Is Dricus Du Plessis ‘Wrestling’ Prowess All Talk? Learn About Viral Bet Made Before Khamzat Chimaev UFC 319 Challenge

UFC legend wonders if Dricus Du Plessis and pre-fight wrestling-talk before Khamzat Chimaev PPV showdown will hold up when the time comes.

Is Dricus Du Plessis ‘Wrestling’ Prowess All Talk? Learn About Viral Bet Made Before Khamzat Chimaev UFC 319 Challenge

Dricus Du Plessis made a 'can't take me down' bet before Khamzat Chimaev fight (Source: X)

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Dricus Du Plessis puts his 185-pound gold to the test in just a few weeks, at the hyped UFC 319 PPV main event. Before meeting Khamzat Chimaev in what is to be his stiffest skills test yet, ‘Stillknocks’ has been sharpening his wrestling skills. What’s transpired in that discourse is a weird bet that took the attention of the MMA fanbase.

The discourse shot off with a social media reel, with viral coach Morne Visser lining up gym mates after a 2-hour sparring session. Visser, awfully confident, touted a $10K prize money if anyone could take the champ down. Dricus Du Plessis followed it up, saying he and his coach were serious about it all.

My face when the 2 hour session is done and @coachmornevisser says everyone line up, 10k for the first guy to take down DDP and you think it’s a joke but coach doesn’t joke about these things… #trainhardfighteasy #teamCIT #preparetobeamazed #ufc319

Dricus Du Plessis via IG (@dricusduplessis)

But going by his emoticon usage, is the Team CIT Performance Institute standout and middleweight king greater than the Chechen rival? DDP has always been characterized by risking his chin, face-first for striking absorption, and using an unorthodox range and K1-kickboxing swing-first attitude.

After Chimaev opted to train with Olympic wrestling coaches, DDP has been flooding fan forums with his wrestling exchanges. This is a new thing as he is predominantly a bold striker first. He did, however, showcase some anti-wrestling and submit former champ Israel Adesanya via a third-round rear-naked choke during his UFC 305 PPV title fight.

He also touts a 2.55 takedown (TD Avg) with a modest 50% Takedown Accuracy. He took Adesanya down two solid times while managing to veer away from nasty body shots and uppercuts. Former title challenger and now analyst, Chael Sonnen, took to his YouTube channel to expound on Du Plessis’ ground skills.

[Now] Dricus…Dricus Du Plessis did training with the national team in South Africa – Greco-Roman wrestling specifically. That’s what Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, and Ilia Topuria did…So, when Dricus says, ‘You can’t take me down,’ it’s a big claim coming from the champion of the world.

Chael Sonnen via his Official YT Channel

Meanwhile, Khamzat Chimaev and his power on the ground are well documented. He is a three-time Swedish national champ in freestyle wrestling. He logged an overall 12-0 record (92kg bracket) and has also trained in sambo/judo. Two years ago, he held camp at Tiger Muay Thai to further couple his striking with trips, technical throws, pins, and other stuffs that his freestyle knowledge imparts.

If ‘Borz’ and his ground prowess are ever in doubt, look no further than what he did to perennial middleweight Robert Whittaker with a first-round face crank, blowing up his digits! So while Greco-Roman wrestling has its advantages, Chimaev has been at it for a while as he started wrestling at age 5. Given all that, one fighter has advised the Afrikaner against such bets with the dominant Chechen.

Arman Tsarukyan thinks champ will lose full fight purse in $10k bet with the dominant Khamzat Chimaev

14-0 in his pro tenure, Khamzat Chimaev is a 1/1 beast of his own kind. ‘Borz’ averages 4.31 takedowns per ballot fight along with 100% TD defense. He manhandled Whittaker and outlasted former #1 pound-for-pound fighter Kamaru Usman in back-to-back fights to earn a title crack. He took down the Nigerian four solid times, who’s otherwise known for his standing TD defense.

Dricus Du Plessis poised to have tough time against Khamzat Chimaev and explosive pace
Dricus Du Plessis poised to have tough time against Khamzat Chimaev and explosive pace (Source: X)

Chimaev is highly-touted for his wrestling, grappling, and peeling off on an all-around pace. Unorthodox but with an array of striking and anti-wrestling skillset, Dricus Du Plessis has come out on his own and proven some prime beliefs to be wrong.

But, is he all that well-rounded enough to defend Borz and his pace? After last month, DDP’s bet was warped into the narrative that he challenged Chimaev to a sum of $10k for every single takedown (which isn’t true). Arman Tsarukyan thinks that at that rate, it would cost him his whole fight money.

Just taking him down is not difficult, but holding him, him down…[is] more difficult. But, if he really thinks he’s going to pay $10,000…he’s not going to make money from that fight. He’s going to give all money to Khamzat by end.

Arman Tsarukyan on Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry (@Overdogspod)

Per the Armenian, bets aren’t made on such a losing hand, and he overcorrected with his own wager during the same interview. However, the South African’s only submission loss could be credited to ex-UFC fighter Garreth McLellan (guillotine) 11 years ago! Sportsbooks and money lines have him at a big disadvantage for UFC 319, but DDP might just turn things around and prove he isn’t that easy to submit.

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