Following UFC 319, the aftermath continues to spotlight Dricus du Plessis’ middleweight title loss to Khamzat Chimaev, with former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier expressing strong criticism. Present at fight night alongside Joe Rogan and Jon Anik to provide commentary, Cormier openly shared his views on why Chimaev secured the victory over du Plessis.
Cormier remarked on his YouTube channel that the performance from Chimaev was impressive, but the preparation and execution on du Plessis’ part were lacking:
“It was very impressive by Chimaev, If I’m being honest though, it was a little disappointing on the side of du Plessis because he knew the challenge. I don’t know if they prepared the right way for what [the] challenge was in front of them.”
—Daniel Cormier, Former UFC Champion
Throughout the 25-minute fight, du Plessis struggled to create space or counter Chimaev’s dominant wrestling, frequently being taken down without effective defense. Cormier highlighted the importance of takedown defense and recovery when facing a wrestler like Chimaev, stating,
“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, Former UFC Champion
Key Strategies to Challenge Khamzat Chimaev
With Chimaev’s wrestling control proving decisive, Cormier suggested that all middleweight contenders need to revisit and intensify their wrestling training. According to him, mastering exchanges like wrist fighting, hand fighting, and maintaining forward pressure is crucial to contend with Chimaev’s style.
“All these guys should be running to the wrestling room right now. Getting with a coach that can prepare them for the wrestling exchanges because the controls that Chimaev uses, the wrist fighting, the hand fighting, the forward pressure, these are all things that you learn in the wrestling room as a kid and then you apply them to fighting.”
—Daniel Cormier, Former UFC Champion
Looking ahead, UFC CEO Dana White indicated that Chimaev might return quickly to the Octagon, possibly fighting in Abu Dhabi if timing permits. White mentioned,
“I just had a kid fight Tuesday and wanted to turn around and fight here, Abu Dhabi? I would definitely consider.”
—Dana White, UFC CEO
Chimaev’s reputation for quick turnarounds in his fight schedule suggests that fans might see him compete again soon, though details remain unconfirmed.
Additional MMA Highlights
The MMA landscape remains active with other notable news capturing fan attention. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has left fans uncertain about his return, while another beloved champion recently announced an unretires decision to compete in bareknuckle fighting at age 43. Additionally, a rising MMA star has addressed a viral knockout loss in his UFC debut, and UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has revealed his next opponent.