Dricus Du Plessis reacts to talk of Khamzat Chimaev receiving the next title shot against Sean Strickland: “I have this weird feeling”

By Susan Cox - October 30, 2023

Dricus Du Plessis is reacting to talk of Khamzat Chimaev receiving the next title shot against Sean Strickland.

Dricus Du Plessis UFC 290

The undefeated Chimaev (13-0 MMA) is hot off a majority decision win over Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA) at UFC 294.

It was initially to have been Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa (14-2 MMA) at UFC 294, but Costa pulled out of the match due to injury.

Dricus Du Plessis jokingly spoke about Chimaev’s recent win over Usman in an interview with ‘The MMA Guru’:

“I mean, if I knew that, I would’ve fought a welterweight too rather than getting my title shot. That seems a little bit easier, I’d rather do that next. If that was five rounds, I think (Usman) would have finished (Chimaev). That just shows you the caliber of fighter Usman is.”

Continuing ‘Stillknocks’ spoke about how it may have been a different outcome had Chimaev fought Costa:

“Khamzat, the self-proclaimed ‘boogeyman’ is not so boogey after all. If I was there, maybe in the first round, yeah, I’m sure he could get me down. That’s fine, I’m not scared to get taken down because then he has to deal with me on the floor. But it wasn’t the highest pace fight and he was so tired, and he was fighting a welterweight. If Khamzat’s gonna start dealing with the top middleweights, with their power and weight, it’s not gonna work out like that… Khamzat can be very, very glad that Paulo Costa pulled out… I think Costa would’ve smoked him.”

Concluding the 29-year-old Dricus Du Plessis alluded that he ultimately may get a title shot again (h/t MMANews):

“I hope he has an amazing medical team, because he needs to be recovered and be able to fight in the next six to seven weeks. With me, he (White) said after the fight, ‘Listen, the guy needs to go and heal up. We don’t know if he’s injured.’ He did give me that courtesy too, up until I actually needed.”

“The UFC, they’re gonna be the UFC… Things aren’t always fair, and the fight game for sure isn’t fair. I think the way we make this fair is if Khamzat can’t fight in seven weeks, I get the title shot again. I have this weird feeling, I think it’s gonna happen.”

Do you think Du Plessis could get another shot at the title with UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland (28-5 MMA)? Or do you believe it will be Chimaev vs. Strickland next?

Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!


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