Sean Strickland, a former UFC middleweight champion, shared his take on the upcoming UFC 319 title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev, set for August 16, 2025, at Chicago’s United Center. In a Red Corner MMA interview on August 6, 2025, Strickland, who has fought Du Plessis twice and trained with Chimaev, said the bout depends on Du Plessis surviving Chimaev’s intense grappling. He also called Chimaev a bully who struggles when opponents push back.
Du Plessis’ Path to Victory
Strickland sees Du Plessis excelling in striking.
“Dricus has better standup than Chimaev, but Chimaev has pretty crazy grappling,” he told Red Corner MMA.
Drawing from his own training with top wrestlers, he added:
“I’ve been training with these f*cking Dagi terrorists my entire life. I know how to get up from these guys. I can withstand the storm. I don’t know if he’s encountered that level of wrestling to where it might get him a little off guard”
He believes Du Plessis can win if he weathers the early pressure.
“But if he could handle it, get up, and work his way up – I mean, it’s kind of hard because it was a long time ago, but Brad (Tavares) took him down and held him down, so it’s like, he just really has to be ready for an extreme amount of pressure on the ground. If he can withstand that, he’s going to beat him”.
Strickland referenced Chimaev’s 2019 PFL loss to Brad Tavares, where he was controlled on the ground.
Chimaev’s Mental Weakness
Strickland questioned Chimaev’s toughness.
“He’s like a soft man,” he said. “You take someone like Dricus, Dricus will fcking die. That man doesn’t give a fck. Chimaev wins off being a bad guy. ‘I’m a bad, tough, scary fcking terrorist.’ If you look at everybody who he’s fought, that pulls his card: ‘All right, fck it – let’s go.’ Sh*t starts changing. I just think he’s some kind of a bully. Nothing wrong with being a bully. It’s a fight – be a bully. But it’s like, if you’re going to be a bully and somebody fights back, you better keep that same energy up”
Strickland, 29-7 with a 16-7 UFC record, lost his middleweight title to Du Plessis by split decision at UFC 297 in January 2024 and again by unanimous decision at UFC 312 in February 2025. He trained with Chimaev at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas years ago, gaining insight into his grappling-heavy approach. Chimaev, 14-0 with an 8-0 UFC record, earned his title shot with a first-round submission of Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in October 2024. Du Plessis, 23-2 with a 9-0 UFC record, also defeated Israel Adesanya in August 2024.
Tensions flared in January 2025 when Strickland mocked Chimaev’s 2021 COVID-related retirement scare, calling him a “c*nt,” while Chimaev challenged him to a face-to-face confrontation. Du Plessis, in February 2025, said he chose Chimaev over a Strickland trilogy to chase an undefeated record.
The fight pits Du Plessis’ relentless style against Chimaev’s explosive grappling, airing on ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, and ESPN+. Robert Whittaker, beaten by both, said Du Plessis could win if he avoids being pinned for five rounds. T.J. Dillashaw noted Chimaev’s cardio struggles in decision wins against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, suggesting Du Plessis could capitalize late.
