Khamzat Chimaev's intimidating trait could become his kryptonite against Dricus du Plessis, predicts MMA coach: "You can't bet against DDP" 

Khamzat Chimaev is coming off an impressive first-round submission win over Robert Whittaker. Likewise, Dricus du Plessis also made his second successful title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 312. As the conversation around a possible title fight between the duo intensifies, an MMA coach shares his thoughts as well.

Chimaev returned to the middleweight division at UFC 294 against Kamaru Usman. He has since won two fights in the division and is ranked No. 3. 'Borz' is already seen as a potential contender for the UFC middleweight title. In addition, du Plessis revealed his intentions of defending the title against him in the post-fight press conference of UFC 312.

Known for his fast-paced fighting style, Chimaev showcased his speed and strength against Whittaker at UFC 308. However, facing a fighter like du Plessis will be a different challenge inside the octagon. Weighing in on the same, Tim Welch took to his YouTube channel and said:

"Khamzat comes out and he makes it a sprint. You cannot sprint at the pace he does for 25 minutes. I feel DDP is good enough of an athlete, he's smart enough a guy, his neck is really big, like it's not gonna be easy to get under his neck and connect his hands like he did against Robert Whittaker and smash his face but he's gonna have to match his pace. He's gonna have to match his pace in that first two rounds and then see who can swim in the third, the fourth, and the fifth round."

Welch continued:

"You're making a bet on yourself when you come out with that pace, you're like, 'f*ck I'm getting this guy out of here, I don't give a f*ck I'm coming forward. But gets to the third, the fourth, and the fifth, you saw with Usman, because they fought at 185 right? They fought three rounds at 185 and Usman was starting to picking up in the end. So, if I have to bet money right now on that fight, you can't bet against DDP."

Check out Tim Welch's comments below (34:09):

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When Khamzat Chimaev shared his thoughts on Dricus du Plessis after his win over Israel Adesanya

Dricus du Plessis locked horns with Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in a UFC middleweight title showdown. To the surprise of many, he submitted the former champion in the fourth round to defend his belt. 'Stillknocks' became the first fighter to beat Adesanya by submission.

Before squaring off against Robert Whittaker, Chimaev sat down with Daniel Cormier for a chat. 'DC' asked 'Borz' about his thoughts on du Plessis as a fighter by mentioning his distinct feat against Adesanya, to which he replied:

"Izzy is going down slowly. I don't think he's that motivated like before...Izzy is better fighter than du Plessis I think. ...They fought like fighters...but then how much you're hungry, how much you want this, you can be a bad fighter, and you could be... some guy can beat you up four rounds and last round because of your heart you win the fight."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments on Dricus du Plessis below (8:29):