Dricus Du Plessis vows to become a more complete fighter after being dominated by Khamzat Chimaev, who won the middleweight title at UFC 319.
Dricus Du Plessis vows to return to the octagon as a more complete fighter. His promise comes after Khamzat Chimaev dominated him to snag the middleweight title at UFC 319 in August.
Du Plessis had been on an impressive 11-fight winning streak. However, in Chicago, Chimaev controlled the fight, taking the belt over five grueling rounds. Du Plessis admits it’s frustrating to recall how the Chechen fighter managed to outmaneuver him.
“He made sure he stayed out of danger,” Du Plessis told Fight Forecast. “He almost neutralized me. If we made it a fight, it would’ve been different. But he was smart. Frustrating, absolutely. But those speed bumps make me better. Now I know where to improve. Just wait for my next performance.”
That night, Chimaev improved to a flawless 15-0 record. It was only the third time he went the distance in his MMA career. Du Plessis had a few words about Chimaev’s style.
“Big ups to him,” Du Plessis remarked. “He did what he needed to do. Not the fight I wanted, though. It wasn’t fun to watch. I got bored, and I was in there! [laughs] He won the belt his way. Different strokes, I guess.”
The UFC hasn’t announced Du Plessis’s next move yet. Meanwhile, Chimaev has hinted at moving up to 205 pounds to challenge Alex Pereira. But that’s probably not happening next. Who knows?