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Jared Cannonier Says It’s Impossible To Pick Between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev

Jared Cannonier Says It's Impossible To Pick Between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev Jared Cannonier has no idea who wins between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev, but he’ll definitely tune in…

Jared Cannonier has no idea who wins between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev, but he’ll definitely tune in to find out.

Following Du Plessis’ dominant unanimous decision victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 312, all signs point to ‘DDP’ putting his middleweight gold on the line against the undefeated Chechen monster sometime in 2025.

So far, practically everyone inside the MMA bubble has picked a side, but Cannonier just can’t bring himself to choose one over the other.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that I—I just can’t not pick fights, you know what I mean? It’s just—it’s nothing—it’s not something that I ever liked doing,” Cannonier told Helen Yee ahead of his return to the Octagon. “Both of those guys have tools, and I’m sure they’re both going to employ their tools to the best of their ability. The question is, who’s going to be the one to prevail? I don’t know.”

Initially, Chimaev opened as a 2-to-1 favorite to come out on top in a potential clash with Du Plessis. However, those odds have shifted significantly in just a matter of days with ‘DDP’ now sitting on many sportsbooks as a slight +150 underdog.

Jared Cannonier meets ‘Robocop’ in middleweight headliner inside the APEX

As for Jared Cannonier, the ‘Killa Gorilla’ has bigger things to focus on. Like getting back into the win column when he steps back inside the Octagon this Saturday night (Feb. 15). After coming up short in his last two outings against Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, Cannonier will test his mettle against Brazilian knockout artist Gregory Rodrigues inside The APEX.

‘Robocop’ rides into his first Fight Night headliner on a three-fight win streak, including back-to-back KOs against Denis Tiuliulin and Brad Tavares. In July, he picked up his seventh career win under the UFC banner via a unanimous decision W over Christian Leroy Duncan.

As it stands, Rodrigues is not ranked in the middleweight division, but a win over Cannonier would likely thrust him into the division’s top 10 and make him an instant title contender.

Gregory Rodrigues Hero Celebration UFC 294

After Training with ‘Crazy Strong’ Dricus Du Plessis, UFC Veteran Says Khamzat Chimaev Likely to Lose Title Match

Former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith thinks Dricus Du Plessis has the strength and the stamina necessary to hand…

Former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith thinks Dricus Du Plessis has the strength and the stamina necessary to hand Khamzat Chimaev his first career loss.

Du Plessis scored his second successful title defense at UFC 312, outworking Sean Strickland for five rounds en route to a dominant unanimous decision victory.

But even before the scorecards were read, fighters and fans alike were already debating who would come out on top between ‘DDP’ and the undefeated Chechen monster.

Smith favors du Plessis in ‘super competitive’ fight with khamzat chimaev

Hopefully, we won’t have to wait much longer to find out, but after Du Plessis’ solid showing in Sydney, ‘Lionheart’ finds himself favoring the South African star to come out on top in their inevitable clash.

“He looks to be crazy strong, just by the reactions of the people that he’s fighting—like how they react when he grabs a hold of them,” Smith said of Du Plessis during an appearance on Submission Radio. “You know, the guy’s the champion. He’s a champion, and he’s the rightful one. He seems to have a stranglehold on that title. He’s got a gas tank—that was another criticism he had very early in his career, that he seemed to gas later on in some of these fights.

“But he just went five hard rounds at a high pace with Sean Strickland, and that’s not an easy task. I’ve tried to do it myself in the gym—it’s hard to do. He’s got all the tools and all the weapons, and I think that’s a super competitive fight. But I do find myself probably favoring Du Plessis a little bit. And that’s a crazy statement if you would have looked back a year ago.”

Du Plessis and Chimaev are a combined 17-0 under the UFC banner. Along the way, ‘Borz’ has bested some big names, including Gilbert Burns and ex-titleholders Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker while ‘DDP’ has beaten both Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland during his middleweight title reign.

“Change After Round 1” – UFC Insider Questions Khamzat Chimaev’s Stamina Against Dricus Du Plessis

Will Khamzat Chimaev have the stamina to go toe-to-toe with middleweight king Dricus Du Plessis? One UFC Hall of…

Will Khamzat Chimaev have the stamina to go toe-to-toe with middleweight king Dricus Du Plessis?

One UFC Hall of Famer doesn’t seem to think so.

With Du Plessis’ dominant decision victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 312, the stage has been set for a showdown between ‘DDP’ and the undefeated Chechen monster. When and where their inevitable clash takes place remains to be seen, but the oddsmakers are already favoring ‘Borz’ to come out on top.

Chimaev opened as a -200 favorite on multiple sports-betting apps after UFC 312. However, former 185-pound titleholder Michael Bisping seems to think that might be a mistake.

“He wants Khamzat,” Bisping said on his Believe You Me podcast. “He wants the boogeyman. He wants the guy that just destroyed Robert Whittaker. And I tell you what, if I’m Khamzat, I wouldn’t be quite so sure. I’m not saying that Khamzat isn’t incredible, but against Usman and against Gilbert Burns, he wasn’t able to have his way.

And it’s a broken record at this point, but you get him outside of the first round, yeah, and things start to change. And Dricus is as big, as strong, and as resilient as they come. I did an interview with him on Tuesday—he was 215 on the Tuesday before the weight cut.”

Since the odds for Du Plessis vs. Chimaev were first released, the gap has already narrowed on multiple sportsbooks with ‘DDP’ moving to a much more reasonable +160 underdog. Of course, those odds will likely continue to shift once the fight is officially announced and we have an idea of when and where the two will clash in the cage.

Can Du Plessis drag Khamzat Chimaev into deep waters in eventual UFC title tilt?

Thus far, Du Plessis is a perfect 9-0 under the UFC banner with two of his last three fights going a full five rounds — a distance Chimaev has never once gone in his mixed martial arts career. In fact, ‘Borz’ has only gone 15 minutes twice through 14 total fights. Those instances came against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman. And in both cases, Chimaev noticeably began to fade in the latter half of the fight.

If Du Plessis can survive long enough to drag Chimaev into the championship rounds, there’s a good chance it’ll be #AndStill instead of #AndNew.

MMA Great Demetrious Johnson: On the Feet, Dricus Du Plessis Can Outstrike Khamzat Chimaev

Demetrious Johnson thinks if Dricus Du Plessis can keep his fight with Khamzat Chimaev on the feet, he’ll likely…

Demetrious Johnson thinks if Dricus Du Plessis can keep his fight with Khamzat Chimaev on the feet, he’ll likely leave with his middleweight gold intact.

DDP’ secured his second successful title defense in Sydney, Australia, scoring a dominant decision victory over Sean Strickland. And while much of Du Plessis’ post-fight comments were focused on a future fight with light heavyweight king Alex Pereira, all signs currently point to a highly anticipated clash with the undefeated Chechen monster being next for the South African star.

Breaking down a potential showdown between Du Plessis and Chimaev, flyweight great Demetrious Johnson believes ‘DDP’ can outstrike Chimaev on the feet. It’s just a matter of fending off the wrestle-heavy attack of ‘Borz’ and forcing him to stand and trade.

“And it’s gonna be a sick fight because we know what Khamzat’s going to do,” Johnson said during an interview with The MMA Guru. “You know he’s going to go out there—he’s going to look to wrestle, right? Yeah, he does a good job. I don’t want to say he’s just posing on the feet, but when he fought Kamaru Usman, when he fought Robert Whittaker—everybody he’s fought, besides Gilbert Burns, and him went toe-to-toe on the feet.

“But I think Khamzat loves the grappling, and we’re going to see if DDP can use, you know, his clumsy style and outwrestle Khamzat. Because I think if it does stay on the feet, DDP can outstrike him. Yeah, Khamzat does have a rhythm to him, but he’s not very—you know, like bah bah bah—he doesn’t really throw a lot of combinations.”

Can Du Plessis hang with ‘Borz’ on the mat?

While Du Plessis is not necessarily known for his ground game, ‘Stillknocks’ have proven himself more than capable of taking fighters down and fending off opposing wrestlers. Through his nine fights inside the Octagon, ‘DDP’ has a takedown average of 2.55 per 15 minutes. He also lands and defends 50% of all takedowns initiated by or against him.

Strickland landed six takedowns against both Darren Till and Sean Strickland in their first meeting. He also put former two-time middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya on the mat four times during their UFC 305 headliner before tapping out ‘The Last Stylebender’ in the fourth round via a rear-naked choke.

On the flip side, Khamzat Chimaev averages 4.31 takedowns with a 46% accuracy. He has also never once been taken down inside the Octagon.

Fans Amused By A ‘Smashed’ Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 312 Victory

UFC star Dricus Du Plessis has gained popularity for not just his unorthodox fighting style in the Octagon, but also for his ability to chug beers at a surprisingly fast rate. Athletes aren’t generally known for their drinking prowess, but the South African frequently beats influencers and his friends in competitions that revolve around gulping […]

UFC star Dricus Du Plessis has gained popularity for not just his unorthodox fighting style in the Octagon, but also for his ability to chug beers at a surprisingly fast rate.

Athletes aren’t generally known for their drinking prowess, but the South African frequently beats influencers and his friends in competitions that revolve around gulping cans or glasses of beers.

At UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, “Stillknocks” defended his UFC middleweight title for the second time against Sean Strickland. The champion looked way more dominant this time around, even breaking the challenger’s nose in the fourth.

Despite being undefeated in the UFC, Du Plessis suffered a cheeky loss against Jackson O’Doherty when he stepped into a beer chugging competition with the influencer.

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A post shared by Jackson O’Doherty (@itsjackson)

O’Doherty announced that he’s already 0-3 against the UFC middleweight kingpin, but the fourth time around, he was clever enough to empty the entire glass under his shirt. Du Plessis, who still very impressively chugged his glass in a couple of seconds, seemed too buzzed to care about the result.

The creator announced ahead of his fourth try at beating the UFC champ:

“Alright, guys, I’m currently 0 and 3 against the champion in the beer race, and today that changes.”

Considering that “Stillknocks” is just coming off another five-round hard-fought battle against Strickland, most fans were amused to see him celebrating his second title defense.

The loss in the chugging contest barely impacted Du Plessis who seemed to be having a time of his life drinking beer and puffing a cigar. He simply said this to acknowledge O’ Doherty’s feat, which, to be fair, would’ve been very rare if genuine:

“He finally got it done.”

Time and again, Du Plessis has highlighted the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between training and having light moments like the one described above. As someone who cuts around 40 lbs. ahead of his fights at middleweight, he undoubtedly deserves to treat himself after a tiring bout.

Fans from around the world could easily make out that Du Plessis was not having his fourth beer with O’ Doherty, and because of his usual comfort with alcohol, he must’ve had quite a few drinks to be evidently drunk.

If you’re unaware of how quickly DDP can empty a glass of beer, this footage of him celebrating his iconic win over Israel Adesanya should definitely give you the idea:

For now, the UFC middleweight champion could make the most of every bit of rest and enjoyment as he’s most likely to return against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, one of the most hyped and explosive fighters in the UFC. Based on his callout, a superfight against Alex Pereira could be possible too.

Belal Muhammad Breaks Down How Dricus Du Plessis Fight Would Play Out: ‘Then I Put Him To Sleep…’

UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad continues to step up talk of a push for two-division title glory on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. Muhammad was quick to raise the topic of adding middleweight gold to his collection in the aftermath of the latest 185-pound title fight — a lopsided decision victory for Dricus Du Plessis […]

UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad continues to step up talk of a push for two-division title glory on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

Muhammad was quick to raise the topic of adding middleweight gold to his collection in the aftermath of the latest 185-pound title fight — a lopsided decision victory for Dricus Du Plessis over challenger Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 312.

While the South African followed up his submission of Israel Adesanya with a dominant display this past weekend in Sydney, “Remember the Name” evidently wasn’t too impressed, claiming that his crowning up a weight class would be comfortable.

And the 170-pound kingpin reiterated that sentiment on X recently by breaking down exactly how he’d defeat Du Plessis inside the Octagon. Should all go to plan for Muhammad, the bout would end with “Stillknocks” rendered unconscious.

I’d come out him with a 1-2 then he’d wing an overhand I’ll duck it change levels and take him down then he’d shrimp and get the underhook to get out but he’ll be to weak to get up so then I’ll hit him with ground and pound for the rest of round 1. Round 2 starts and I come out… https://t.co/vL07RWaPKT

— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) February 11, 2025

“I’d come out him with a 1-2 then he’d wing an overhand I’ll duck it change levels and take him down then he’d shrimp and get the underhook to get out but he’ll be to weak to get up so then I’ll hit him with ground and pound for the rest of round 1. Round 2 starts and I come out with a flying knee he shells up then I hit him with the zabit back trip then point and laugh at him (this makes him mad) he gets up and charges foward winging punches at me I slide out of the way with ease then hit him with a 1-2 then he gets frustrated shoots for a takedown I defend with ease but now he’s tired and stays on his knees I kick him to the body while he’s on the ground. End of round 2. .. round 3 starts and he’s distraught he can’t hit me he can’t take me down so then he tries spinning stuff I back up at the right time and end up taking his back he lets me under chin out of frustration then I put him to sleep … and new double champ”

Before having the chance to bring such a scenario to fruition, Muhammad has work to do in his current division.

“Remember the Name” is yet to defend the belt since wrestling it away from Leon Edwards in Manchester last July. That’s courtesy of a bone infection that canceled his planned showdown with undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov two months ago.

While Muhammad likely prepares for a second shot at stalling “Nomad’s” championship aspirations, Du Plessis is also expected to face an undefeated challenger next in the form of Khamzat Chimaev.