Dricus du Plessis Reveals There Were Talks of Khamzat Chimaev Fight Before UFC 312 Announcement
During an interview with FOX Sports Australia, Dricus du Plessis was asked if Khamzat Chimaev was ever in consideration for his next UFC Middleweight Championship defense. The 185-pound champion confirmed that “Borz” was indeed a potential opponent.
“It was on the table for sure,” du Plessis stated. “We talked about it, but it wasn’t from our side or from his side where the fight didn’t happen. I think it was some issues with the UFC and Khamzat, I’m not sure. And timing, I think timing played a big role, but there were conversations and I said that’s the fight I want, so let’s do it. They couldn’t make it happen. So, Strickland is the fight they did.”
There was speculation that Chimaev might bypass Sean Strickland for a title shot following his impressive submission win over Robert Whittaker. It will be intriguing to uncover the challenges the UFC faced in attempting to arrange a bout between Chimaev and du Plessis.
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