Former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis isn’t looking for tune-ups. He isn’t looking for excuses either. He’s looking for his belt back and ideally, he wants it from the man who took it.
Du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) is targeting an April return, potentially on the UFC’s Miami card, as he begins the climb back toward the middleweight throne currently held by Khamzat Chimaev.
“I’ll be ready for April,” Du Plessis said on Fight Forecast. “I would love to be on that Miami card. There’s no opponent yet, there’s no contract yet. Whoever, let’s go. I’m ready to go again and get back to my belt as soon as possible.”
The UFC 319 Reality
At UFC 319 in August, Dricus Du Plessis’ title reign came to a grinding halt. Chimaev executed a relentless wrestling-heavy game plan, racking up 12 takedowns and more than 21 minutes of control time across five rounds. It was systematic. Smothering. Efficient.
And by the final horn, there was little doubt. Chimaev walked away undefeated at 15-0, the new middleweight champion.
Du Plessis walked away with a blueprint to solve.
No Complaints Just Adjustments
Unlike many former champions who question judging or game plans, Du Plessis isn’t protesting the result.
“He did what he had to do to win that belt,” Du Plessis said. “We can’t hate him for that. It’s the rules of the game and he did.”
That acknowledgment matters. Chimaev didn’t break rules he mastered them. He leaned into his strongest weapon: elite wrestling pressure and positional dominance. But Du Plessis insists the sequel won’t look the same.
“Fighting Khamzat again is what I’m after,” he said. “Am I expecting any surprises? No. There’s not going to be any surprises. That is the way he’s going to fight.”
The difference, he believes, lies in preparation. “It’s my responsibility to go fix that to stop him from doing it again and get him to fight my fight.”
Dricus Du Plessis made one thing clear: if the rematch stays standing, the dynamic shifts dramatically.
Chimaev’s grappling suffocated the first meeting. But on the feet, Du Plessis believes the matchup favors him particularly in exchanges where durability, pace, and unconventional striking angles come into play.
“If he tries anything different, it will be a terrible night,” Du Plessis added, suggesting that a striking-heavy approach from Chimaev would open the door for redemption.
That’s the gamble. Can Dricus Du Plessis keep it upright long enough to test that theory?
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
