Dricus du Plessis trolls Khamzat Chimaev's pullout record after UFC 319 backup confirmation
Dricus du Plessis will face Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319 on Aug. 16. Ahead of the fight, the UFC middleweight champion has poked fun at the Chechen fighter.
After the bout was announced, Nassourdine Imavov was reported as the official backup for the fight between 'Stillknocks' and 'Borz'. Hearing this, Du Plessis did not shy away from mocking Chimaev. Referring to Chimaev's record of pullouts, the UFC middleweight champion took to Instagram Stories and posted:
"Guess I'm fighting @imavov_nassourdine"
Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below:
![Dricus du Plessis' reaction. [Screenshot courtesy: @dricusduplessis on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/e72da-17472846872956-1920.jpg?w=500)
After three straight victories following his UFC debut, 'Borz' was set to face Leon Edwards in December 2020. However, Chimaev contracted COVID-19, which threatened the bout. Despite numerous efforts to reschedule, the bout was canceled as Chimaev was unable to recover from COVID-19 in time.
Although he returned and started competing for the UFC again, another incident occurred in June 2024 when Chimaev withdrew from his scheduled fight against Robert Whittaker at the promotion's first-ever event in Saudi Arabia due to illness.
Jamahal Hill predicts Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev clash
While Khamzat Chimaev has put on dominant performances in the UFC, he was never involved in a fight that went the distance of five rounds. Dricus du Plessis believes he has the upper hand over Chimaev when it comes to that aspect.
During a recent interview with Helen Yee, Jamahal Hill shared his prediction for the bout between 'Stillknocks' and 'Borz,' alluding to the same point. Claiming that du Plessis has superior cardio compared to Chimaev, Hill said:
"I probably favor DDP [Dricus du Plessis] in that one just for the simple fact that I've doubted this dude so many times now and he's shut me up bad... I think he's got the better cardio. His physical strength, I believe, can pose a problem for anybody in that division. We've seen Khamzat fade over the course of rounds before."
Check out Jamahal Hill's comments below: