Dricus du Plessis plays down threat of ‘Boogeyman’ Khamzat Chimaev in UFC clash: ‘I don’t see that’
Incumbent middleweight kingpin, Dricus du Plessis has played down the apparent “boogeyman” nature of unbeaten contender and likely next foe, Khamzat Chimaev in his return to the UFC — claiming he doesn’t share the same opinion of the former as many others in the sport.
du Plessis, the current undisputed middleweight titleholder, recorded his second consecutive defense of the divisional crown at UFC 312 earlier this month, landing a one-sided unanimous decision win over two-fight rival and former champion, Sean Strickland.
And all but booked to take on the unbeaten Chechen by UFC CEO, Dana White, du Plessis has more than welcomed a pairing with Chimaev — even suggesting other top contenders, Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho vie in a title eliminator to face him next.
Dricus du Plessis plays down threat of “boogeyman” Khamzat Chimaev
However, despite the surging contender’s roughshod run over middleweight contenders, du Plessis told Ariel Helwani for Uncrowned this evening how he really doesn’t believe Chimaev is the “boogeyman” of the division.
I think after the (Robert) Whittaker performance, sure, sure, why not?” Dricus du Plessis said of Khamzat Chimaev’s title fight credentials. “You know, for me, it’s the next big guy and everybody speaks about him as if he has ever been close to a title, which he hasn’t. But for me, it’s just good to be fighting somebody with, you know, what people think of Khamzat as this boogeyman, people, that’s a fact.
I don’t. I don’t see that,” Dricus du Plessis explained. “For me, I only see one thing and that’s the potential to do good to my legacy, the potential to even make my legacy even better.”
Most recently improving his unbeaten run in combat sports to a staggering fourteen fights, number three ranked contender, Chimaev made incredibly short work of common-foe, former undisputed champion, Whittaker at UFC 308, landing a gnarly first round face crank submission win over the ex-titleholder.
