Khamzat Chimaev says champion Dricus du Plessis is a “bad version of me” ahead of middleweight return

UFC middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev believes Dricus du Plessis’s best fighting days are behind him, despite pulling off arguably the biggest win of his career.

Chimaev will face former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the UFC 308 co-main event next month. The middleweight matchup comes after Chimaev withdrew from their previously scheduled fight earlier this year at UFC Saudi Arabia due to illness.

Now healthy, Chimaev has eyes on middleweight title contention and dispatching Whittaker. The undefeated mauler hasn’t competed since a win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.

During Chimaev’s hiatus, the UFC middleweight division named a new king. Du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland at UFC 297 before submitting Israel Adesanya in his first title defense last month.

Chimaev, despite du Plessis’s recent wins, feels the middleweight titleholder is a poorer version of himself.

Khamzat Chimaev on Dricus du Plessis: “This is his peak now”

In a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev, Chimaev dismissed du Plessis’s unbeaten run in the UFC Octagon.

“This is his peak now. You could say that he is a bad version of me,” Chimaev said. “I’ll be back soon and take him down. For me, he is [easier] than other fighters. Sean Strickland gets up well, and [Dricus] is a wrestler but more physical. We have the technique, wrestling, counter-wrestling to take him down and hold him…

“And he knows it himself, that’s why he’s silent about me.”

Chimaev could potentially earn a middleweight title with a victory over Whittaker. Meanwhile, du Plessis is expected to face Strickland in a rematch after the former champ defeated Paulo Costa at UFC 302.

Chimaev’s march to title contention has stalled in recent years due to various health concerns. He made the full-time move to middleweight after missing the welterweight limit at UFC 279.

Chimaev and du Plessis could soon be on a collision course. If Chimaev’s comments are any indication, he’s supremely confident in his chances.