Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev appear to be on a collision course after Chimaev’s latest statement-making performance. At UFC 308, the undefeated contender submitted former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the first round, breaking Whittaker's jaw in the process. With this dominant victory, many believe Chimaev is now next in line for a title shot against Du Plessis.
However, the title picture also includes Sean Strickland, who remains a viable contender. Speaking with ESPN, Du Plessis explained that a win over Chimaev could open the door for a double title fight.
Double Title Fight Ambitions
“If I beat Khamzat Chimaev – I beat Robert Whittaker, then I beat Sean Strickland, then I beat Israel Adesanya, then I beat Khamzat Chimaev, that warrants a double title fight,” Du Plessis told ESPN. “I have a vision, and I can’t picture something more perfect than that."
Though Du Plessis is open to fighting anyone the UFC presents, he believes fans are more excited about a matchup with Chimaev.
“But if you go on what the fans want right now, it’s definitely not the Strickland fight," Du Plessis added. "If you ask what I want, I want to fight the best guy. I want to fight the guy the fans want me to fight, and that 100 percent is Khamzat. If they give me the Strickland fight, great, I’ll fight Strickland in February, March, or whenever, and then fight Khamzat.”
