Dricus du Plessis’ head coach, Morne Visser, has unleashed a brutal assessment of Khamzat Chimaev ahead of their middleweight title showdown at UFC 319.
On Aug. 16, Du Plessis will defend his UFC Middleweight Championship for the third time, putting his gold on the line against the undefeated Chimaev in one of the year’s most anticipated main events. While fans expect an intense clash, Visser has made it clear his fighter won’t be backing down from “Borz’s” wrestling-heavy approach.
“Khamzat doesn’t know what it is when people want to wrestle him,” Visser said on UFC 319 Countdown. “He’s only facing guys who are trying to get away from his wrestling. We don’t want to try to get away from his wrestling, we want to f*ck him up in his game.”
Visser doubled down on his criticism, claiming Chimaev brings a limited skill set to the Octagon.
“You can’t think that you’re gonna beat my guy coming with one thing, and that’s wrestling,” Visser explained. “That guy is one-dimensional. Have you seen his standup? I wouldn’t even give him a pro license for his standup. He doesn’t present any problem for us. We’re the problem.”
Du Plessis has been dominant in his reign, stopping Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 before earning a decisive win in his rematch with Sean Strickland at UFC 312. Now, he’s eyeing another statement victory, which could set up a future clash with Reinier de Ridder or the winner of Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho.
Chimaev secured his shot at gold after blasting through former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round at UFC 308. Known for his aggressive starts, Chimaev will look to use his wrestling to maintain his undefeated record. However, Visser believes the champion’s willingness to wrestle offensively, similar to what Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman attempted in the past, will completely shut down Chimaev’s game.
With tensions high and Visser dissing Chimaev in such blunt terms, UFC 319 promises a high-stakes battle where one man’s style will be tested to its breaking point.
