Dricus Du Plessis responds to Khamzat Chimaev's frustration over title fight delay

Key highlights

• Reports suggested Khamzat Chimaev would replace injured Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 317 , a fight never officially confirmed but widely anticipated.
• Khamzat Chimaev publicly criticized Du Plessis's injury, prompting the champion to retort by highlighting Chimaev's own history of fight cancellations.
• With Du Plessis's injury status unconfirmed, the UFC 317 main event for International Fight Week remains uncertain, delaying a potential Chimaev title shot.

UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis responds in kind to reports that undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev is replacing him on the card at UFC 317, following reports that the South African champion has been ruled out with an injury. However, the matchup, although never confirmed by the UFC, was widely anticipated to top the promotion's International Fight Week in Las Vegas this June. However, veteran MMA journalist Kevin Iole reported that Dricus Du Plessis is injured.
Khamzat Chimaev's history of fight withdrawals highlighted by the championKhamzat Chimaev's criticism was met with a quick response by the South African champion, who turned the tables on him with a reference to the fighter's own fighting history filled with cancellations. Recently, Khamzat Chimaev has competed just once per year, but his last performance was a first-round submission of Robert Whittaker that made him the division's number one contender.


Khamzat Chimaev, who has been waiting for his first UFC title opportunity since knocking out former champion Robert Whittaker last October, took to social media to voice his frustration with the blunt four-word reaction "This guy biggest bullsh*t" and facepalm emoji. It sounded as if it called into question whether the injury to Dricus Du Plessis was legitimate or whether the champion was willing to face him.
UFC 317 main event in question as International Fight Week approachesThe UFC's champion's injury status is still not officially confirmed, so questions linger over what will top UFC 317 during International Fight Week June 25-29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The showcase is the promotion's annual summer event, a time when the network airs a Hall of Fame induction ceremony and championship fights.

Since capturing his middleweight title from Sean Strickland in January 2024, Dricus Du Plessis has defended it twice successfully, first to Israel Adesanya and then to Strickland in a rematch this past February. Dricus Du Plessis, who hadn’t been subject to an injury report before the fight, was keen on facing Khamzat Chimaev, saying: “I want Khamzat next. He deserves a hiding."

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If the championship bout is indeed postponed, fight fans will need to wait longer to see if Khamzat Chimaev's undefeated streak can withstand the challenge of the reigning middleweight king.