Calling himself the ‘boogeyman,’ Dricus Du Plessis told Ariel Helwani, “I can’t wait. This win for me is going to be—this is going to be history. I am going out there, and I am going to shock the world once again like every other time.” He was talking about the next weekend’s mega showdown. On Saturday, August 16, UFC’s middleweight champion will meet the challenger Khamzat Chimaev at Chicago’s United Center. There are plenty of reasons for Du Plessis’ excitement.

But in Khamzat Chimaev, he faces the most feared fighter in the UFC. Oddsmakers already favor the Russian wrestling ace. To many, despite his impressive body of work, the South African mixed martial arts icon will find it hard to solve the ‘Borz’ puzzle. So, is it already over for ‘Stillknocks’? Not really. There are a few who prefer to swim against the tide. They believe that if Dricus Du Plessis brings his A-game, he has a strong chance of winning a historic fight.

With just a day left before his face-off with Roman Dolidze, fellow middleweight and 10th-ranked contender Anthony Hernandez had nothing but gratitude. Ten months after headlining a UFC Fight Night and five months after his last fight, the Dunnigan, California-born fighter is back to lead another event scheduled for tomorrow at UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada. Labeled ‘UFC on ESPN 72‘ and ‘UFC Vegas 109,’ the 31-year-old will face ninth-ranked Dolidze. At the press conference, after discussing his training camp and team, a reporter asked him about the Khamzat vs. Du Plessis fight. “How do you see that fight going? What’s your prediction?” They asked.

According to Anthony Hernandez, the combat sports world is waiting for a big jolt. “I think Du Plessis is going to surprise a lot of people because he’s a tough, awkward motherf**ker,“ he said. Khamzat Chimaev’s record doesn’t seem to impress him. Hernandez emphasized that Chimaev has mostly fought smaller opponents who took the bout on short notice. But he also made clear his personal dislike for the Russian challenger.

“Like he’s kind of like a weight bully. I’m still not sold on him. He’s kind of a d**khead. So I probably just don’t like him,” he said, recounting a past encounter where Khamzat acted aggressively toward him. But personal dislike aside, Hernandez believes this fight will test Chimaev. Because Du Plessis is well-rounded and constantly moving forward. “I think Du Plessis is going to show the world, you know what I mean? Like he’s tough. Keeps coming forward. Like, I’m curious to see what he can do with an actual guy that’s well-rounded,” Hernandez stressed.

Now, that’s a surprising take, because there are few who seem certain that Khamzat Chimaev will pull off a magical win in Chicago.

This won’t be a walk in the park, Dricus

UFC 319 features a middleweight fight between Michael ‘Venom’ Page and Jared Cannonier. Page, a welterweight-ranked fighter, returned to middleweight with his February fight against Sharabutdin Magomedov. Speaking with MMA Junkie, he acknowledged Dricus Du Plessis as a tough customer.

However, in Chimaev, he faces a daunting challenge. Recalling the fight between the Russian and Robert Whittaker, Page stated, “Well, interestingly, when he (Chimaev) fought Whittaker, I call him like a Crash Bandicoot; he goes in there, and he’s going crazy immediately. Although it didn’t last too long, it was the first time I saw him a little bit more composed.” So, if Chimaev is able to display similar composure, it will be hard for Du Plessis to beat him.

Despite questions raised over Chimaev’s ability to go the distance, Firas Zahabi, trainer to Georges St.-Pierre, feels the Russian will pull off a grand victory. “I think he’s going to pull it off. I think he’s going to be—he’s going to go in there round one in the first minute. He’s going to get the fight to the ground in 60 seconds, guys,” Zahabi stated on the latest episode of his podcast.

Opinions are divided. Fans will wait to see whose predictions come true.

What is your prediction: Will Khamzat Chimaev defeat Dricus Du Plessis?