“You Can’t Fight”: UFC Veteran Doesn’t Think Khamzat Chimaev Can Handle Five Rounds Against Dricus Du Plessis

With Dricus Du Plessis securing a dominant victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 312, fans are eagerly anticipating what’s next for the middleweight champion. The name on everyone’s lips? Khamzat Chimaev. The undefeated powerhouse has long been calling for a title shot, and after Du Plessis’ latest win, many believe the time has come. However, not everyone is convinced that Chimaev can handle the challenge.

During his time in the promotion, DDP has proven to be an anomaly in the sport. Every time he fights, it looks like he’s throwing haymakers the entire time. But for some reason, he always manages to outlast his more calculated opponents. Chimaev, meanwhile, depends entirely on putting the pace early on and securing finishes.

And it is for this very reason, UFC veteran Din Thomas doesn’t believe the Chechen challenger would leave a mark on the champ’s face. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, he said –

“Khamzat is a sprinter… You can’t fight championship-level fights for five rounds at the pace where he’s at his best. I think Dricus is so durable and he’s so smart that he’ll be able to withstand that. Now they’re swimming in deep water, and Khamzat can’t swim that deep.” 

Questions have been raised about Chimaev’s gas tank, especially after his grueling decision win against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294. In that bout, Chimaev started strong but noticeably slowed down as the fight progressed, leading some to believe that a well-conditioned fighter like Du Plessis could exploit that weakness.

Du Plessis, on the other hand, has built a reputation for his endurance and durability, thanks to his long battles with Strickland and Israel Adesanya. He has also grown leaps and bounds since capturing the middleweight title at UFC 297. His cardio has gotten significantly better, as his team’s plan for every fight.

For the Strickland match-up at UFC 312, DDP kept throwing overhands and high kicks to keep a check on the challenger’s pace. He would also constantly close in the distance to land a shot, then immediately move out and pivot, even change stances to keep Strickland confused.

So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that he feels confident enough to call out the best in the business, in an attempt to solidify his legacy in the UFC.

DDP wants the biggest, baddest fights

Right after he defeated Strickland, Du Plessis walked across the octagon, and stared into Alex Pereira’s eyes Brad Pitt’s Achilles from the 2004 blockbuster Troy, calling him out. Pereira currently holds the light heavyweight title and is widely considered one of the most dangerous fighters in the heavier weight classes.

Pereira was also present in Strickland’s corner for the fight. So perhaps, DDP saw this as an opportunity to shoot his shot, in hopes of a fight for his second title. However, in truth, there’s a lot to do at 185 lbs before he can make the transition.

And he knows that. After the adrenaline kicked off, Du Plessis attended the post-PPV presser and made something crystal clear – he wants Chimaev next. As the reigning middleweight champion, Du Plessis has no intention of dodging any challengers and sees this as an opportunity to solidify his dominance in the division.

“Khamzat is next, I want to make sure that this belt, this middleweight title, that there’s no question that I’m the GOAT of the middleweight division”, he said. 

Dricus Du Plessis says Khamzat Chimaev is the only option after #UFC312.

“I want to make sure there’s no question I’m the GOAT of the middleweight division.”

@UFC pic.twitter.com/xNyPmBhNQd

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 9, 2025

This isn’t the first time he has called out Chimaev either. After the Chechen nearly broke Robert Whittaker’s jaw at UFC 308, Du Plessis has called for him to be a title challenger instead of Strickland. And not months later, it seems he might finally be getting what he wanted.