Nassourdine Imavov Breaks down Khamzat Chimaev’s Only Opening Against Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC Middleweight Title
August 16th sees a colossal middleweight title fight go down at the United Center in Chicago, when the champ Dricus Du Plessis takes on Khamzat Chimaev.
Du Plessis has been on a tear since arriving in the UFC in 2020, going 9-0 in the promotion and claiming middleweight gold along the way.
The contender, Chimaev, is a formidable opponent for Du Plessis, as he has been one of the more avoided fighters on the roster.
With his fast pace and wrestling-heavy style, not many have been able to get out of the first round, let alone see the judges’ scorecards against Chimaev.
Nassourdine Imavov lays out chimaev’s path to victory
The number one-ranked contender at middleweight is the Frenchman, Nassourdine Imavov. Imavov is currently on a tear at 185lbs, beating big names such as Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Imavov said that he believes that the only way that Chimaev can win against Du Plessis is by taking him out in the early rounds.
“In my mind, Khamzat will finish the fight in the first two rounds. The longer it goes, the more it favors DDP because of his cardio and his way of fighting.” Imavov said.
Imavov went on to say that he does not care who wins in the main event at UFC 319, and that his only focus is to win the belt.
“No preference on who wins—just fighting for the belt is all that matters.” He said.
UFC Paris could decide who fights for the title next
The UFC is returning to Paris on September 6th, with Imavov taking on the surging Caio Borralho in the main event.
Both men have staked their claim to be next in line for the middleweight strap, but with the belt being on the line already, it was a no-brainer to pair the two together.
Both men believe that a win in Paris will put them next in line to fight the winner of Du Plessis vs. Chimaev.
