UFC Middleweight Champion Dric Du Plessis did not last long to notice the dark remarks of Khamzat Chimaev about their likely matchup.
Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev are expected to collide later this year in the next defending defense of the middleweight champion. It was initially said that next month they headed the UFC 317 of the UFC 317, before recent injury rumors postponed the middleweight matchup for later in the summer.
Du Plessis has not fought anymore since Sean Strickland's Expenditure in their UFC 312 Rematch in February. After a dominant version against Strickland, Du Plessis focused his attention on Chimaev, which has been unbeaten in the middleweight since he has made the full -time weight movement.
Although there is not much downright bad blood between Du Plessis and Chimaev, tensions are quickly popping up when a potential announcement of the struggle over the division is looming.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Dricus Du Plessis refers to Khamzat Chimaev's 'Murder' Plattes
A common story that du Plessis vs. Chimaev comes in, is that Chimaev will use a grip-heavy approach against the champion, similar to what he did against Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. In a stunning first round finish, Chimaev Whittaker submitted after he had only set him in the fight for a few seconds.
But Du Plessis makes struggling an important focus of his preparation for Chimaev, in addition to his strengths with his striking. Chimaev is not only worried about Du Plessis who challenges his wrestling, but is also ready to put an exclamation mark when deducting the current champion.
In a recent conversation with sports journalist Adam Zubayraev, Chimaev responded to the perception that Du Plessis is preparing for a struggling heavy fight.
“Let them prepare for war, I am preparing for murder,” said Chimaev about Du Plessis.
After Chimaev's comments had gone viral, it didn't take long before Du Plessis noticed, while he responded in a recent Instagram remark.
'[LAUGHS] Wow that's the first time I've heard it! Shakespeare in the house, “Du Persis replied.
Du Plessis heard similar comments from Strickland prior to their two collisions in the middleweight title. He defeated Strickland for the belt on UFC 297, before he in their UFC 312 Rematch exhabitated.
Chimaev wants to follow up his remarkable run in the UFC -Tachthoek with a world title, after a hyped start of his promotional term of office. Recent victories over Kamaru Usman, Kevin Holland and Gilbert Burns proven that he needs what is needed to become UFC champion.
Dricus Du Plessis has cleaned up injury rumors in a positive Khamzat Chimaev Fight Update
First reports pointed to Du Plessis who may have been a shin damage in the training that the matchmakers forced to scratch their plans to give him and Chimaev, UFC 317. But Du Plessis recently closed the rumors and teased an imminent announcement of fighting.
In the midst of the rumors, a potential interim title match between unbeaten contenders Caio Borralho and Chimaev was thrown and immediately eliminated. Borralho did not fight last year since a victory over Jared Cannonier.
Du Plessis called Alex Pereira in a veiled way after his most recent victory over UFC 312. But Pereira then lost the UFC Light Heavyweight title on UFC 313, Ruende what du Plessis called the 'largest payment day' of his career.
For now it seems that Du Plessis vs. Chimaev will be firmly in the making later this year, and du Plessis will not be sidelined for much longer. As far as Chimaev is concerned, he introduces his expected middleweight title shot with brutal intentions.