Dricus Du Plessis, the UFC middleweight champion, is set to defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025, at the United Center in Chicago. At the media day on August 13, 2025, Du Plessis shared his plan to meet Chimaev’s intensity head-on and fight his own style.
Du Plessis’ mindset
Du Plessis expects a fast-paced fight and is ready for it.
“I’m going out there to fight the way I fight and see what happens,” he told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. He pointed out Chimaev’s approach in his first-round submission of Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in 2024, saying, “He didn’t change his gameplan with Robert Whittaker because it was a five-rounder. That kind of already gives me the sense that he’s not gonna think about the five rounds when he should be.”
He sees the 25-minute fight as his advantage.
“Five rounds is a long time, and I am not scared to get into that dark place. We’ve seen that,” he said.The champion is confident in his endurance. “If we go full speed, you know, I can fight tired all day. I’ve done that many times. So, let’s go for it. Let’s go from the first bell to the last. Let’s go full speed and see who quits,” he stated. Du Plessis aims to push Chimaev to his limits, knowing the challenger has shown fatigue in longer fights.
Fighting without fear
Du Plessis believes Chimaev’s opponents often overthink his wrestling.
“A lot of guys have made this mistake fighting him: Going in and saying, ‘I need to watch out for that. He’s gonna shoot and I need to be ready. I have to watch out.’ And then they don’t do anything until he does shoot and gets them down anyway,” he explained. He won’t make that error. “You have to go out there and fight. Didn’t you train? I understand he’s really good at wrestling and is really good on the ground, but I mean, that is the game, I guess, right? If you’re fighting Israel Adesanya, are you going to start on your bum and butt scoot? No. You’re gonna have to fight him,” he said.
He plans to match Chimaev’s aggression.
“That is how it is, and that’s truly how I feel about this fight. Yes, he is gonna shoot. Yes, he is probably gonna take me down, but I’m gonna shoot too, and I’m probably gonna take him down. And I’m gonna strike, and I’m probably gonna hit him. He’s gonna strike and probably hit me. I’m not scared of any of that. I go into any fight with that mindset that you might get hit – you’re definitely getting hit. You might get taken down. What do you do after that?” he said. His focus is clear: “I’m not going out there to fight his fight. I’m going out there to do what Dricus does, and that is be a world champion.”
Du Plessis, a +164 underdog per DraftKings, aims to cement his reign by proving he’s the division’s toughest test. Chimaev, a -198 favorite, seeks to become a rare undefeated UFC champion. Du Plessis’ confidence in his unique style, as he told “The Ariel Helwani Show,” could make him the division’s true “boogeyman,” while a Chimaev win would shake up the rankings and silence doubters about his endurance.
