It sounds like it’s Khamzat Chimaev or nothing for reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.
As of now, du Plessis is scheduled to defend his 185-pound strap against Chimaev at UFC 319 live on ESPN+ PPV on Aug. 16 in Chicago, Illinois. It’s an incredible matchup for the UFC’s middleweight division and the first time Chimaev is competing on American soil since his submission win over Kevin Holland at UFC 279 back in Sept. 2022. Fans are hoping the middleweight clash goes down as planned as it has the potential to deliver Fight of the Year results.
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that Chimaev will actually get to the fight. While “Borz” is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport today — just look at what he did to Robert Whittaker HERE — he’s been incredibly unpredictable when it comes to health and pulling out of fights. There have been numerous occasions over the past few years in which Chimaev has been forced to withdraw from a high-profile fight. He’s simply untrustworthy at this time.
Luckily, UFC officials are well aware of Chimaev’s inconsistencies outside of the cage and have already booked streaking French contender, Nassourdine Imavov, as the official backup fighter for UFC 319. Du Plessis even joked that he’d be fighting Imavov this August given Chimaev’s recent struggles. The champ seemed more than willing to accept a change in opponent, but it now sounds like that’s changing two months out from the fight.
Dricus du Plessis says he won’t fight Nassourdine Imavov if Khamzat Chimaev pulls out of their fight early
“I want to fight Khamzat… I will wait for him to be ready. I want to fight him because he’s the best right now.”
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 6, 2025
“To be honest, if he [Chimaev] pulls out of this fight early I will not fight [Nassourdine] Imavov. I want to fight Khamzat,” said du Plessis in a recent interview with RMC Sport Combat.
“If I’m already there — you know two weeks — I will fight Imavov if he pulls out. But if he pulls out on four weeks I’m not going to fight. I will wait for him to be ready. I want to beat him because he’s the best right now.”
Imavov, who is riding a four-fight win streak and coming off a high-profile knockout win over middleweight legend Israel Adesanya, was quick to respond. He suggested du Plessis had no right to hold out for Chimaev if an injury were to happen and even mentioned the great Jon Jones while doing so.
“Thanks for the compliments @dricusduplessis but you’re not Jon Jones, if something happens, you’re not going to block anything, if you’re not ready to defend leave the place,” wrote Imavov via X.
None of this matters if Chimaev is able to stay healthy over the next two months and do his part by showing up to headline his first-ever UFC PPV. However, everyone involved with UFC 319 needs to err on the side of caution to ensure the best possible fight goes down on Aug. 16 in Chi-Town.
