Dricus du Plessis has won his last 11 fights, and eight of those victories have come in the UFC. During “Stillknocks'” stint in the multi-billion dollar promotion, the South African has beaten several prominent names like Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and Darren Till.
Now, however, du Plessis isn’t backing down from Khamzat Chimaev’s trash talk — even if an injury has stalled their potential title showdown as he currently sits on the middleweight throne in the UFC.
Dricus du Plessis Responds to Khamzat Chimaev’s Insult on X
Chimaev defeated Robert Whitaker via first-round submission at UFC 308. Since then, many in the MMA community have wanted to see “Borz” pitted against du Plessis for the championship title. But news broke that the South African had recently suffered an injury, and as a result, their rumored clash is now in jeopardy.
This led to Chimaev expressing his frustration on social media. The 30-year-old uploaded a post on X where they took a jibe at “Stillknocks”.
“This guy biggest bulls***,” Chimaev said.
Du Plessis responded with a post of his own, pointing out both fighters’ records over the past 2.5 years. The South African showed he’s fought six times during that stretch, winning them all. Three of those bouts were for the middleweight title.
Chimaev, on the the other hand, had only been a part of three UFC fights since September 2022.
Both men have made it clear they want to fight. They’ve traded shots on social media, and fans have been waiting for the UFC to make it official.
In his last outing in February 2025, du Plessis fought Strickland in a rematch at UFC 312. The fight was a one-sided affair that ended with a unanimous decision victory for the champion. After the event, “Stillknocks” made an appearance at “The Ariel Helwani Show,” where he spoke about fighting Chimaev and how it would contribute to his legacy.
“I think he’s a big name. After the Whittaker win, sure, why not?” said du Plessis. “For me, it’s the next big guy and everybody speaks about him as if he’s ever been close to a title, which he hasn’t.”
“People think of Khamzat as this boogeyman. That’s a fact. I don’t see that,” added du Plessis. “For me, I only see one thing, and that’s the potential to do good to my legacy. The potential to make my legacy even better.”