Dricus du Plessis maintains an undefeated record in the UFC, and his head coach firmly believes Khamzat Chimaev will not be the one to end this impressive streak.
Speaking on Submission Radio, coach Morne Visser addressed recent injury rumors concerning the UFC middleweight champion, rumors which Chimaev himself had contributed to. While speculation circulated about a potential fight announcement for UFC 317 on June 28, du Plessis and his team have consistently stated that the bout was never officially booked.
Should this anticipated matchup eventually take place, Visser envisions du Plessis successfully defending his title once again with a dominant performance, specifically by defeating Chimaev in what is often considered his own strength.
“Khamzat is primarily a wrestler,” Visser stated. “We actually want to fight him on the ground. That`s the definitive way to prove you`re a genuine champion. MMA is multifaceted – it`s not just boxing, wrestling, or grappling – so you must compete in all areas. While you naturally lean into your strengths, we are skilled everywhere. Dricus is proficient in wrestling, grappling, ground-and-pound, submissions, and his striking is phenomenal – even if he was only `seven out of ten` against Strickland, he still secured a clear decision win by taking all five rounds. So yes, the plan is to engage Khamzat on the floor.”
Visser went on to question Chimaev`s resume. “What significant achievements does he have? Consider his fight against [Gilbert] Burns, who is essentially a lightweight. Kamaru [Usman], with no specific wrestling preparation, gave him a very tough fight. That`s exactly the situation where we want to compete against him. He`s reportedly training with bigger partners to gain strength, but that won`t suffice. This is a complete fight, not just a grappling or wrestling match. Our goal is to fight him on the ground and utterly dismantle him there. He`s simply one of those irritating individuals. I`ve never had issues with other fighters like [Israel Adesanya], but this guy is just bothersome… I`ve kept an eye on him for a long time, and Dricus will finish him on the ground. Chimaev might not think so, but that`s the intended battleground.”
Visser expressed particular annoyance at any suggestion that du Plessis might withdraw from a fight without a valid reason, highlighting his fighter`s recent consistent activity. Du Plessis claimed the UFC middleweight title in January 2024, defended it the following August, and defended it again in February of the subsequent year.
In stark contrast, Chimaev has become known for his limited appearances, having competed no more than once a year since 2022. Despite this infrequency, he has delivered impressive results when he has fought, including a decisive submission win over former UFC champion Robert Whittaker.
“It`s quite frankly absurd how many times [Chimaev] has pulled out,” Visser remarked. “Looking at his last six scheduled or rumored fights, he withdrew from three of them. Then, against [Kevin] Holland, he missed weight. He faced Kamaru on just ten days` notice, and I believe Kamaru put up a proper challenge given the circumstances. I`m not sure why Kamaru didn`t get a rematch there.”
“Furthermore, his victory over Robert was also somewhat questionable,” Visser added, “because Robert entered that fight with broken teeth, damage inflicted by Dricus [who broke Whittaker`s jaw and teeth in their previous fight]. So, considering all this, what exactly has he accomplished? I honestly don`t believe he deserves a title shot. He should simply stay quiet, accept his impending defeat, and get this fight over with.”
Frankly, another reason Visser is reluctant to name Chimaev as the immediate next challenger for du Plessis is Chimaev`s consistent history of withdrawing from bouts. While Chimaev has faced legitimate health issues, including a significant battle with COVID-19 in 2020 that may have caused long-term effects, Visser suspects other factors contribute to his lack of consistent competition.
“His pattern is pulling out,” Visser stated emphatically. “He appears to prefer being a celebrity or `movie star`. Examine his career path. He`s fought three times over the last three years. Conversely, Dricus has fought three times in just slightly over a year – I believe across 13 to 14 months – and all three were challenging title bouts, including two five-rounders and a four-rounder. [Chimaev] fighting three times in three years suggests he`s more focused on appearances and `the show`. I doubt he genuinely has the desire to compete consistently. He behaves like a movie star.”
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely