Du Plessis Welcomes War With Boogeyman Chimaev

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis is champing at the bit to end Khamzat Chimaev’s undefeated streak after the Chechen boogeyman’s terrifying mauling of Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night.

The fight against Whittaker, the former 185-pound champion and one of the greatest middleweights of all time, was set to be Chimaev’s acid test. For as dominant as “Borz” had been, he’d shown signs of vulnerability when taken into later rounds, both in his war against Gilbert Burns in 2022 and in his last bout against ex-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Chimaev had been rocked a few times by the Brazilian and started to gas in the final frame of the three-round fight against “The Nigerian Nightmare”, who’d stepped up on short notice, at UFC 294 last October. He won both bouts against the natural welterweights by decision but came out of them not looking as frightening as before.

In Whittaker, he’d face an elite middleweight for the first time. Ranked at No. 3, the Australian ace had only lost to two men at 185 pounds – Israel Adesanya, the man who dethroned him, and South Africa’s first-ever UFC champion Du Plessis – and had defeated great wrestlers/grapplers such as Yoel Romero, Jacare Souza and Derek Brunson.

On Saturday night, however, the future Hall of Famer was manhandled by Chimaev. The 30-year-old shot and got an immediate takedown, wrapped around Whittaker like a boa constrictor and forced him to tap out with one of the most vicious face cranks in UFC history three minutes and 34 seconds into the first round.

Why Whittaker tapped immediately came to light at the end of the pay-per-view broadcast when Hall of Famer and commentator Daniel Cormier showed off a gruesome photo Whittaker sent him of the damage done by Chimaev’s jaw-crushing submission.

Chimaev proved he’s indeed a freak of nature and the real deal, with many proclaiming him the champion in waiting after he improved to 14-0 in such frightening fashion.

There’s every chance that Chimaev, with his power play, could leapfrog Sean Strickland to the next title shot. The American consolidated his No. 1 ranking with a decision win over Paulo Costa in June and was expected to rematch Du Plessis, who’d beaten him for the belt by split decision in January.

UFC president Dana White was noncommittal during his post-UFC 308 press conference, saying they’ll weigh up all the factors during Tuesday’s matchmaking meeting.

Du Plessis, who submitted Adesanya in his first title defence in August, has his sights set on slaying Chimaev, saying on X:

Feel really sorry for Rob he looked super ready but this is the fight game well done on a good performance Khamzat
That being said I can’t wait to take your 0

— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) October 27, 2024

“Feel really sorry for Rob he looked super ready but this is the fight game well done on a good performance Khamzat. That being said I can’t wait to take your 0.”

As for Chimaev, he said in his post-fight press conference that he’d walk through the fighting pride of South Africa. “How I did with this guy, Rob, and how he done?” Chimaev said. “Rob took him down, so if Rob took him down, there is salam alaikum .”