Dutch UFC fighter Reinier De Ridder shared his expectations for the upcoming title fight in the middleweight division between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis, set to take place on August 17 in Chicago as part of UFC 319.
Reinier De Ridder quoted by the Red Corner MMA account
I think Dricus is gonna win. I don’t think Khamzat is going to get him out of there early. Dricus is a motherf***er man. Dricus keeps going, and every round, though it doesn’t really look better, he gets better every round. I see Dricus finishing Khamzat in the late rounds, 4th or 5th round, maybe with a lot of volume.
Du Plessis last fought against Sean Strickland in February of this year at UFC 312. This match went the full distance, ending with a unanimous decision victory for Dricus. He holds a record of 23 wins and two losses.
Chimaev last stepped into the octagon against Robert Whittaker in October 2024 at UFC 308. That fight, which was stopped in the first round, ended in favor of Khamzat by submission. He boasts a record of 14 wins and no losses.
