Dricus du Plessis makes honest admission about pre-fight faceoffs ahead of Khamzat Chimaev clash at UFC 319

Dricus du Plessis talks about pre-fight jitters. [Image courtesy: Getty]
Dricus du Plessis talks about pre-fight jitters. [Image courtesy: Getty]

Dricus du Plessis has never hidden the fact that fight night faceoffs push his nerves to the edge. The South African knows firsthand that the energy when Bruce Buffer calls for both fighters to be ready is unlike anything else in sports.

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Ahead of his UFC 319 clash against Khamzat Chimaev, he admitted that he has visualized these moments countless times. Even after years of competition, that brief stare across the octagon still feels like the most intense point of the night.

Shedding light on the moment in an interview with FULL SEND MMA, he said:

"Absolutely! I visualized [standing across the cage against Chimaev]. I’m getting goosebumps thinking about it... Every fight I visualize it. But you can visualize all you want, but when you get in there... I can’t wait for that moment. It is the most terrifying moment on earth."
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He added:

"I've done some crazy stuff in my life [but] there is no moment as terrifying as that... I did it with [Sean] Strickland twice. And I have been more terrified the second time. Everything comes out there, the last three months, everything that I've done in my whole life comes down to this moment."
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Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below:

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Du Plessis is coming off the second defense of his middleweight throne against Sean Strickland in their rematch at UFC 312. Meanwhile, Chimaev is gearing up for his maiden title shot that he secured with a dominant submission win against Robert Whittaker.


Dricus du Plessis wants to challenge Khamzat Chimaev’s hype as "best wrestler"

Dricus du Plessis sees Khamzat Chimaev as the next obstacle in his path to greatness. He refuses to label him as his toughest opponent, framing the bout as another test from a different spectrum.

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He has faced elite strikers like Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, and now welcomes the challenge of an opponent considered the best wrestler in the division. Previewing the clash in an interview with Helen Yee, du Plessis said:

“Yeah, I mean, I’ve fought the best striker, and I’ve fought the best boxer in Sean Strickland. Now it’s just the other side of the spectrum. Everybody says this is the best wrestler, so okay, let’s see."

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
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