UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis believes Sean Strickland has a very good chance of beating Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis stated that once Chimaev is forced to fight in Strickland's style, he doesn't think Chimaev will have any chances left. This assessment is particularly notable because Du Plessis has fought both Chimaev and Strickland inside the octagon. His perspective offers unique insight given his direct experience with both fighters' styles and abilities.
UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has publicly backed Sean Strickland to beat Khamzat Chimaev, arguing that the fight becomes one-sided once it stays on the feet and in Strickland's comfort zone.
Du Plessis, ranked second at middleweight and seventh pound-for-pound, holds a 23-3-0 record and carries genuine credibility on this topic — he has shared the octagon with both men. The 32-year-old South African fights out of a switch stance with a 76-inch reach and lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, making him one of the more well-rounded fighters in the division.
Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, holds a 31-7-0 record and is known as one of the highest-volume strikers in the UFC. The 35-year-old American lands 6.04 significant strikes per minute and, while his accuracy sits at 42 percent, the sheer output he generates makes him difficult to engage over 25 minutes. He averages just 0.71 takedowns per 15 minutes, so his gameplan lives and dies on the feet.
Chimaev presents a sharply different profile. The number-one ranked contender owns a 15-1-0 record and fights out of the UAE representing Allstars Training Center. At 32 years old, the six-foot-two Borz averages a division-leading 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts 1.8 submissions in the same window, giving him an elite path away from a striking battle. His 60 percent striking accuracy is the highest of the three fighters, though his volume of 4.04 significant strikes per minute trails Strickland considerably.
Du Plessis' core argument is straightforward: if Chimaev is neutralized on the ground and forced into an extended striking exchange, he does not believe Chimaev can compete with Strickland in that environment.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis has firsthand experience against both fighters, giving his assessment more weight than outside analysis
- A Strickland win would set up a potential rematch with Du Plessis, who currently holds the belt Strickland once owned
- The style matchup pits Strickland's volume striking against Chimaev's elite grappling, making the fight's location — standing or on the mat — the decisive factor
