Ex-UFC title challenger issues bold prediction for potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev title fight: "It's another level" 

Dricus du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title at UFC 312, defeating Sean Strickland for the second time at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Now, the South African champion has his sights set on undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev, a potential blockbuster showdown that has already sparked debate among fans and analysts.

Chimaev, who remains unbeaten at 14-0, made a strong case for a title shot with a dominant first-round submission win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. With both fighters eager to face off, former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero shared his thoughts on the potential matchup.

Speaking to Submission Radio, Romero stated:

"It's very difficult [to pick] but... 60% [chances] for Chimaev and 40% for du Plessis."

He emphasized Chimaev’s elite grappling skills as the deciding factor:

"Wrestling... The wrestling for Chimaev right now is very very dangerous... He's on another level. Olympic level."

Check out Yoel Romero's comments below:

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Henry Cejudo urges Khamzat Chimaev to take a main event fight before going for a title shot

Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes Khamzat Chimaev needs to prove his endurance in a five-round fight before challenging middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.

Speaking on the HJR Podcast, Cejudo expressed concerns about Chimaev’s conditioning, stating that while the Chechen is dominant early in fights, his ability to maintain that pace over five rounds is questionable:

"Dude, Khamzat... I just... in a five-round fight, man. Seeing two fights with Khamzat, man, Khamzat can beat anybody in the world in about a round. But I don't see that against DDP. DDP's scrambly, man. I was super impressed with what he did to Robert Whittaker, but I just feel like you're gonna need to really be able to pace yourself for five rounds, and with DDP's train just continuing to keep rolling and he's still steaming and his train's still hot, I don't see it, man."

The Olympic gold medalist also suggested that Chimaev should take another fight before competing for the title, citing his lack of experience in fighting championship rounds.

Khamzat's probably gonna have to take another fight to feel good and to become champion. Because the fight that he did come with Whittaker, he did beat him fast, dude, but you're gonna have to prepare, man, for a guy like DDP."

Check out Henry Cejudo's comments on potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev (2:25 and 3:29):