Fans have always eagerly awaited Khamzat Chimaev’s fights in the UFC. Now that he’s competing for the title, there’s a noticeable buzz among the fans. Chimaev is set to face Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight championship. Meanwhile, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker believes Chimaev could face difficulties in defeating Du Plessis.
Whittaker faced ‘Borz’ at UFC 308, where ‘The Reaper’ suffered a brutal first-round submission. The Russian fighter has undoubtedly dominated every opponent he’s faced so far. However, despite Chimaev’s dominance, the former middleweight champion still believes Du Plessis will have the upper hand in their upcoming bout. While speaking to MainEventTV, Whittaker shared his thoughts:
“I think I’m leaning towards Dricus. Chimaev will take him down — it’s will he finish him before he gets back up? Because if he doesn’t finish him on the ground, I think he loses.”
Robert Whittaker leans towards Dricus Du Plessis in upcoming title fight against Khamzat Chimaev 👀🔥
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 4, 2025
"I think I'm leaning towards Dricus. Chimaev will take him down — it's *will he finish him before he gets back up?* Because if he doesn't finish him on the ground, I think he… pic.twitter.com/r5XIFqxjdb
Meanwhile, Chimaev is putting his undefeated record on the line, while the current middleweight champion is defending his title. Fans are eager to find out who will come out on top in this high-stakes showdown.
Robert Whittaker Says Dricus Du Plessis Has The Edge After Round One
The tension in the UFC middleweight division continues to rise as Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis trade jabs on social media ahead of UFC 319. As the trash talk builds hype, former champion Robert Whittaker shared his thoughts on the matchup during an appearance on the ‘MMArcade’ podcast. Whittaker highlighted Chimaev’s relentless grappling as a key factor but questioned how long he can maintain that pace.
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“There’s a way, but it’s tricky. Once Khamzat gets his hands on you, once you back up on that fence, he’s gonna stay there on you. I believe he will get Dricus down, he’ll control him for a round, but if he can’t put him away, what does he look like coming up in round 2, round 3? Dricus has got a gas tank,” Whittaker explained.
He believes Chimaev may dominate early, but Du Plessis could turn the tide in later rounds thanks to his cardio and resilience—making this one of the most intriguing title fights in recent memory.
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