COMMENT: Defend take downs, shoot your own, the right game plan for Du Plessis.
Stillknocks Dricus du Plessis is set to defend his UFC middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16. Photo: Saeed Khan / AFP
Image: Saeed Khan/AFP
THE mentality in the camp of South Africa's MMA star and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis is largely based on challenging Khamzat Chimaev in his own strengths, wrestling and grappling, ahead of UFC 319 in Chicago this coming weekend.
Du Plessis' camp believes that Chimaev is yet to meet an opponent who shows no fear for his highly praised wrestling and grappling abilities.
The South Africans believe that the key to success is beating the Chechen-born fighter on the ground, forcing him to take the fight on the feet, where Du Plessis' strengths lie in the match-up.
Time and again, specialist fighters have been mentally broken down in the octagon when they meet with a fighter who shows no fear, adequate resistance and skill.
Earlier this year, former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira met a determined Magomed Ankalaev in a championship bout, and the difference between Ankalaev and any of Pereira's opponents was that the Russian had no fear for his striking.
When Perreira realised little success on the feet, an area he usually dominates in the octagon, he was visibly defeated, and from then on, it was Ankalaev's fight to win, and the Russian eventually won the bout.
Du Plessis' title defence this week exudes the same energy; stuff Chimaev's takedowns, shoot for your own takedowns and break Chimaev physically and mentally.
In Chimaev’s eight fights in the UFC, the two fighters, Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, who have been able to go the distance with Chimaev, have done so by withstanding Chimaev’s intense wrestling and grappling in rounds one and two when Chimaev is mostly physically strong.
Though Chimaev won those two bouts, they left a vivid hole for the likes of Du Plessis to look to exploit, and the South Africans seem to be on the path to execute the same strategy.
Moreover, Morne Visser, Du Plessis' head coach, recently highlighted that Chimaev's striking skills are questionable. Visser emphasised that Chimaev's striking skills are not of the calibre of a professional fighter, a statement that clearly indicates that the South Africans are banking on outstriking Chimaev.
The Championship bout is set to take place at the United Centre in Chicago on Saturday, 16 August, with the championship bout set to get underway in the early hours of Sunday, 17 August for the South African fan base.