the UFC 319 pre-fight press conference, where Du Plessis was heavily booed! As the Chicago crowd massively cheered for ‘Borz’ (Chechen for wolf). Still, ‘Stillknocks’ made it clear that Chimaev might be stepping into the lion’s territory, where he rules the middleweight jungle with an iron fist.

Although the fighters didn’t exchange too many heated words at the press conference, the tension was undeniable. As fight night approaches, predictions are swirling. Chimaev is getting the majority of the oddsmakers’ votes, but an accomplished coach has pointed out a strategy the undefeated phenom must follow if he wants to lift the middleweight belt. 

Sean Strickland’s coach predicts Chimaev’s path to victory against ‘Stillknocks’ at UFC 319  

Khamzat Chimaev opened as nearly a two-to-one favorite over Dricus Du Plessis in the early UFC 319 odds. However, that gap gradually narrowed as questions arose about whether ‘Borz’s wrestling style would remain effective against a fighter like ‘Stillknocks after the first couple of rounds. To shed some light on that concern, Sean Strickland’s coach, Erick Nicksick, shared some words of wisdom. 

Nicksick stated at the Versus Us podcast, “For Chimaev, it’s get out there, get after him, and get it over with in a hurry. He’s not looking to show he can go five rounds or spend any more time in there than he has to. It needs to look like the fight with Whittaker. Shoot right away, get connected, and make him deal with everything you’re giving him, trying to get him out of there.”   

The common thought is that Khamzat Chimaev needs to pace himself and mix up his style to avoid running out of gas against Dricus du Plessis in the later rounds. Khabib Nurmagomedov has straight-up said he should rely more on boxing than wrestling. Strickland’s coach, Erick Nicksick, offers an interesting take! Well, starting with aggressive wrestling might give Borz early success, but it could backfire if he burns out and ‘DDP’ survives the later rounds.

That’s exactly what makes the UFC 319 showdown one of the most anticipated fights of the year! Do you agree with Nicksick that Khamzat should shoot early or mix it up? And do you think Borz is truly in full health heading into the fight? Let us know in the comments below.