Dricus Du Plessis Vs. Khamzat Chimaev Predictions – ‘He's Just Too Big'

On August 16 at UFC 319, Dricus Du Plessis will put his UFC Middleweight Title on the line against Khamzat Chimaev, as MMA pros gave their prediction. 

Du Plessis (22-2) has been on an impressive run, with 11 consecutive wins. He won the title against Sean Strickland at UFC 297. He followed up with two successful defenses, first defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, then securing a rematch win over Strickland at UFC 312. Despite talks of a potential move up to light heavyweight or even heavyweight, Du Plessis will need to get past the dangerous Chimaev before considering any such leap.

Chimaev (13-0) has only fought twice since 2023 due to a combination of inactivity and injuries. His most recent victories came against Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker. Chimaev’s relentless pace and wrestling game make him a dangerous challenge for anyone in the division, as pros gave their picks. 

Predictions

"Oh man, I think it’s a tough one for Khamzat. Du Plessis, his awkwardness makes him very difficult to deal with. He’s got great grappling. He’s a very strong opponent. If he can weather the storm in a five-round fight, I’m leaning towards Du Plessis. You know, you saw what Gilbert Burns did, but obviously Khamzat Chimaev has made some changes. You know, he’s evolving, he’s getting better, he’s strong. Oh man, I would love to see Du Plessis win it. I’m leaning towards Du Plessis because I think it’s a very tough fight, a very tough fight. Khamzat’s notorious for fatiguing later on in the rounds and if it’s a five-round fight, Du Plessis it is," Stephen Thompson

"Oh, this is an interesting matchup. Chimaev is a really a high-level wrestler and he’s strong. I like Dricus. It’s hard to predict but I don’t think that Dricus will stop wrestling Chimaev, and I think maybe Chimaev will beat this guy," Mateusz Gamrot

More Picks

"Gosh, I feel like I’ve kind of underrated Du Plessis a little bit. I feel like he was going to lose to Strickland and I was way wrong about that. I feel like his unique style is so easy to not think he’s going to win, but I feel like he’s gained confidence in me and so I think Du Plessis is going to take home the win on that one," Fatima Kline

"Oh man, you know, I feel like Du Plessis is the type of guy that can nullify a lot of things that Khamzat brings. I think that if Khamzat’s going to get it done, it’s going to be in the first or second round. And I do think he needs to finish to do that. But I see if it goes to the third and fourth and fifth round, I feel like Du Plessis has that type of skill, durability, and just the physicality to be able to put up with the things that Khamzat will be able to give to him. So man, I’m a Khamzat fan, but I am leaning towards Du Plessis," Marcus McGhee

"I’m going to go with Dricus. Yeah, I think he’s just too big of a guy. He just, he has a gas tank on him as well. So that should be a fun one," Mario Bautista

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