Rising UFC Fighter Evaluates Potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev Matchup
A rising UFC middleweight contender who has trained with both Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev offers his assessment of a potential fight between the two fighters.
Recently, du Plessis addressed rumors of an injury, hinting at the possibility of facing Chimaev this year. Many believe that Chimaev, who swiftly submitted Robert Whittaker last year, is the rightful No. 1 contender for the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Reinier de Ridder, the co-headliner at UFC Des Moines, has trained with both du Plessis and Chimaev, providing his perspective on the potential UFC title clash.
Insight from Reinier de Ridder on Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev
In an interview with Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com, Reinier de Ridder shared his thoughts on why Dricus du Plessis is unlikely to be defeated early in a fight.
Having trained with both fighters, de Ridder expressed, “I’ve had some experience with both of the guys. I’ve trained with both of them. I’d say especially in a five-round fight, Khamzat is most likely going to come out guns blazing again, shoot right away but Dricus is not that easy to take down. He moves very well, although it looks a bit funny at times. His footwork is not that bad. He gets out. He circles pretty well.”
De Ridder added, “I don’t see Khamzat taking him down right away and to be honest, I don’t see Khamzat choking him out in the first round.”
De Ridder also highlighted du Plessis’ endurance and resilience, suggesting that these attributes could help him navigate a fight with Chimaev.
“He keeps going,” de Ridder noted. “That’s the crazy thing. He looks dead tired, the technique [just goes out the door] but somehow he stays strong, stays very explosive. I’m going with Dricus but Khamzat would be cool, too, if it gets it. But I think Dricus has a good chance.”
UFC Des Moines Anticipation
De Ridder is gearing up to face Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines this Saturday, aiming to push his opponent into deep waters during their matchup. Stay tuned to BJPenn.com for live coverage of the event.
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