Khamzat Chimaev would get 'mollywhopped' by Dricus du Plessis, predicts Ex-UFC heavyweight: "Hits like mack truck"

Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub recently shared his thoughts on a potential fight between Khamzat Chimaev and reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.

Chimaev impressed the MMA world at UFC 308 with a dominant performance, submitting former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the first round via face crank, a move that left the Australian's teeth misaligned. This spectacular victory cemented Chimaev as the next title contender, a position that UFC CEO Dana White confirmed. White stated that Chimaev will face the winner of du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland.

‘Stillknocks’ is set to defend his title for the second time at UFC 312 in a highly anticipated rematch against Strickland, following their intense battle at UFC 297. The event will take place this weekend at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.

On his podcast, Schaub weighed in on a potential showdown between du Plessis and Chimaev, backing the South African champion to get the job done. Schaub pointed out Chimaev’s lack of experience in the later rounds while emphasizing du Plessis’ superior cardio and power. He stated:

"That's why I think you'd give the edge to DDP. I think DDP mollywhopped Khamzat too. I think he's a nightmare for Khamzat. You see how big he is? And his cardio is good now, really good. [I would say Khamzat takes him down all day and wins that]. But here’s the thing—everyone thought that about Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns too. How do you think Khamzat does in the fourth and fifth rounds against DDP? Because all his fights, if they go past the second, he really starts to tail off.”

He added

“DDP or Strickland could easily win this fight. Khamzat better get him out of there in those first two rounds. That third, fourth, and fifth would be a nightmare. Those guys are so good—good luck finishing them in the first or second round. Especially a guy like DDP, who's well-versed on the ground, bigger than you, stronger, and hits like a mack truck. I got DDP."

Check out Brendan Schaub’s comments below (38:47):

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Dricus du Plessis believes Khamzat Chimaev deserved the title shot over Sean Strickland

In his recent appearance on ESPN Africa, Dricus du Plessis revealed that he initially wanted to defend his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev instead of granting a rematch to Sean Strickland at UFC 312. The reigning champion compared their recent performances and explained why he felt Chimaev was the more deserving contender. Du Plessis stated:

“I was rallying for the Khamzat fight just because it was strike while the iron’s hot, The hype was there. It would’ve been good for all of us. I would’ve preferred the Khamzat fight.”

He continued:

“I think he deserved it more even though he didn’t have as many fights. But if you look at Strickland’s last fight against Costa, that doesn’t warrant anybody, ever, a title fight. That was super boring. I mean, watching that fight I was sitting there thinking, ‘What?’ I mean, dominant performance by Strickland, but a terrible fight to watch. Then, Khamzat comes in and does to Rob, the way he did it, I mean, that’s what gets you to jump the line.”

Check out Dricus du Plessis’ comments here: