In just a few hours, Dricus Du Plessis will walk into the Octagon to defend his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319. The matchup is being billed as the biggest fight in middleweight history, and both fighters officially made weight Friday morning at the UFC 319 weigh-ins. Du Plessis hit the championship limit at 185lbs, while Chimaev surprisingly came in lighter at 183lbs. If the weigh-ins proved anything, it’s that neither man is short on intensity. And at the ceremonial weigh-ins, things quickly got heated between champion and challenger.
Dricus Du Plessis Is Confident of Having a Mental Edge Over Khamzat Chimaev
As is tradition, Joe Rogan took the stage to announce the official weights before the two headliners came face-to-face. After Du Plessis was booed heavily at Thursday’s press conference, and Chimaev vowed to end him, tensions spilled over again Friday night. Chimaev charged onto the podium, skipped taking his shirt off, and let out his trademark war scream.
Du Plessis then stepped up for his pose before immediately going nose-to-nose with the challenger. Security rushed in as the two men clashed, but not before Chimaev reached through to shove the South African.
“Just gonna go f*ck this boy up,” Chimaev roared. “One day. He has only one day left. He’s dead tomorrow.” Du Plessis didn’t back down. Playing off the hostile, pro-Chimaev crowd, the champion fired back with his own confident promise.
“He’s an absolute beast of an opponent, but I can tell you this, I’m putting that man to sleep,” Du Plessis said. “Whether it be on the ground, whether I knock him out, I’m taking out your boy, and all of you will be cheering. I just know it, like every other time!”
Backstage, Du Plessis was caught reflecting on the fiery exchange, convinced he had successfully rattled his opponent. “Man, that’s how easy it is to get under that guy’s skin,” he said. “He reacted like that because he saw a real man in front of him. A real middleweight and he’s going to feel it tomorrow night.”
However, it seems that another contender will be waiting for the South African after he is done with the Chechen juggernaut. And it’s none other than the hometown hero, Belal Muhammad.
Belal Muhammad Lambastes Dricus Du Plessis Ahead of UFC 319
Ahead of his UFC 319 title defense, Du Plessis had received a fiery message from Belal Muhammad. And for the unversed, the duo has a history. During Muhammad’s reign at 170 pounds, he repeatedly teased a future move up to middleweight to challenge ‘Stillknocks,’ sparking a feud between them.
Things escalated earlier this year when Muhammad lost his title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, and Du Plessis wasted no time mocking him in brutal fashion. And with UFC 319 taking place in his hometown of Chicago, the ex-champion delivered a pointed warning to the South African.
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“Bro, this is my city, it’s a big card next week, a huge main event. If you need anything in Chicago, food, groceries, therapists, cage, gym, sauna – make sure you don’t hit me up, you’re not welcome here. Chicago, if you see him, let him know we don’t like his kind. Go Khamzat,” Muhammad said on his YouTube channel a week ago.
It is safe to say that Chicago heard Muhammad pretty clearly. Now, during a Q/A session ahead of the PPV, a media member asked ‘Remember The Name’ about the crowd’s reaction towards his archnemesis. ‘Bully B’ once again trolled Du Plessis and quipped:
“That’s what happens when you don’t check in when you come to Chicago. I told him he should’ve come to my house, I would’ve signed a permission slip, and they would’ve cheered for him, and now you’re in the wrong spot.”
Not only this, the former welterweight champion even challenged the South African to a fight right after UFC 319. Mind you, not inside the Octagon!
“When I am fighting next? I’m hoping that tomorrow night, after Dricus loses, he sees me in the parking lot and we throw hands.” Recently, the former 170-pound kingpin was called out by Ian Garry. However, ‘Bully B’ was more interested in a bout with Kamaru Usman, who returned to the Octagon at UFC Atlanta against Joaquin Phoenix. Will fans ever see Du Plessis and Muhammad collide inside the Octagon? Let us know what you think!
