Dricus du Plessis left the final faceoff against Khamzat Chimaev convinced he had gained a mental edge heading into UFC 319. The middleweight champion meets the undefeated challenger on Saturday in Chicago in his third title defense fight.Things got heated at the UFC 319 ceremonial weigh-ins as Chimaev tried to push du Plessis. The security intervened before things escalated. Sharing his final thoughts after the weigh-ins, du Plessis said:"That's how easy it is to get under that guy's skin. He reacted like that because he saw a real man in front of him, a real middleweight. He's going to feel it tomorrow night."Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below:As for the matchup, du Plessis has built his reign on an unorthodox and highly effective style. His record includes wins over Sean Strickland, Robert Whittaker, and Israel Adesanya. At 23-2 with nine UFC victories, he has carved out a reputation for thriving in chaotic fights.Chimaev arrives unbeaten at 14-0 and carries one of the most dominant wrestling pedigrees in the sport. His win over Whittaker last October cemented his shot at the title, but questions remain about how he will respond if pushed deep into championship rounds.Joe Rogan compares Dricus du Plessis’ cardio to Merab DvalishviliJoe Rogan believes Dricus du Plessis’ conditioning puts him in rare company alongside UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.Ahead of his clash against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, Rogan praised the South African’s ability to sustain pressure over long fights. With Chimaev’s speed and wrestling posing a different type of challenge, Rogan expects the contest to hinge on whether 'Stillknocks' can maintain his trademark pace into the later rounds.Previewing the clash on episode #169 of The Joe Rogan Experience, the UFC color commentator said:"He's a monster, and you [Matt Serra] know this because you work with Merab. There [are] guys that reach this level of discipline, and they achieve a level of cardiovascular performance that's just above everybody else's and then they maintain it. They get that advantage, and they keep pushing it, and they slowly keep adding onto it."Rogan added:"Like you're seeing Merab now, particularly in the second O'Malley fight, you see he's a totally different beast. He's super confident, non-stop, and you can't keep up with that. The amount of hard work is extraordinary to get to that level, and I think Dricus is kind of a similar thing. I think that dude works so hard that he can go out there and fight full blast."