Khamzat Chimaev didn’t just claim the middleweight title at UFC 319 — he announced himself as the UFC’s next unstoppable force. In front of 20,023 fans at the Chicago’s United Center, the unbeaten star mauled Dricus du Plessis for five rounds, delivering a suffocating wrestling clinic that left no doubt he’s running the show at 185. From the opening bell,  dragged ‘Stillknocks’ into deep water.

With relentless takedowns, nonstop pressure, and 21 minutes of ground control, he smothered the South African’s offense. Although Dricus Du Plessis fired back with flashes of sharp striking and late grit, it wasn’t nearly enough to slow the storm. By the end, ‘Borz’ walked away with the belt — and, in the process, handed Du Plessis his first UFC loss, snapping a 1.7-year reign.

Joe Rogan isn’t buying Dricus du Plessis beating Khamzat Chimaev next time

In the aftermath, Dricus Du Plessis didn’t shy away. He admitted he chose to “embrace” the loss, calling it “necessary” in his pursuit of greatness. With no rematch date in sight, weeks later he posted a cryptic photo captioned “fortune favours the brave,” hinting at a comeback and a shot at redemption against Khamzat Chimaev. However, not everyone is buying it. During the UFC Paris ‘Fight Companion,’ Joe Rogan and friends broke down just how wide the gap is between Chimaev’s wrestling and Du Plessis’ ability to stop it.

To start, Brendan Schaub set the tone: “There’s not enough hours in the day to make up that gap when you get to a certain level at the UFC. Like for DDP, there’s nothing we can do for him to beat Khamzat.” Rogan quickly agreed: “There’s not enough time in his life to beat Hamzat in wrestling.” He pointed to Dricus Du Plessis’ age, while Schaub added, “He’s not 21 years old.”

Even so, Rogan left the door cracked open: “He can definitely get better—yeah, no doubt he can get better. But Khamzat is extraordinary. Yeah, he is. He’s extraordinary.” While Khamzat Chimaev’s dominance is clear, the road ahead won’t be easy. The new champ has quickly become the man to beat, drawing the attention of the division’s top rising stars — including his countryman Nassourdine Imavov, who is already a serious contender in the middleweight mix.

At the same time, all eyes turn to UFC Vancouver, where Reinier de Ridder and Anthony Hernandez clash in a high-stakes headliner. The winner of that bout will face Nassourdine Imavov in a semifinal showdown, ultimately setting up a potential blockbuster battle against Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title. With the division heating up, the next few months could define the future of 185 pounds.

UFC vets issue straight-shooting advice to Dricus du Plessis

Dricus Du Plessis isn’t pushing for an immediate rematch with Khamzat Chimaev, yet a showdown in the future is clearly on his mind. The bigger question, however, is whether he can ever overcome ‘Borz’ to settle the score. Only time will tell. In the meantime, the Russian standout has stamped himself as one of the division’s top forces, dismantling elite fighters. Despite ‘Stillknocks’ well-rounded game, he couldn’t match Chimaev’s precision and relentless technique at UFC 319.

While a close loss might have warranted a rematch, that wasn’t the case here. Dana White even suggested the scorecards could have leaned even more heavily in Khamzat Chimaev’s favor. Looking ahead, Dricus Du Plessis faces an uphill climb to earn another shot, even if he strings together wins elsewhere. On the Jaxxon Podcast’s UFC 319 recap, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson didn’t mince words, suggesting the former champ should consider switching divisions.

According to Jackson, a rematch shouldn’t even cross ‘Stillknocks’ mind right now. While he floated a move down in weight, Dricus Du Plessis has also hinted at competing at light heavyweight. “He just got destroyed. DDP shouldn’t even say the word ‘Re’ or ‘Match’ in the same f—— sentence in an interview, with all due respect. DDP needs to probably go to a different weight class. He probably should drop down in weight, he’s stuck.”

With no updates yet on Du Plessis’ next fight, do you think he can make a comeback against Khamzat Chimaev in a future rematch? Drop your opinion below.