"He doesn't know what's in store" - Fans react as Dricus du Plessis dismisses Khamzat Chimaev’s intimidation factor for potential fight

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis doesn't fear facing Khamzat Chimaev, the undefeated phenom. Though not officially announced, the Chechen fighter is all but next for the South African champion.

In a recent interview on the Ariel Helwani Show, Du Plessis dismissed the popular conception that Chimaev is a boogeyman. The 31-year-old further claimed that he aims to cement his legacy by defeating an undefeated fan favorite like Chimaev.

Du Plessis said:

"People think of Khamzat as this boogeyman. [For] People, that's a fact. I don’t, I don't see that. For me, I only see one thing, and that's the potential to do good to my legacy. The potential to make my legacy even better."

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below (19:37):

Fight fans are hyped up for the potential fight and have already chosen sides, sharing their thoughts in the comments section of the Instagram clip showing du Plessis' claim.

A fan commented:

"He doesn't know what's in store for Chimaev, he's a beast and he's hungry and coming for the title" .

Another fan wrote:

"Good fight. I dont think khazmat has 25 mins in the tank".

Another fan said:

"Entire deciding factor on this entire fight is if DDP can survive the 1st round 😭"

Screenshot of comments [Screenshot courtesy: @uncrowned on Instagram]

Check out more comments below:

Screenshot of comments [Screenshot courtesy: @uncrowned on Instagram]

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Dricus du Plessis gives prediction for a potential fight with Khamzat Chimaev

After Dricus du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland at UFC 312, veteran fighter and coach Din Thomas blasted Strickland for his fighting style. Thomas also predicted how a potential fight between du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev would go.

On the Ariel Helwani Show, Thomas picked du Plessis to emerge victorious, citing the Chechen wouldn't win if the fight went past round 1. On his appearance on the show, du Plessis said (17:03):

"Absolutely. You know the way it goes, he goes hard in that first round, and he's really hard to deal with in the beginning of a fight. But so am I. And once we get there, that's the thing. When you go that hard, and rounds two, three, four, and five come, you still have to be there."

"And I've proven that I am there in those rounds. So that is 100 percent a situation where I see if he can last that long. He has to realize every round he is going to come out, I'm still going to be there like I was in the first, ready to kill. And that will never change in my game."

Despite being the champion, du Plessis opened as a betting underdog in the potential fight against Chiamev. When Helwani asked about it, du Plessis replied he wasn't bothered by it.