Off the back of his latest exit from a high-profile return to the Octagon last month, Khamzat Chimaev should be avoided when it comes to promotion by the UFC – according to current middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis.
Forced from yet another slated return to action – this time in the form of his would-be main event debut for the promotion, Chimaev exited a UFC Saudi Arabia headliner with ex-champion, Robert Whittaker, through an apparent “violent illness”.
And plotting another return – this time at UFC 308 in October, Chimaev, who has been sidelined since the same month an annum prior, warned contenders and fans alike that he would show who the real “king” was when he eventually makes a comeback.
Khamzat Chimaev not in the title picture claims Dricus du Plessis
However, in his pursuit of a rebooked clash with fan-favorite, Whittaker, Chimaev has been labelled as a waste of time currently by du Plessis – who admitted he would also fight the Chechen, if he ever strung together a run of consistency.
“I’m feeling sorry for the guy (Khamzat Chimaev), I know what it feels like, I’ve been on that side of the are of not being able to fight and it sucks,” Dricus du Plessis told Submission Radio.”
“Right now, it just doesn’t even make sense to talk about it [a future fight],” Dricus du Plessis explained. “You know, he hasn’t fought one single ranked middelweight – not one, and to put him in that conversation right now, seems like we’re wasting time. He’s not in the run and up until [the time] he proves that he deserves to be in that run, there’s no use in talking about it.”
Himself returning at UFC 305 next month in a trip to Perth, undisputed middleweight champion, du Plessis will defend his middleweight crown against former two-time titleholder, Israel Adesanya in a heated battle ‘Downunder’.
Do you agree with Dricus du Plessis’ assessment of the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev?