There are a bunch of marquee fights coming up this year, but none are as intriguing as the middleweight title showdown between Chechen phenom Khamzat Chimaev and the South African champion Dricus du Plessis. We all know what ‘Borz’ did to Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, rag-dolling the former champ before breaking his teeth with a face crank in the first round. The finesse with which he dismantled ‘The Reaper’ caught the attention of ‘Stillknocks.’ After beating Sean Strickland for the second time at UFC 312, the middleweight champion declared, “Khamzat Chimaev is next… I can outwrestle him.”

The bout is compelling because we haven’t seen someone so eager to face the man who is essentially considered the division’s ‘Boogeyman.’ Facing him is one thing, but outwrestling him? That’s the kind of confidence and aura one can only associate with Dricus du Plessis—the kind that won him the belt. Fearless and ready. And let’s not forget the nasty back-and-forth between the two fighters. The build-up to this fight is creating a sense of intrigue, with fans lapping it all up. In the latest, one fan decided to take a swipe at the champion, only to be brutally trolled in return.

UFC 319 is just 68 days away and Left Hook Club shared a picture of Du Plessis and Chimaev in their respective gyms. The text “68 DAYS OUT” jutted out, building up excitement for the bout, just shy of two months away. The caption of the post read, “Boys are getting ready! 🔥 Who you got? 👇🏻👇🏻” Sensing an opportunity, a fight fan decided to take a swipe at the middleweight champion’s dedication. And as with all things ‘Stillknocks’, things slightly went out of control.  

Taking to the comments section of the Instagram post, the fan wrote, “DDP by Kissing.” This is obviously alluding to the South African champ kissing his coach—a customary greeting in South Africa. Enraged by the comments, Du Plessis clapped back at his opponent’s fan and wrote, “yes kissing your mother.” 

It certainly seems like the middleweight champion wants the headliner fight at UFC 319 to be as perfect as it can be. But knowing the past troubles of Chimaev and him pulling out of bouts, the UFC head honcho has reeled in Nassourdine Imavov into the picture as a backup fighter. And guess what? The South African champ isn’t really into it. Let’s take a closer look.

Dricus Du Plessis wants only Khamzat Chimaev and no one else

During a recent conversation with RMC Sport Combat, Du Plessis revealed his thoughts on Imavov as the backup for UFC 319. He said, “If (Chimaev) pulls out of this fight early, I will not fight Imavov.” To be fair to Imavov, Du Plessis acknowledged him as a good fighter. He is actually a fan of the Frenchman’s style. But fighting him instead of Chimaev isn’t on his itinerary. 

As the conversation went on, he weighed in on the rate of Chimaev pulling out of fights. He said that the Chechen Wolf’s track record isn’t all that impressive, even though he is undefeated. ‘Borz’ fought 8 times in the UFC, but pulled out of 4 bouts in the promotion, putting his pull-out rate at around 50% for the upcoming UFC 319 in August.

Du Plessis added, “I have to be honest. If he pulls out of this fight early, I will not fight Imavov. Because I want to fight Khamzat. I don’t want anything else. If I’m already there, you know, two weeks, I’ll fight Imavov if (Chimaev) pulls out. But if he pulls out on four weeks, I’m not going to fight. I’ll wait for him to be ready. Because I want to beat him. Because he’s the best right now.”

Instead, he claims that Caio Borralho would be a better opponent for Imavov. The reason is simple. If it isn’t Chimaev standing in the opposite corner, his training would be deemed worthless. However, he didn’t take away Imavov’s legacy. He acknowledged him as the #1 middleweight contender who defeated the former 2-time champion, Israel Adesanya. Du Plessis quoted, “I think he’s great. I think Imavov’s very, very good. In my opinion, I think Imavov versus Caio Borralho for number one contender fight. That’s what I think.”

We just have to wait and see what pans out in the next 2 months. Do you think there’s a possibility of ‘Borz’ pulling out of that bout? Sound off in the comments.