Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is preparing for his third title defense at UFC 319 where he’ll face the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. However, according to former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub, “Stillknocks” might not stop at middleweight if he comes out on top.
Speaking on the JAXXON Podcast, Schaub backed Du Plessis as a future three-division titleholder. With wins over Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker already under his belt, Schaub believes the South African powerhouse has the size and skill to eventually make his way to both light heavyweight and even the heavyweight division.
“I think whoever wins out of Khamzat and DDP, whoever wins that can go for three belts,” Schaub said. “DDP’s bigger than Khamzat, so light heavyweight, he’s probably a light heavyweight naturally. So it makes sense for DDP to go to light heavyweight. Heavyweight’s not as far a stretch for him. DDP’s a big boy.”
Du Plessis already has experience collecting gold in multiple weight classes. Before joining the UFC, he held welterweight and middleweight titles under the KSW banner. While he’s sworn off a return to 170 pounds, climbing up to 205 and beyond is far more realistic, especially given the current lack of standout names in the upper divisions.
Schaub pointed to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria as recent examples of champions chasing legacy across multiple divisions. Nevertheless, for him, Du Plessis stands out due to his size and versatility.
“For Topuria, I still think he had some work to do,” Schaub said. “But for Makhachev it made sense to jump up to 170. He can definitely capture 155, 170. 185’s a different animal because you have guys like DDP and Khamzat.”
While the possibility of a historic run is there, Dricus Du Plessis must first focus on Chimaev, who enters UFC 319 as a slight betting favorite. However, Schaub made it clear that people counting DDP out are making a mistake.
“DDP is huge and he’s durable and unorthodox,” Schaub said. “So the oddsmakers are going to say if it ends before two rounds, it’s Khamzat all day. I would extend that after seeing this to even the first three rounds. Four and five is what I want to see.”
Schaub acknowledged concerns about Chimaev’s gas tank but said those around him insist it’s no issue heading into the championship rounds. That, paired with Du Plessis’ toughness, makes the matchup more competitive than some might expect.
“Khamzat’s lighting his ass up, because DDP’s going to be tough to finish, so if Khamzat’s in the fourth and fifth and finishes him, then you’ve got one,” Schaub said. “We’ve got a real one.”
Whether or not Dricus Du Plessis gets through Chimaev, the conversation about a leap to heavier divisions is heating up. If he pulls off another upset and keeps the belt in South Africa, he might start chasing more gold in the higher weight classes.
