“People see Khamzat as this boogeyman, that’s a fact. But I don’t. For me, I only see one thing— the potential to do good for my legacy,” Dricus du Plessis confidently declared on The Ariel Helwani Show after dismantling Sean Strickland at UFC 312. ‘Stillknocks’ has always believed he’s the one to end Khamzat Chimaev’s undefeated streak. Now, with UFC 319 approaching, the South African champ is ready to prove his worth and cement his legacy, with a strong message to the challenger. 

It’s always been the case with Dricus du Plessis, underestimation seems to follow him whenever the stakes are high. The same pattern showed up again when Chimaev opened as a two-to-one favorite against him in the early odds. But that wind started to shift as more and more industry experts are beginning to back the champ. Take Daniel Cormier, for example; he once believed ‘Stillknocks’ would lose every time against ‘Borz’, but now, his tune has completely changed.

Cormier on the Good Guy/Bad Guy show said, “A couple fights ago, everybody would’ve thought Khamzat would run through Dricus du Plessis. But if you still feel that way today, you’re outta your mind! You have no idea what mixed martial arts is! 

Not only has former two-division champion Daniel Cormier shown faith in Dricus du Plessis’s unorthodox style, but legends like Robert Whittaker and Chael Sonnen also believe the champ just needs to survive the first-round onslaught for the fight to swing his way. While others have started to back him, the reigning middleweight champ himself sent a stern warning on Instagram: “You have no idea what I’m willing to do to be the greatest, but soon you’ll find out..” 🇿🇦 #stillknocks #preparetobeamazed #ufc319

It’s hard to say exactly what the champ meant here, but it seems like the message points to the intense preparation he’s been putting in to overcome a formidable threat like Khamzat Chimaev. It’s a subtle reminder that behind Du Plessis’ confidence lies serious work. Also, given that both have been trading verbal blows on social media, it might very well be a response to the ongoing beef.

The tension has reached a point where many are starting to wonder if the South African champ might just expose cracks in the undefeated phenom’s armor when they clash at the United Center in Chicago. At least, former UFC fighter Josh Thomson thinks that very well might happen. 

Josh Thomson believes Dricus du Plessis can fraud-check Khamzat Chimaev

The middleweight title fight at UFC 319 is easily one of the most anticipated clashes in recent memory. It’s a game of inches, one slip, and everything changes. So far, Khamzat Chimaev’s jaw-breaking grappling has never been on the losing end. Many compare his wrestling dominance to that of Khabib or Islam, but not everyone’s sold on the hype. Josh Thomson, for one, believes this won’t be the same story against Dricus du Plessis, hinting at a potential fraud check

Thomson at We Want Picks interview said, “How bad is he or is he good? We’re gonna find out when he fights DDP. I’ve said this for the longest time, the sample size is not big enough for me with Chimaev. It’s just not big enough. Are we giving him too much credit? Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, he’s Muslim, he’s got the beard, he can wrestle.’ Are we giving him the Khabib credit? No one is like Khabib nobody is like Islam . We associate the two things, they are not the same. Khabib didn’t get tired. Is  as good as we think? Or we getting a fraud check here with DDP?”

It’s true that Khamzat, Khabib and Islam are plurely based on wrestling. Comparing them isn’t entirely fair, as all three bring different styles to the table. That said, ‘Borz’ is still undefeated, even after being tested by Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 and Kamaru Usman at UFC 294. Could he lose to Du Plessis? Of course. But considering his recent win over Robert Whittaker, calling it a “fraud check” might be a bit a little stretch.

From the training camps to how they carry themselves before the fight, everything will influence this heavily anticipated clash. Both fighters have very distinct strengths and weaknesses that they’ll be looking to capitalize on. So, with that in mind, who do you think has the edge? Du Plessis or Chimaev? Please comment down below.