Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis commented on Khamzat Chimaev's weight-cutting difficulties, suggesting Chimaev uses his weight cut as an excuse for his loss to Sean Strickland. Du Plessis stated that the weight cut isn't exceptionally difficult and that he himself has cut more weight before. He emphasized that better discipline would make the weight-cutting process easier. The comments appear to dismiss Chimaev's struggles as a matter of personal responsibility rather than genuine hardship. Du Plessis's remarks add to the ongoing narrative surrounding Chimaev's middleweight debut loss.
Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has publicly dismissed Khamzat Chimaev's weight-cutting difficulties, saying Chimaev uses them as an excuse to explain away his loss to Sean Strickland.
Du Plessis, 32, holds a 23-3-0 record and sits at number two in the middleweight rankings, also placing seventh in the pound-for-pound standings. The South African fighter said the middleweight cut is not as grueling as Chimaev portrays it, adding that he himself has made heavier cuts in the past. Du Plessis suggested that improved personal discipline would largely resolve the issue, framing Chimaev's struggles as a question of professional responsibility rather than an unavoidable physical ordeal. Fighting out of Team CIT, du Plessis is an active striker who averages 5.18 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach and stands six-foot-one.
Chimaev, ranked first at middleweight and tenth pound-for-pound, carries a 15-1-0 record and represents the United Arab Emirates out of Allstars Training Center. The 32-year-old is six-foot-two with a 60 percent striking accuracy and an elite grappling game, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes. His lone professional defeat came against Strickland in that middleweight debut, a loss that Chimaev has previously connected to the difficulties he experienced making the division's 185-pound limit.
Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, is 35 years old and holds a 31-7-0 record. The American fighter trains at Xtreme Couture, stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, and leads all three men in significant strikes landed per minute at 6.04.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis's comments add public pressure to Chimaev's claims, potentially affecting how the division's contender hierarchy is framed.
- Chimaev sits one spot above du Plessis in the middleweight rankings despite his loss, making the dialogue between these two fighters divisionally significant.
- The exchange keeps attention on whether Chimaev can reliably compete at 185 pounds, a question with real implications for future title-contender matchmaking.
