Warning: 3 factors that could lead to Chimaev being KO’d for the first time in his career by Du Plessis!

As UFC 319 approaches, tension is building around the main event clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis. While many see Chimaev as an unstoppable force, there are growing signs that Du Plessis may be the first man to hand him a knockout loss. Here are three compelling reasons why.

1. Dricus Du Plessis’s Relentless Pressure and Unpredictable Power

If there’s one thing that makes Dricus Du Plessis stand out in the middleweight division, it’s his relentless, pressure-heavy style combined with unorthodox power. His forward movement is constant, and he doesn’t wait to see what his opponent will do—he dictates the pace.

This is a key reason why Du Plessis has managed to break elite opponents like Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson. His striking doesn’t always look polished, but it’s incredibly effective. His looping hooks, overhands, and uppercuts come from unpredictable angles, often bypassing traditional defenses. He uses pressure not just as a means to land punches, but to smother opponents into discomfort. Even elite strikers have found themselves on the back foot against the South African.

Du Plessis’s success isn’t just about brute strength—it’s also mental warfare. By constantly coming forward, he forces his opponent to fight reactively, rather than proactively. That shift in momentum, especially early in the fight, can unsettle even the most confident fighters. And with Chimaev’s aggressive tendencies, this type of psychological disruption might spell disaster.

Khamzat Chimaev, on the other hand, is used to being the one who overwhelms. In every fight where Chimaev has faced adversity—particularly against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman—he’s shown moments of hesitation when pressured. His takedowns lose snap, his punches become more predictable, and his aura of invincibility begins to crack.

If Du Plessis takes center stage and lands one of his explosive shots early, it could very well rattle Chimaev into unfamiliar territory. While Chimaev has endured some heavy shots in the past, he has never faced someone like Du Plessis, who combines unpredictable angles with high-octane persistence.

Du Plessis’s knockout power is real. Of his 21 wins, 10 have come by knockout. And if Chimaev doesn’t respect it, he could find himself staring at the lights for the first time in his UFC career. One looping right or a crashing uppercut may be all it takes.

2. Chimaev’s Tendency to Fade in Later Rounds

While Chimaev has proven himself to be one of the most dangerous fighters in the early rounds, there’s a growing concern among analysts and fans alike: his cardio. Against Usman, the signs were clear—after a dominant first round, Chimaev’s output significantly decreased. Even in his war with Gilbert Burns, the intensity dropped in round three. This raises red flags heading into a potential five-round war.

Du Plessis, by contrast, is built for attrition. He’s shown time and again that he can go the distance while still maintaining dangerous power and forward movement. Against Whittaker, Du Plessis didn’t just survive the early storm—he dominated. He outlasted and overwhelmed a man known for his gas tank and precision striking.

If the fight at UFC 319 reaches the championship rounds, Du Plessis’s gas tank could become one of the most critical weapons in his arsenal. His team has emphasized conditioning in every fight camp, and the results show. He doesn’t fade; he evolves. His rhythm becomes harder to read. His volume doesn’t dip—it spikes.

Chimaev has never been five rounds with someone who pushes the pace like Du Plessis. He’s never had to worry about conserving energy against someone whose pressure doesn’t let up. If the South African can drag this into deep water and maintain pressure, he may find the opportunity to capitalize on a tired and vulnerable Chimaev.

In a fight where seconds matter, a fatigued Chimaev could fall victim to a late-round knockout—the kind that sends shockwaves through the MMA world. And let’s not forget, fatigue makes cowards of even the most dangerous men. A single mistake when exhaustion sets in can end a fighter’s night.

Moreover, Du Plessis has been visualizing exactly that—landing a big shot in round four or five when Chimaev can no longer rely on his explosive strength. His game plan revolves around weathering the storm and turning it into a blizzard of his own.

3. Du Plessis’s Psychological Advantage After Face-Off Mind Games

The fight already began before the Octagon door shuts. At the UFC 319 media day, Du Plessis needed just three seconds to psychologically unnerve Chimaev. A whispered sentence—“You finally met someone who won’t run”—sent visible ripples through the normally unflappable Chechen fighter.

Chimaev’s reaction wasn’t subtle. He broke eye contact, looked visibly tense, and even appeared flustered during subsequent media appearances. For a fighter whose aura is built on mental dominance, this brief exchange may have pierced the armor.

Du Plessis has already shown that he’s not afraid. That level of confidence, combined with Chimaev’s possible self-doubt, creates a psychological edge that could translate into in-fight success. Fighters who feel pressured mentally often make uncharacteristic mistakes in the cage—mistakes that Du Plessis has the power and timing to capitalize on.

Confidence is contagious—but so is uncertainty. And for the first time, Chimaev appears to be second-guessing himself. The moment of hesitation in his eyes during the face-off has been played repeatedly on social media, sending a clear message: Du Plessis isn’t here to survive—he’s here to conquer.

A clean shot, born from a brief lapse in concentration, could be all it takes. And we’ve seen it before—mentally rattled fighters become physically vulnerable. Just ask fighters who’ve gone up against psychological juggernauts like Michael Bisping or Conor McGregor. When you lose the mind game, the body soon follows.

Bonus Factor: Du Plessis’s Strategic Game Plan

Another component worth noting is Du Plessis’s evolving fight IQ. Once seen as wild and reckless, he’s transformed into a tactician. Against Whittaker, he employed perfect distance management and striking selection. He also denied takedowns with surprising ease and reversed positions with smooth transitions.

Against Chimaev, a high-level grappler, Du Plessis’s team will be prepared. They know Chimaev wants control early. They’ll have counters, sprawls, and a plan to pop back up or reverse ground positions quickly. Du Plessis has quietly become one of the most underrated defensive grapplers in the division.

His ability to frustrate wrestlers, combined with smart striking, could be the secret ingredient in this boiling pot. If Chimaev finds himself unable to execute his plan, the frustration could lead to reckless mistakes—mistakes that Du Plessis is trained to exploit.

Final Thoughts: The Perfect Storm?

Nobody has ever knocked out Khamzat Chimaev. He’s walked through opponents like a force of nature, but every unstoppable storm eventually meets a wall. At UFC 319, Dricus Du Plessis might just be that wall.

With his relentless forward pressure, superior cardio, a clear psychological edge, and an increasingly refined strategy, Du Plessis holds the blueprint to achieving what no fighter has done before: knock out the invincible Chimaev.

This isn’t just a fight—it’s a mental, physical, and strategic war. And if all these factors come into play on fight night, we may witness a historic moment in UFC history.

Fans will remember it not just as the night Chimaev finally fell, but as the evening when Du Plessis etched his name into legend by doing the unthinkable.

Don’t blink. UFC 319 might change everything.