Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has opened up about what went wrong during his title loss to Khamzat Chimaev, admitting that he experienced an unexpected mental lull during the fight.
Khamzat Chimaev delivered one of the most dominant performances of 2025 when he dethroned Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319. Chimaev relied on relentless grappling pressure, elite control, and a suffocating pace to secure a lopsided unanimous decision and capture the UFC middleweight title, ending Du Plessis’ historic reign.
While Du Plessis’ longtime coach Morne Visser has confidently claimed Chimaev would get “f—ed up” in a rematch, the former champion has now acknowledged that he did not bring his sharpest mental focus into the Octagon that night.
Speaking with Fight Forecast, Dricus Du Plessis reflected on the frustrating nature of the fight and how Chimaev’s approach stalled his offense.
“He made sure he stayed out of danger and he fought that fight and he almost neutralized me in making it a fight,” Du Plessis said. “Because if we made it a fight, it would have been a different story. But he knew that, so he was smart in that. I mean, frustrating, absolutely, but like I said, the speed bumps, that’s what makes me better.”
“Now I know the little piece of this puzzle where I need to work on,” he said. “And believe me, in my next performance, you will see me do that—exactly that. Be a master at that.”
Despite the disappointment, Dricus Du Plessis gave Chimaev credit for executing a winning game plan, even if it made for an underwhelming contest.
“Like I said on the night, big ups to him,” Du Plessis said. “He came out there and he did what he needed to do. Not the kind of fight that I would have wanted with all the hype. It wasn’t a very fun fight to watch for anyone. I got bored in the fight and I was in there, to be honest [laughs].”
He added, “I mean, he did what he had to do to win that belt. If that’s the way that you are going to go, well, good for you. It’s different strokes.”
The loss snapped an 11-fight winning streak for Dricus Du Plessis and marked just the third time Chimaev had gone the distance in his professional MMA career, improving to 15-0 in the process.
Looking ahead, Du Plessis has made it clear that the defeat has only fueled his motivation. He is targeting a return to the Octagon later this year and could face top contenders such as Nassourdine Imavov or Brendan Allen as he begins his climb back toward the title picture.
As for Chimaev, rumors continue to swirl about a possible move to light heavyweight, but for now, the focus remains on what comes next for Dricus Du Plessis, a former champion determined to return as a more complete and dangerous fighter.
