Dricus du Plessis has maintained a perfect record within the UFC, and his head coach does not anticipate Khamzat Chimaev being the fighter to end that impressive run.
In a conversation with Submission Radio, Morne Visser, Du Plessis`s coach, addressed recent rumors concerning the UFC middleweight champion`s health, which Dricus had publicly denied. Visser also discussed Chimaev, who was partly responsible for the online chatter regarding Du Plessis`s status. Speculation arose questioning why Du Plessis had not been confirmed to defend his title against the undefeated Chimaev at UFC 317 on June 28th. However, Du Plessis and his team have consistently stated that this potential fight was never officially booked.
Should the highly anticipated bout eventually materialize, Visser envisions Du Plessis successfully defending his championship once more with a dominant performance, potentially by overcoming Chimaev in an area where Chimaev is considered strong.
“Khamzat is fundamentally a wrestler,” Visser remarked. “Our objective is to fight him on the ground. That`s the ultimate way to demonstrate you`re a true champion. You have to face these guys – this is MMA, it`s not strictly boxing, wrestling, or grappling; it requires fighting. If you believe you`re the superior MMA fighter, you should be prepared to compete where your opponent excels. But we are capable everywhere. Dricus possesses strong wrestling and grappling skills, effective ground-and-pound, and solid submissions. His standup striking is phenomenal, as we witnessed in his last fight. Even so, he hasn`t reached his peak form in the octagon yet, not the 10-out-of-10 fighter we see in training. He was about a 7-out-of-10 against Strickland, but he still got the job done. He secured the victory, winning all five rounds. So yes, our intention is to fight Khamzat on the ground. That`s our strategy.”
Visser questioned Chimaev`s accomplishments: “What has he truly achieved? Look at his fight against Gilbert Burns; Gilbert is naturally a lightweight but gave him a tough challenge. Kamaru Usman also pushed him significantly despite having no specific wrestling preparation for that bout. That`s precisely why we want to fight him on the ground. I understand he`s training with bigger partners for strength now, but that won`t be enough. He needs to be ready for a fight, not just grappling or wrestling; it`s a full fight. That`s what we aim to do. We want to fight him on the ground and dissect him piece by piece on the canvas. He`s just a rather annoying character. I`ve never had issues with fighters like Israel Adesanya or any others, but this guy is simply bothersome. I`ve had my eye on him for a long time, and Dricus will finish him on the ground. Chimaev doesn`t seem to believe it or anticipate it, but that`s where we plan to fight him – on the ground.”
Visser appeared particularly bothered by the suggestion that Du Plessis would withdraw from a fight without a valid reason, pointing to his fighter`s recent consistent activity. Du Plessis claimed the UFC middleweight championship in January 2024, defended it the following August, and then defended it again this past February.
In significant contrast, Chimaev has gained a reputation for his lack of activity, having competed only once per year since 2022. Despite this, he continues to impress when he does step into the cage, most recently securing a notable submission win over former UFC champion Robert Whittaker.
“It`s genuinely ridiculous how frequently [Chimaev] has pulled out,” Visser stated. “If you examine just his last six planned or hypothetical fights, he withdrew from three of them. Then he fought Kevin Holland after missing weight. He faced Kamaru Usman on only ten days` notice, and I believe Kamaru gave him a tough challenge despite that short timeframe. I`m puzzled as to why Kamaru never sought a rematch there.”
He added, “Furthermore, his victory over Robert was somewhat fortunate because Robert entered that fight with broken teeth, an injury Dricus had caused when he broke Whittaker`s jaw and teeth. So, what has Chimaev truly accomplished? I honestly don`t believe he currently deserves a title shot. Therefore, he shouldn`t be making any comments. He should just step up, accept his defeat, and move past this.”
To be entirely candid, another factor making Visser reluctant to acknowledge Chimaev as the clear next contender for Du Plessis is Chimaev`s history of withdrawing from scheduled bouts. Chimaev has reported health problems, including potential long-term effects from a COVID-19 infection in 2020. However, Visser suspects there may be other reasons contributing to his inconsistency.
Visser concluded, “That`s his pattern; his pattern is withdrawing. He seems more interested in being a `movie star.` Look at his record. I think he`s fought perhaps three times in the last three years. In contrast, Dricus has fought three times in just over a year – specifically, within the last 13 or 14 months. All three were challenging title fights, two were five-rounders, and one a four-rounder. Chimaev fighting three times in three years suggests his focus is primarily on the spectacle. I doubt he truly possesses the drive for consistent competition. He`s a movie star.”
