"We're wasting time" - When Dricus du Plessis dismissed Khamzat Chimaev's claim to title shot after UFC Saudi Arabia withdrawal

Dricus du Plessis once downplayed Khamzat Chimaev's position in the middleweight title contention after the undefeated Russian pulled out from UFC Saudi Arabia.

'Borz' was originally set to headline the first UFC event in Riyadh against Robert Whittaker in June in what was likely considered a No. 1 contender bout. However, just a week before the fight, he pulled out due to health concerns.

During a July interview with Submission Radio, du Plessis, who has expressed interest in potentially facing Chimaev, conveyed his disappointment that the fight did not materialize. The reigning UFC 185-pound champion further noted that Chimaev has not fought against any ranked middleweight contenders, which makes his inclusion in the title picture irrelevant at this time:

"I’ve been on that side of the area of not being able to fight, and it sucks. Right now, it just doesn’t even make sense to talk about it. He hasn’t fought one single ranked middleweight, not one, and to even put him in that conversation right now seems like we’re wasting time talking about it. He’s not in the run, and up until he proves that he deserves to be in that run, there’s no use in talking about it."

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below (9:35):

'Borz' is now rebooked to face Whittaker in a five-round showdown, slated as the co-main event of UFC 308, scheduled for this Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Chimaev is making his return to the octagon after a year, following his victory over Kamaru Usman by majority decision at UFC 294 in October 2023.

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When Khamzat Chimaev took Dana White to task over broken title shot promise

Dana White had apparently guaranteed Khamzat Chimaev a title shot should he defeat Kamaru Usman in a short-notice matchup at UFC 294, which 'Borz' did. However, during the press conference for UFC 297, White reevaluated that commitment, announcing that the next title challenger had yet to be determined.

In an interview with ESPN MMA in January, Chimaev called out the UFC CEO and accused him of backtracking on his promise to grant him the next title shot:

"All these guys have fought each other, and only I am undefeated, undisputed, 13-0. They promised me that after the Usman fight, I would for sure fight for the title. I won that fight, so I don't know what's going on. I heard Dana White say, 'I don't think Khamzat is next for the title.' That's bullsh*t, man. If you promise me something, you have to stand by it."

He added:

"I'm the guy who always answers for my words, so I don’t care if it’s some president or something, like a king. If you give me your word, you have to answer for that."

Check out Dana White's comments below (4:00):