Du Plessis Defends His Title at UFC 312

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes that middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has what it takes to defeat both Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Pereira.

Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) successfully defended his title by defeating Sean Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) in the main event of UFC 312 in Sydney. The fight ended in a unanimous decision victory, with scorecards reading 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46 in his favor. Following his victory, Du Plessis announced his intentions to face Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) next before moving up to light heavyweight to challenge Alex Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), who is set to defend his title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8 in Las Vegas.

Cejudo Believes Du Plessis is a Tough Matchup for Pereira

Discussing the potential matchup on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman, Cejudo stated that he would bet on Du Plessis against Pereira.

“Even though I do believe that Pereira is going to beat Magomed Ankalaev, I’ll definitely put my money with DDP. I think DDP, stylistically, is a problem, and I know DDP is going to go in there and wrestle.”

Cejudo emphasized that Du Plessis’ grappling could pose serious problems for Pereira but also cautioned that the Brazilian champion is a dangerous counterstriker.

“There’s a lot of little sloppy things that DDP does, but I think his strengths and his ability to mix things up could work against a guy like Alex Pereira.”

Cejudo Believes Du Plessis Hands Chimaev His First Loss

Aside from Pereira, Cejudo also sees Du Plessis as a difficult opponent for the undefeated Chimaev.

“I personally think he beats up Khamzat Chimaev. I don’t think he’s going to be easy to submit. DDP is scrambly, and I think his conditioning, bro, I mean, I want to put him up there.”

Cejudo also highlighted Du Plessis’ cardio as a crucial factor, ranking him among the best-conditioned fighters in the UFC. He compared him to Merab Dvalishvili, who is renowned for his relentless pace. Du Plessis’ endurance was evident in his title fight against Strickland, where he maintained a high output throughout five rounds. Additionally, Cejudo pointed out Du Plessis’ ability to mix striking and wrestling, using powerful kicks and relentless forward pressure, which could trouble Chimaev. With his grappling skills and ability to push the pace, Cejudo believes Du Plessis has a strong chance of handing Chimaev his first career loss.

MMAnytt: Cejudo is Wrong – Du Plessis Will Be Dominated

While Cejudo praises Du Plessis and believes he can defeat Chimaev, we at MMAnytt strongly disagree. In fact, we see Chimaev as a nightmare matchup for Du Plessis and expect a completely one-sided fight if it happens.

Chimaev’s wrestling is on another level compared to anyone Du Plessis has faced. We’ve seen him dominate elite grapplers like Kamaru Usman, a former welterweight champion with a strong wrestling pedigree. Even against world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Gilbert Burns, Chimaev showcased his ability to control and adapt against high-level ground fighters. Du Plessis has solid wrestling credentials, but he lacks Chimaev’s explosiveness and top control, which could make him an easy target for relentless takedowns.

Beyond wrestling, Chimaev’s striking is one of the most underrated aspects of his game. He possesses knockout power and a keen ability to read his opponents. While Du Plessis showed his striking ability against Robert Whittaker, he also left several defensive openings that a precise and powerful striker like Chimaev could exploit. Chimaev’s ability to blend striking and grappling seamlessly will likely overwhelm Du Plessis, forcing him to fight at an uncomfortable pace.

Lastly, Chimaev’s physicality is something Du Plessis has never encountered before. His strength, pressure, and control in the clinch and on the ground could completely drain Du Plessis within a few rounds. While Cejudo sees a competitive fight, we believe this will be a lopsided affair, with Chimaev controlling and finishing Du Plessis before the third round.

For us at MMAnytt, there’s no doubt—if this fight happens, Chimaev will dominate and cement himself as the next middleweight champion.

Källa: MMAnytt.se

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