UFC 319: Dricus du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev - who will be the real 'boogeyman'?

It’s UFC 319 this weekend, and UFC President Dana White described it as one of the biggest fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s history.

South Africa’s UFC Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis (23-2) will put his title on the line against the Chechen-born combat sport superstar Khamzat Chimaev (14-0) in this highly anticipated UFC fight analysis.

Much debate has taken place regarding the event scheduled to take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday morning (SAST), as fans eagerly await this Middleweight Championship clash.

The biggest talking point ahead of this fight is whether Du Plessis can handle the overwhelming wrestling pressure that Chimaev brings. Chimaev is known for dominating his opponents with freestyle wrestling before seeking a submission or TKO.

However, Du Plessis, a well-rounded mixed martial artist, specifically called out Chimaev, aiming to beat him at his own game, as he had done with Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya, and Sean Strickland.

Du Plessis has a very strong wrestling base with elite grappling, too, having locked in 12 submissions in his professional career, thus far.

A key factor will be how well Du Plessis neutralises Chimaev in the early rounds. Any action past the first two rounds could set favourable conditions for Du Plessis. He has prepared for nine five-rounders so far, while Chimaev has only prepared for one (vs Robert Whittaker).

All the action takes place on SuperSport on Sunday morning, with the main card starting at 4am. Du Plessis’ fight will start any time after 6.15am.