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Khamzat Chimaev handled Dricus Du Plessis a lot easier than even he expected.
Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) dethroned Du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) by dominant unanimous decision to become middleweight champion at UFC 319 las August after scoring 12 takedowns and controlling Du Plessis on the mat for more than 21 minutes.
"I thought Dricus was going to be stronger, but he wasn't," Chimaev said on UFC "Countdown." "I took him down, smashed him on the ground, do the same thing again and again. He was just surviving there. After a couple rounds, I watched his face. He didn't want to come out again. Nothing surprised (me). I knew I was the better fighter. Felt amazing to finally have my belt on me. My country needs the champ. I'm a world champ now."
Chimaev makes his first title defense against ex-champ Sean Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 328 (Paramount+) main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. He is a huge favorite going into the fight.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Khamzat Chimaev reveals how he overestimated Dricus Du Plessis
Continue reading...
Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) dethroned Du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) by dominant unanimous decision to become middleweight champion at UFC 319 las August after scoring 12 takedowns and controlling Du Plessis on the mat for more than 21 minutes.
"I thought Dricus was going to be stronger, but he wasn't," Chimaev said on UFC "Countdown." "I took him down, smashed him on the ground, do the same thing again and again. He was just surviving there. After a couple rounds, I watched his face. He didn't want to come out again. Nothing surprised (me). I knew I was the better fighter. Felt amazing to finally have my belt on me. My country needs the champ. I'm a world champ now."
Chimaev makes his first title defense against ex-champ Sean Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 328 (Paramount+) main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. He is a huge favorite going into the fight.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Khamzat Chimaev reveals how he overestimated Dricus Du Plessis
Continue reading...
