Dricus du Plessis ready to test Khamzat Chimaev's high-intensity style over five rounds at UFC 319: "Let's go full speed and see who quits"

Dricus du Plessis recently opened up about his upcoming fight against Khamzat Chimaev and previewed his game plan for the Chechen-born grappling sensation. The reigning UFC middleweight king made it clear that he wasn't afraid of keeping up with Chimaev's pace in the championship rounds.

'Stillknocks' will face Chimaev in a middleweight title fight in the main event of UFC 319 at the United Center in Chicago this weekend. Given Chimaev's high-intensity grappling and his unbeaten record as a professional fighter, many have questioned du Plessis' ability to stand his ground against the Chechen-born fighter.

At a UFC 319 media day presser, du Plessis addressed the threat of Chimaev's blitzkrieg approach and explained why he wasn't worried. Detailing his willingness to keep up with Chimaev all the way, he said:

"I'm going out there to fight the way [I fight] and see what happens. He didn't change his game plan with Robert Whittaker because it was a five-rounder. That kind of already gives me the sense that he's not gonna think about the five rounds when he should be. Five rounds is a long time, and I am not scared to get into that dark place. We've seen that."

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He continued:

"If we go full speed, you know, I can fight tired all day. I've done that many times. So, let's go for it. Let's go from the first bell to the last. Let's go full speed and see who quits."

Israel Adesanya predicts Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev clash at UFC 319

Israel Adesanya recently shared his two cents on the upcoming Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight at UFC 319 this weekend.

The former middleweight champion explained that since Chimaev's game plan wasn't a secret, it would be easier for du Plessis to weather the initial storm and take the Chechen-born fighter into deeper waters of the championship rounds.

In a YouTube video (via @ChampRDS on X), Adesanya shared his preview of the upcoming middleweight title showdown and said:

"Khamzat, from what we know, has already shown his hand. He's going to go after [du Plessis] from the get-go. About DDP, I think he'll weather the storm and probably finish Khamzat later on because Khamzat, if it goes to Rounds 3, 4 or 5, it's gonna be a problem for him. It's a problem if it gets to Round 5."

He continued:

"I say Round 3 or 4, DDP. If its' Khamzat, it's going to be Round 1. It's going to be impressive, it's going to be spectacular, it's violent. But yeah, I'm gonna go with DDP. I think he's going to get it done. He's stubborn. I'm gonna go with Dricus by TKO."

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Edited by Nishant Zende.