Dricus Du Plessis is not buying Khamzat Chimaev’s weight-cut explanation after his loss to Sean Strickland, and he does not think Chimaev deserves an immediate rematch.
Chimaev lost the UFC middleweight title to Strickland at UFC 328, then his camp pointed to a brutal weight cut as part of the fallout. Du Plessis, a former UFC middleweight champion, called that excuse weak and said the responsibility still lands on the fighter who entered the cage.
“I think this whole weight cut excuse is ridiculous to be honest with you. To reconsider cut 12 pounds in the 24 hours, those are rookie numbers. 12 pounds in 24 hours, that’s not that bad.”
Watch the clip below:
Dricus du Plessis says Khamzat Chimaev lost his aura after using the weight cut as an excuse for the loss to Sean Strickland
“The weight cut excuse is ridiculous. 12 pounds in 24 hours? Those are rookie numbers… I definitely cut more than that.”
(via @FForecastShow) pic.twitter.com/smulqKgzRI
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 20, 2026
Du Plessis Says Chimaev Has To Own The Loss
Du Plessis said the larger number Chimaev’s side mentioned does not matter as much as what happened during the final day before weigh-ins.
“I think it was 46 in total. In total, what I mean over the camp, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that last 24 hours and 12 pounds is not that much. I mean, I definitely cut more than that.”
Du Plessis did not pretend weight cuts are easy. He admitted a small amount of weight can change how a fighter feels, but said that still does not turn a loss into an excuse.
“Sometimes I’ve had bad weight cuts too. One kilogram can make the world difference in a weight cut. Using a weight cut as an excuse when it comes to the fight, even if you did have a bad weight cut, it’s fine. It’s happened to all of us, but you don’t go out to, ‘Oh, I lost the fight because of that.’”
That fits the spot Chimaev is in now. He remains one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the division, but Strickland’s win changed the tone around him fast. MiddleEasy previously covered how Dustin Poirier said Chimaev’s aura took a hit after the Strickland fight, and Du Plessis is making a similar point from inside the division.
Du Plessis said moving divisions is fine if the cut is too much. What he does not accept is using the cut after the fact.
“If you want to change weight divisions, change weight divisions, but blaming a bad weight cut is like saying, I lost the fight because I wasn’t fit. It’s on you. Be more disciplined.”
“Any excuse for me when you get into an octagon, there is no excuse. There is no excuse. If you went in there with the big injury, you made the decision to fight. If the injury was associated with you, don’t take the fight. Be a man and take your loss like a man. Don’t make any excuses. There are no excuses.”
Du Plessis also questioned whether this loss breaks Chimaev or forces him to evolve. Chimaev’s wrestling has overwhelmed plenty of opponents, but Du Plessis said the sport catches up when a fighter leans too hard on one weapon.
“Is this going to break him? Or is this going to motivate him to say, listen, I can’t just rely on my wrestling. I need to fight MMA because that is the sport he’s in. The wrestling guys, they’ve been so dominant that everybody started to catch up.”
Chimaev has also floated moving to 205 pounds, which Du Plessis sees as the easier path if the weight cut is the real issue.
“For Khamzat, I think he said he wants to go to 205, the easier route for sure. Just to take off the burden of a weight cut.”
But if Chimaev wants Strickland again right away, Du Plessis is not having it. Strickland is now a two-time UFC middleweight champion, while Chimaev lost the belt without making a defense.
“He said he’s moving up to 205 today, and now he’s calling Strickland for a rematch. I don’t think he deserves a rematch. He definitely doesn’t because he has no title defenses. Zero. So it doesn’t justify a rematch at all.”
If Chimaev wants 205, move up. If he wants middleweight, make the weight and earn another shot. What he cannot do, in Du Plessis’ view, is lose the belt, blame the cut, and demand Strickland run it back immediately.
