Dricus du Plessis‘s coach, Morne Visser, is confident that du Plessis will defeat Khamzat Chimaev if they face off, criticizing Chimaev for his limited fight availability and questioning his readiness and dedication compared to du Plessis’s consistent performance and title defenses.
Dricus du Plessis has been unstoppable in the UFC. His head coach, Morne Visser, doesn’t expect Khamzat Chimaev to change that.
In a chat with Submission Radio, Visser tackled rumors about du Plessis’ injuries. These rumors, partly fueled by Chimaev, questioned why du Plessis hadn’t been announced to defend his title against the unbeaten Chimaev at UFC 317. However, du Plessis’ team insists the fight was never official.
If the fight happens, Visser is confident. He believes du Plessis will beat Chimaev at his own game.
“Khamzat’s a wrestler,” Visser remarked. “We want to fight him on the floor. That’s how you prove you’re a real champion. It’s MMA, not just boxing or wrestling. Dricus can do it all—wrestle, grapple, ground-and-pound, and his standup is phenomenal. He was a seven out of ten against Strickland but still won all five rounds.”
Visser questions Chimaev’s achievements. “What has he done?” he asked. “He fought [Gilbert] Burns, but Gilbert’s a lightweight. Kamaru [Usman] challenged him with no wrestling prep. We want to fight him on the floor and break him up.”
Visser is irked by suggestions that du Plessis would pull out of a fight without reason. Du Plessis won the UFC middleweight title in January 2024, defended it twice, and has been consistent.
In contrast, Chimaev’s availability is sporadic. He hasn’t fought more than once a year since 2022, although he impressed with a submission win over Robert Whittaker.
“It’s ridiculous how often [Chimaev] pulls out,” Visser said. “He’s missed three of his last six supposed fights. He fought [Kevin] Holland overweight and Kamaru on short notice.”
Chimaev’s win over Whittaker was controversial, as Whittaker had injuries. Visser doesn’t think Chimaev deserves a title shot. “He should just get his hiding and be done with it.”
Visser is hesitant to see Chimaev as the next challenger due to his history of missed fights. Chimaev has had health issues, including COVID-19, but Visser suspects other factors are involved.
“That’s his thing, pulling out,” Visser stated. “He wants to be a movie star. He’s fought three times in three years, while Dricus has had three title fights in just over a year. He’s all about the show, not the fighting.”