Dricus Du Plessis Gets Fight Offer Immediately After Khamzat Chimaev Defeat
Dricus Du Plessis gets challenged by a former title contender following his devastating loss against Khamzat Chimaev.

Paulo Costa calls out Dricus Du Plessis following loss at UFC 319 (via X)
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Dricus Du Plessis lost his middleweight title fight against undefeated star Khamzat Chimaev after an intense fight at UFC 319. It was a one-sided showdown as the South African was left completely helpless for all five rounds, unable to mount any offense. DDP was extremely disappointed with his overall performance in the fight, and now he’s getting actively challenged for another high-profile bout.
Former middleweight title contender Paulo Costa is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining and talked-about fighters across the MMA world. Inside the UFC octagon, the Brazilian star has managed to create similar hype by securing a dominant win against Roman Kopylov. However, Costa isn’t finished for the year and strongly desires another massive fight against Du Plessis in the upcoming months.
I will fight this year. I still have one more fight in 2025, before Christmas… Dricus is fresh from the belt. He’s so unpredictable, tough guy to fight… that would be a great fight. A huge fight.
Paulo Costa via Submission Radio
Despite earning two consecutive title defenses, DDP is not actively seeking an immediate rematch due to his lackluster recent showing. His longtime coach, Morne Visser, remains confident in eventually avenging their loss to Chimaev, though he emphasizes the necessity of adequate preparation time. Despite the setback, Du Plessis holds the #1 rank, and could create a huge opportunity for Costa.
Paulo Costa calls out Dricus du Plessis 👀
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 25, 2025
"I will fight this year. I still have one more fight in 2025, before Christmas… Dricus is fresh from the belt. He's so unpredictable, tough guy to fight… that would be a great fight. A huge fight."
(via @SubmissionRadio) pic.twitter.com/KXp3T2ASqM
Paulo Costa, on the other hand, shares a heated rivalry with Khamzat Chimaev that initially sparked years ago at the UFC Performance Institute. The two have exchanged countless verbal jabs on social media, escalating the feud to a deeply personal level. After UFC 319, Costa publicly called out Chimaev for a title fight, though making that matchup happen appears challenging right now.
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev wasn’t entertaining to watch?
Khamzat Chimaev’s clash against Dricus Du Plessis turned out to be an utterly one-sided affair, showcasing complete wrestling dominance throughout. Across five rounds, Chimaev landed 12 takedowns and controlled nearly 21 minutes on the ground, neutralizing Du Plessis completely. Despite his dominance, the bout drew criticism as fans labeled it boring due to heavy grappling.

Many fans anticipated Chimaev to finish Du Plessis, but his failure to do so left audiences disappointed and questioning his intentions. During the bout, referee Marc Goddard paused the action multiple times, drawing criticism from experts who believed unnecessary interference disrupted momentum.
Watching live, Paulo Costa recently voiced his opinion on the title fight as well. He expressed mixed views about Chimaev’s dominant yet uneventful performance.
No, I was not impressed… Everybody knew what he was going to do. He did the same, he just shot on the leg in the very beginning. The thing is DDP [du Plessis] did a huge mistake, he got caught in the crucifix and that thing, he stood there for the whole round, almost five minutes. That made him soo tired. His fight was over, over there. He needed to fight back to get up on his feet… He is a tough guy to fight and Khamzat Chimaev knew that, that why he held him [down] for so long.
Paulo Costa continued.
Despite heavy criticism, experts like Robert Whittaker and Demetrious Johnson defended Chimaev, blasting fans for labeling the dominant performance boring. Top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan, who was the cornerman, advised Chimaev to minimize risks and focus on wrestling control.
Nevertheless, the upcoming UFC Paris event features the middleweight clash between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, both eyeing title contention. Meanwhile, UFC Vancouver hosts Reinier de Ridder versus Anthony Hernandez, a high-stakes matchup with significant implications for the division’s championship picture.
According to Dana White, winners from these bouts could potentially determine Khamzat Chimaev’s next title challenger. All this could make the middleweight division extremely entertaining in the upcoming months for the fans.
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