Dricus du Plessis Wanted Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 312 Instead of Strickland
Alright, fight fans, let’s talk about something that almost happened but didn’t—Dricus du Plessis versus Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 312. Now, we all know that du Plessis is set to rematch Sean Strickland this weekend, but if he had it his way, he would’ve been locking horns with Chimaev instead. And honestly? That would’ve been a banger of a fight.
In a recent interview, du Plessis admitted that he was "hoping and praying" for a showdown with Chimaev instead of running it back with Strickland. He’s not scared of Strickland, obviously—he already beat him before—but fighting Chimaev would’ve been a different kind of challenge. We’re talking about an undefeated wrecking machine who just made a huge statement by submitting Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. That win alone had a lot of people thinking Chimaev should’ve skipped the line for a title shot. But the UFC had other plans, and now du Plessis has to go through Strickland again before he can even think about Chimaev.
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Here’s the thing—du Plessis respects Chimaev. He knows the hype is real, the fanbase is massive, and the skills are undeniable. But in his mind, a fight with Chimaev would’ve been the perfect way to prove just how good he really is. He wanted that fight, he craved that challenge, and honestly, so did a lot of fans. But hey, it’s the fight game, and timing is everything.
Now, assuming du Plessis gets past Strickland this weekend, Chimaev is likely next in line for a shot at the middleweight title. But there’s one wildcard in the mix—Nassourdine Imavov, who just pulled off a massive win over Israel Adesanya in UFC Saudi Arabia. So while a du Plessis vs. Chimaev fight seems inevitable, the road to that matchup still has a few twists and turns.
And speaking of Chimaev, there’s been a lot of talk about his ability to fight in the U.S. Due to visa issues, he hasn’t competed on American soil since UFC 279 in 2022. But Dana White is confident that Chimaev will be able to fight in the States soon, dismissing all the rumors about travel restrictions. With Chimaev now an official citizen of the UAE, that could make things even smoother. Plus, White hinted that his ties with Donald Trump could play a role in helping Chimaev get back into the U.S. for future fights.
Bottom line? The middleweight division is heating up. If du Plessis wins this weekend, we might finally get that dream matchup against Chimaev. And if that fight happens, you know it’s going to be absolute chaos inside the Octagon. Stay tuned, because things are just getting interesting!
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