Max Holloway is fresh off one of the biggest wins in his career, but this time around, he is making headlines because of his take on the main event of UFC 319. Dricus Du Plessis will defend his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev in Chicago.
For Holloway, it is quite insane to have Chimaev as the favorite. “I like both guys. Both guys are awesome. This is crazy. I understand why, but this is crazy. The champion, especially with who he beat, is an underdog. It’s kinda crazy. The reason why he is, I understand who Chimaev is.”
More importantly, Holloway expressed how he feels people should respect Du Plessis more. “You can’t disrespect the champion, that’s why. Look at who he beat. He beat a who’s who.”
Why is Du Plessis the underdog?
Du Plessis is 9-0 in the UFC and has already four wins against former champions. He beat Sean Strickland twice, Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. With this resume and two title defenses already, why is he an underdog then?
Khamzat Chimaev of Russia prepares for his welterweight fight against Gilbert Burns of Brazil during the UFC 273 event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 09, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Well, he is fighting an unbeaten challenger. But even more so, Chimaev is the boogeyman of the middleweight division and has made most of his fights look really easy. Du Plessis doesn’t have a very aesthetically pleasing style, he is kind of unorthodox and unpredictable. Chimaev? He will shoot for a takedown quickly and will maul you or submit you very fast.
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This one is most likely not going the distance
Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev are not paid by the hour and they know it. Out of his 23 career wins, Du Plessis has only gone the distance three times. He’s finished nine opponents by knockout and 11 by submission.
Chimaev has a 14-0 record and has 12 wins by finish. He splits them evenly as six have been knockouts and six submissions. ‘Borz‘ has deadly ground and pound and transitions to get the neck. Both of these fighters are skilled and able to finish the fight at any moment.
