Dricus du Plessis issues unfiltered opinion on Khamzat Chimaev's perceived intimidation factor, shares honest prediction about potential clash

Dricus du Plessis has expressed optimism in his chances of defeating Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis stated that while the opening round with Chimaev may be challenging, the undefeated contender will struggle to handle him as the fight progresses.

In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, du Plessis was asked if he agreed with UFC analyst Din Thomas' remarks about the reigning champion overpowering Chimaev as their potential fight goes on to the championship rounds.

Du Plessis agreed with Thomas' assertion, claiming that despite Chimaev's aggression in the early stages of a bout, he would be difficult for the undefeated contender to handle in a five-round fight, saying:

''He's [Chimaev] really hard to deal with in the beginning of the fight, but so am I. When you go that hard, when round two, three, four, five comes, you still have to be there and I've proven that I am there...if he wants to come out, I'm still gonna be there, like I was there in the first, ready to kill.''

In response to a question concerning Chimaev's intimidating nature before a fight, du Plessis cited the 30-year-old's past octagon encounters with Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, where the two welterweights performed admirably, stating:

''If you look at a guy like Kamaru Usman, what he did with Khamzat on 10 days notice, you look at Gilbert Burns... Those guys don't get intimidated by people screaming, 'I smesh. I smesh.' That is not how it works.''

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below:

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What did Din Thomas say about potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight?

Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev are expected to face each other after securing dominant victories over Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker at UFC 312 and UFC 308, respectively.

In an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show last week, Din Thomas backed du Plessis to come out victorious in a potential clash against Chimaev, saying:

''I think Khamzat is a sprinter...you can’t fight championship-level fights for five rounds at the pace where he’s at his best. If he fights like that 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...Let’s say he does pace himself a little better. Dricus will just pour it on him. So I think that pacing is a big factor.''

Check out Din Thomas' comments below (7:05):