Exclusive: Anthony Hernandez issues definitive preview of Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319

Anthony Hernandez recently shared his opinions on the upcoming middleweight title matchup between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Hernandez favored du Plessis to prevail, pointing out Chimaev's lack of experience in the 185-pound division.

Following an impressive octagon record, Chimaev received the opportunity to challenge du Plessis for the middleweight throne in the main event of UFC 319 on Aug. 16 at United Center in Chicago.

Many in the MMA community have offered their thoughts on the highly anticipated contest, including Hernandez. The emerging contender recently spoke to James Lynch of Sportskeeda and backed the reigning champion to successfully defend his title:

''Honestly DDP is fu***ng tough, awkward mo********** and Chimaev has never fought like, I don't know, has he fought like besides Whitaker? Has he fought any like real 85ers? I'm curious to see how he does with the actual big moth********. [Du Plessis] can fight everywhere, and he shows that in every single fight. So I don't know I think DDP is still going to be champ.''

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Check out Anthony Hernandez's comments below (8:57):

Hernandez was once booked to fight du Plessis at UFC 273 in April 2022, however their bout never happened. The 31-year-old is now on an impressive seven-fight win streak, defeating fighters like Michel Pereira and Roman Kopylov. He is coming off a unanimous decision win over Brendan Allen at UFC Seattle earlier this year.

Anthony Hernandez discusses his upcoming matchup with Roman Dolidze at UFC Vegas 109

Anthony Hernandez is scheduled to face Roman Dolidze at UFC Vegas 109 on Aug. 9 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the aforementioned conversation with James Lynch, Hernandez opened up about the bout. He further discussed getting a title shot in the future if he manages to defeat the Georgian fighter in impressive fashion:

"[Dolidze's] a tough motherfu*ker, so I wouldn't be surprised if he fu***** hangs in there and vice versa. He hits hard it's like when you're playing with fire, sometimes you get burned sometimes you don't. I don't really know what's going to fu***** happen...I'm ready to fu***** show the world that I'm ready for my title and I'm just going to keep proving that one fight at a time...I'm hoping I'm right there from like what people everyone like what I like hear and stuff, it sounds like people think I'm right there too.'' [7:26]

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena