Dricus du Plessis "bullies people" just like Khamzat Chimaev, says UFC fighter who once almost fought 'Stillknocks'

Modified Mar 28, 2025 04:19 GMT

Kelvin Gastelum says Dricus du Plessis (right) "bullies people" in his fights and compares him to Khamzat Chimaev (left) [Images courtesy: Getty Images] — Kelvin Gastelum says Dricus du Plessis (right) "bullies people" in his fights and compares him to Khamzat Chimaev (left). [Images courtesy: Getty Images]

Kelvin Gastelum has weighed in on UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis' fighting style. He believes 'Stillknocks's' style to be similar to that of Khamzat Chimaev's. He also touched on how he almost ended up fighting the South African.

At UFC 273, du Plessis was scheduled to fight Gastelum. However, due to an injury, the American fighter was forced to pull out. Gastelum recalled training for the current champion and spoke about his "weird" fighting style. In an interview with MMA Junkie, he said:

"We were like, 'that guy, he [Dricus du Plessis] fights weird.' Sure enough Ali made some calls and the next day, we were matched up. That very next day. I went into sparring and I injured my knee."

He continued:

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"Obviously he's got huge holes in his game. But the thing that makes it dangerous is his cardio, his pressure. He goes out there ba**s to the wall for twenty-five minutes and bullies people. That's his specialty, just like Khamzat."

Check out Kelvin Gastelum's comments below (10:21):

The San Jose native is scheduled to fight Joe Pyfer at UFC Mexico. He wants to fight his way up the middleweight ranks and hopefully challenge for the 185-pound title down the line.

Dricus du Plessis reacts to Alex Pereira's loss against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313

Before fighting at light heavyweight, Alex Pereira was a middleweight contender. Soon after Dricus du Plessis became the middleweight champion, the Brazilian fighter expressed interest in moving back down for a super fight against him.

Although the fight never materialized, it seems like the chances are completely gone after UFC 313.

The South African champion made an appearance on Jackson O'Doherty Vlogs and addressed 'Poatan's' loss to Ankalaev as well as the chances of a clash between himself and Pereira, saying:

"And he [Alex Pereira] wants to go down to middleweight? What I'm seeing about it is neither of them are that tired. That means, you could do more. Ankalaev fought a good game. Thanks Ankalaev, for taking the biggest payday of my life. It's nothing personal."

Check out Dricus du Plessis' remarks below (2:58):

About the author

Sunil holds a Bachelor of Science degree in visual communication. He started his professional career in 2023 and has previously worked with FirstSportz and Levitate Studios, among other organizations.

Sunil was drawn to MMA by Conor McGregor, especially the Irishman’s crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. His favorite fighter is Jorge Masvidal for his wild and unorthodox approach.

Surprisingly, ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Gamebred’ do not find a place in his Mt. Rushmore, which includes Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He feels ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon has the ability to succeed in the UFC due to his power.

Sunil is of the opinion that the UFC is not doing enough to prevent eye pokes and does not mind soccer kicks in MMA.

In his free time, he likes to watch anime and films in general. He’s also a boxing historian, having gotten into the sport watching videos of fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

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Edited by Anurag Mitra