Before Chicago’s streets were covered in red on August 16, the UFC United Center took over the city by hosting the UFC 319 pre-fight presser, with fans arriving hours early to make sure the Chicago stop didn’t go unnoticed. The press conference ran for over 30 minutes, giving fans exactly what they came for: a glimpse of two of the middleweight division’s most notorious ‘merc with the mouth’ fighters, undefeated Khamzat Chimaev and middleweight kingpin Dricus Du Plessis, both known for their ability to get under opponents’ skin.

Dricus Du Plessis, in particular, has a reputation for reopening old wounds from the careers of his past opponents, Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland, unsettling them and even causing mental breakdowns. Fans were expecting Du Plessis to bring the same level of trash talk at UFC 319, but he held back entirely.

When a reporter asked Du Plessis, “Before your last two fights with Sean Strickland and then Adesanya, there was a lot of trash talking. How is your relationship with Chimaev?”

Du Plessis showed respect for the unbeaten Chechen wolf despite meeting him for the first time this week, saying, “Well, I have to say this is the first time officially meeting him this week, so I can’t say we have much of a relationship. I don’t know the man. It seems pretty respectful up until now. I guess that’s why there’s no trash talk. So, we don’t need to make trash talk. But if there needs to be a charge, let’s do it. I don’t mind.“

(This is a developing story)

When Du Plessis invited Khamzat Chimaev for trash talk, Chimaev didn’t back down, despite claiming last year that he had changed thanks to his “fatherhood” and admitting that before that he was “crazy.” Even so, Du Plessis’ challenge seemed to catch the unbeaten Chimaev off guard.

A reporter asked Du Plessis, who chimed in, “Khamzat has said he doesn’t care about the belt. He just wants to fight and make his money. What do you think about his mindset, and what does the belt mean to you?” Du Plessis initially tried to dodge the question, claiming, “We have all our motivation,” which further provoked Chimaev. ‘Borz’ then delivered his blunt verdict: “Africa never gonna see that belt again. Sorry guys.”

It’s no secret how much Du Plessis wants Dana White & Co. to bring the PPV to the African continent, as White once promised the South African native, which is still pending. If Khamzat Chimaev wins on Saturday night and Du Plessis fails to defend his belt, Africa will probably miss out.

Dricus Du Plessis reveals his strategy to stop undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319

Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis is shaping up as one of the biggest fights of the year at UFC 319, thanks to the sheer threat both fighters pose. Khamzat Chimaev, renowned for his powerful striking and controlled, dominant wrestling, has overpowered opponents since his debut—even division legends like Kamaru Usman struggled to stand against him. Meanwhile, Dricus Du Plessis brings a mysterious fighting style that continues to puzzle many.

Both fighters share one key trait: they remain undefeated in the UFC, though their approaches differ. Chimaev, whose cardio people have sometimes questioned, ended most of his bouts in the early rounds. Yet his matches against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns revealed the limits of his stamina ahead of a potential third title defense.

At the UFC 319 fight presser, Dricus Du Plessis laid out his strategy, saying, “I’m going out there to fight the way (I fight) and see what happens. He didn’t change his game plan with Robert Whittaker because it was a five-rounder. That kind of already gives me the sense that he’s not gonna think about the five rounds when he should be. Five rounds is a long time, and I am not scared to get into that dark place. We’ve seen that. If we go full speed, you know, I can fight tired all day. I’ve done that many times. So, let’s go for it. Let’s go from the first bell to the last. Let’s go full speed and see who quit.”

With UFC 319 just hours away, the anticipation is reaching its peak. Who will emerge on top when these middleweight titans clash? Will it be the unstoppable Chechen force, Khamzat Chimaev, or the South African lion, Dricus Du Plessis, roaring back to dominance? Drop your prediction below.