Khamzat Chimaev: Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis' blueprint for victory against each other outlined by surging middleweight star

Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis' blueprint for victory against each other outlined by surging middleweight star

Modified Mar 29, 2025 15:45 GMT

UFC middleweight shares his prediction on Khamzat Chimaev (left) and Dricus du Plessis (right) potential fight. [Images courtesy: @khamzat_chimaev and @dricusduplessis on Instagram]

Khamzat Chimaev is likely to face Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title at some point this year in a highly anticipated bout. Rising UFC middleweight Joe Pyfer also weighed in on the potential matchup, breaking down how each fighter could secure victory.

In a clip shared by @CalfkickerClips on YouTube, Pyfer was asked to predict the outcome of a potential Chimaev vs. du Plessis fight. The American believes that the Chechen-born fighter's best chance to win lies in the first two rounds, utilizing his high-level wrestling skills.

Pyfer provided a contrasting path to victory for ‘Stillknocks’. He believes that if the South African champion can withstand Chimaev's initial takedowns, he will have the edge in the later rounds.

“Yeah, I do. I think if he [Chimaev] can beat him [du Plessis] in the first two rounds, if he can get him down in the first two rounds, I think he would beat him. And if he's able to survive the first two rounds, I think Dricus would wind up finishing empty.”

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Check out Joe Pyfer’s comments below:

Du Plessis recently defended his middleweight belt against Sean Strickland at UFC 312. He put on a dominant performance and secured a unanimous decision victory to retain the title.

Meanwhile, ‘Borz’ cemented himself as the next in line for the middleweight championship by delivering an impressive performance at UFC 308 against Robert Whittaker. He submitted the former champion in the first round via face crank to secure the victory.

Bo Nickal shares his prediction on potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight

During his appearance on Home of Fight's YouTube channel, Bo Nickal shared his thoughts on a potential bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis. Nickal highlighted Chimaev’s dominant wrestling game and emphasized that du Plessis cannot prepare for grappling at ‘Borz’s level. He said:

"I think I’d give the edge to Khamzat because of that wrestling advantage. You just don’t get [to train] against strong grapplers like that [Chimaev]. You’re not used to that. No matter what Dricus is gonna do, he’s not gonna be able to gameplan for that, [because] he’s not gonna felt [feel] that from anyone.”

Check out Bo Nickal’s comments below (20:45):

About the author

Vaibhav started as a writer in 2023. In his short time in the field, he has already worked for various platforms, including Team Flexbox and Trivoli Digital. He feels his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Media and Communication helps him tackle the different types of articles required in a sports publication.

Alex Pereira’s rags-to-superstardom story makes the Brazilian Vaibhav’s most-beloved MMA fighter. That said, Max Holloway’s last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 is his favorite fight. Vaibhav is of the opinion that MMA has overtaken boxing as the world’s top combat sport. He attributes this to the UFC’s marketing and global popularity among younger audiences. He also believes MMA fighters are not compensated adequately in comparison to the Sweet Science. While writing his news pieces, Vaibhav focuses on proper research from reliable sources and on ensuring timely content that adheres to the in-house style.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi