On Saturday night at UFC 319, Dricus du Plessis suffered his first defeat since joining the UFC, losing decisively to Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round middleweight title bout. Despite showing toughness throughout the fight, du Plessis was unable to mount a significant threat against Chimaev’s dominant wrestling approach, which controlled the fight from start to finish. The match highlighted Chimaev’s superior grappling skills, leading Chimaev’s coach to criticize du Plessis’ preparation, even suggesting a change in his grappling coach. After the fight, du Plessis remained hopeful about rebuilding his career, though doubts about his performance and readiness became a topic of discussion.
Daniel Cormier Critiques Du Plessis’ Preparation After One-Sided Bout
Khamzat Chimaev received widespread praise for his commanding win, which dispelled questions about his stamina by maintaining control over the five rounds. Daniel Cormier, in his post-fight analysis, applauded Chimaev’s performance and the skills he displayed to capture the middleweight title. However, Cormier also expressed concerns over du Plessis’ showing, wondering if the defending champion and his team were adequately prepared for the challenge ahead. Cormier emphasized that du Plessis knew the difficulty he would face but failed to respond effectively.
You know when you’re fighting Chimaev, you’ve got to be able to get up if taken down, and you’ve got to make the takedowns hard. He wasn’t able to do either of those things tonight and now he’s the former champ.
—Daniel Cormier, UFC Analyst and Former Champion
Cormier Advises UFC Middleweights to Begin Early Preparation Against Chimaev’s Style
While Cormier pointed out shortcomings in du Plessis’ approach, he also acknowledged the immense challenge that Chimaev presents to any opponent. He pointed out that recognizing what Chimaev will do is easier than executing a plan to stop him. Highlighting the necessity of focused wrestling training, Cormier recommended that contenders start working with wrestling coaches well in advance to counter Chimaev’s pressure-based strategy, wrist fighting, and hand fighting techniques. According to Cormier, these elements are fundamental in wrestling and must be mastered to stand a chance against Chimaev.
I don’t know if one training camp is going to be enough to help you close the gap because Chimaev is so good in those areas.
—Daniel Cormier, UFC Analyst and Former Champion
Implications for the Middleweight Division and Next Steps
Dricus du Plessis’ loss marks a significant turning point in the middleweight division, as Khamzat Chimaev establishes himself as a dominant champion with a highly effective wrestling-based game plan. The defeat has raised questions about how du Plessis and other contenders will adjust their training camps to meet Chimaev’s level of skill and intensity. Daniel Cormier’s observations suggest that future challengers will need to adapt quickly, putting greater emphasis on wrestling fundamentals and pressure control to avoid quick defeats. As the division looks ahead, the spotlight will be on who can develop the necessary tactics and conditioning to counter Chimaev’s relentless style and challenge for the title.