In the concrete jungle of the UFC’s middleweight division, two apex predators are about to turn the Octagon into their own Colosseum. Forget everything you thought you knew about championship fights – Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev is about to rewrite the book on what happens when unstoppable forces collide. Picture this: In one corner stands ‘Borz’, whose hunger has devoured every obstacle in his path. The man who turned Robert Whittaker – yes, the same Bobby Knuckles who ruled the division with an iron fist – into just another chapter in his growing legend at UFC 308.But across from him? A South African juggernaut who breathes fire and eats pressure for breakfast. Du Plessis isn’t just wearing the crown; he’s forged it in the flames of three former champions’ scalps. The man fights like he’s got ‘real-life plot armor’ and a nuclear reactor for a gas tank. Here’s where it gets interesting. Michael ‘Venom’ Page – a man who knows a thing or two about breaking opponents – sees what others might miss. “If anybody was to beat up Chimaev, it would be Dricus,” he mused, pointing to DDP’s legendary “muscular endurance.”“You look at like some of the fighters nowadays- Merab, Dricus, these guys that have the muscular endurance to be fighting at like seven the whole fight. Some guys, you know, they start slow and try to build up,” Page said on Mike Perry’s ‘Overdogs’ podcast.But Chimaev, on the other hand, goes all out from the very first bell, which, to be fair has brought him a lot of success so far. However, ‘MVP’ feels that this approach would probably not work at the highest level against someone like Du Plessis, who himself has an exceptional gas tank.“Or like I said, like a Khamzat, he starts at 10 and he tries to maintain that. And it’s almost impossible to maintain that. But you got someone like Merab that’s 7-8 from start to finish, mate. That’s difficult to deal with and Dricus seems exactly the same- he’s like 7-8 the whole time. So if you don’t kill him and get him out of there in that first round, second round then you’re going to have a problem for the rest of the fight,” the veteran said while painting a grim picture for Chimaev.UFC DU PLESSIS ADESANYA, Dricus du Plessis of South Africa prepares to fight Israel Adesanya of Nigeria during their Middleweight title bout at UFC 305 at RAC Arena in Perth, Sunday, August 18, 2024. ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG, KEINE ARCHIVIERUNG UND KEINE BUCHNUTZUNG PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUSxNZLxPNGxFIJxVANxSOLxTGA Copyright: xRICHARDxWAINWRIGHTx 20240818154606007870You will perhaps remember Chimaev’s UFC 294 clash against Kamaru Usman. In that fight, ‘Borz’ started spectacularly well, and dominated every second of the first round. However, the undefeated Emirati started gassing out in the latter rounds and looked almost out of in the third and final one. This is exactly the point Page is making- Chimaev’s explosiveness would actually be a liability against a durable and unrelenting fighter like Du Plessis.Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev’s intriguing stylistic matchupThe Du Plessis-Chimaev fight will be historic, no matter who wins. Either Chimaev loses his undefeated streak and Du Plessis gets one step closer to his aim of being the middleweight GOAT, or ‘Borz’ becomes the new champion by being the first person to beat the South African in the UFC.What the fight will probably come down to is how well Du Plessis deals with Chimaev’s takedown attempts and wrestling. ‘DDP’ himself is a pretty good wrestler. But he’s not Khamzat Chimaev good at wrestling. That is why it would be better if the champ could keep the fight on the feet.The South African’s unpredictable and wild exchanges could be a reality check for the Chechen wolf. Moreover, his ability to mesh schoolyard bully spazzy arm swinging with sublime technique is changing the game. And it is unlike anything the Chechnya native has ever faced. This could dash Chimaev’s championship dreams if he gasses out, as ‘MVP’ suspects he would. What do you think about Page’s thoughts on the Du Plessis-Chimaev clash?The post “If You Don’t Kill Him” – Khamzat Chimaev Gets a Grim Reminder on Dricus Du Plessis Fight as Michael Page Makes Bold Prediction appeared first on EssentiallySports.