Dricus Du Plessis Wants To Fight Khamzat Chimaev

Dricus Du Plessis Wants To Fight Khamzat Chimaev

UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has his eyes on his next opponent. The champion is expected to defend the title against Sean Strickland, but he would rather fight Khamzat Chimaev.

Du Plessis spoke about his preferring to fight Chimaev in an interview with radioraps. All quotes via MMA Junkie.

“We always knew that, between Rob and Khamzat, if it was going to be something exceptional that happens, there might be a change in the title fight,” Du Plessis said. “We have no clarity on that, but as a fan of the sport, and as the middleweight champion of the world, that’s a fight that gets me more excited – taking somebody’s 0. I’ve beaten Strickland before, and I know I’ll beat him again.

Du Plessis’s desire to fight Chimaev is for a plethora of reasons. At UFC 308, Chimaev looked career-best with a first-round submission over Robert Whittaker. That is the type of performance that warrants a title fight. On top of that, it would be a fresh matchup in comparison to a potential rematch with Strickland. Lastly, Du Plessis wants to be the fighter to give Chimaev his first career loss.

“Getting that Khamzat fight, that gets me excited, Du Plessis said. “I think the whole world, the fans want to see it. The fans ultimately pay to watch the fights. So, the fight the world thinks is the best next fight, that’s what I want. I think the Khamzat fight is 100 percent what I want. The UFC is going to do what they’re going to do, but from a fan perspective and from a fighter’s perspective, I think Khamzat should get the next shot.”

The idea of allowing Chimaev to skip Strickland in the title queue is understandable. At UFC 297, Du Plessis and Strickland fought to a split decision. In the time since Strickland picked up a decision win over Paulo Costa. Meanwhile, Chimaev has a dominant victory over Whittaker. Those two wins are vastly different.

It should not be controversial to say Chimaev should be fighting for the middleweight title. It is a better fight that should provide more entertainment for the fans. The fact that the champion is calling for the matchup is only more reason to book the fight.

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