Dricus Du Plessis: Khamzat Chimaev shouldn't be in UFC middleweight title conversation

UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis thinks putting Khamzat Chimaev in the title conversation is pointless.

Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was scheduled to face Robert Whittaker in a No. 1 contender bout at UFC on ABC 6 in Riyadh, but an illness forced him out of the bout. His most recent win came over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.

Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has always been intrigued by the possibility of handing Chimaev his first career loss, but thinks “Borz” still has some work to do before entering the middleweight title picture.

“I would love to fight Khamzat. Nobody’s beaten him, and he was almost like the boogeyman of this division,” Du Plessis told Submission Radio. “But let’s be honest: I was a bit disappointed that fight didn’t happen. (I’m) not that surprised, to be honest. I didn’t expect it, but you kind of have to at this stage – expect something to happen. I’m feeling sorry for the guy. I know what it feels like.

“I’ve been on that side of the area of not being able to fight and it sucks. Right now, it just doesn’t even make sense to talk about it. You know, he hasn’t fought one single ranked middleweight – not one – and to even put him in that conversation right now seems like we’re wasting time talking about it. He’s not in the run, and up until he proves that he deserves to be in that run, there’s no use in talking about it.”

Du Plessis will look to make his first defense in the UFC 305 headliner Aug. 17 when he takes on former champion Israel Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.