Jul 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Dricus Du Plessis (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Robert Whittaker (red gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

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Dricus Du Plessis Promises That He Will Be The Predator, Not Prey Against Khamzat Chimaev At UFC 319

Dricus Du Plessis sits at the top as the reigning king of the middleweight division. But there’s a hungry wolf circling his throne. Khamzat Chimaev has been tearing through opponents. The Chechen-born fighter has made grown men look like amateurs with his suffocating wrestling game. His takedowns are legendary in the worst possible way for his opponents.. They study his wrestling highlights and work on sprawls and cage work until their legs give out. But Du Plessis isn’t like most fighters.

Du Plessis has walked the walk every single time he’s stepped into that octagon. He’s the guy who knocked out Robert Whittaker when everyone said he couldn’t. He survived wars with guys like Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya came out on top. Now he’s telling the world he plans to be the hunter instead of the hunted against arguably the most feared wrestler in the sport at UFC 319.

Dricus Du Plessis Ready To Chase Khamzat Chimaev Down

The South African champion just dropped a bomb that sent shockwaves through the MMA world. Talking to Submission Radio, Du Plessis declared that he intends to chase down Chimaev in the initial round, when the Chechen fighter is the most dangerous.

“It’s gonna be absolute chaos… I’m going there to kill him. I’m not going out there to defend Khamzat’s take downs. I am going in to attack.”

“I’m going there to kill him. I’m not going out there to defend Khamzat’s take downs” – @dricusduplessis on being the one doing the hunting against Khamzat Chimaev at in round 1! #UFC319 ⚔️⚔️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/3adwmrVvMd
— Submission Radio (@SubmissionRadio) August 9, 2025

What makes this statement so fascinating is how it flips the entire narrative on its head. Everyone expects Chimaev to drag this fight to the ground immediately. The man has turned takedowns into an art form. He’s made elite strikers look helpless once they hit the canvas. But Du Plessis seems completely unbothered by that reputation. He’s basically saying he won’t run away from the Boogeyman. Instead, he wants to be the one pushing forward and creating chaos. That’s either genius level confidence or the kind of thinking that gets him submitted in the first round. Knowing Du Plessis though, it’s probably the former.

UFC 319 is shaping up to be one of those nights where legacies get written in blood and sweat. Du Plessis has promised to be the aggressor from the opening bell. He wants to turn this into a dog fight where his striking power and cage experience give him the edge. Khamzat will undoubtedly have other plans involving lots of wrestling and ground control. The clash of styles makes this fight impossible to predict. But one thing is certain. When Dricus Du Plessis says he’s coming to kill, smart money doesn’t bet against him. The man has never been one to make empty promises inside that octagon.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Dricus Du Plessis

Khamzat Chimaev

UFC 319

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!