Dricus Du Plessis, fresh off his second victory over Sean Strickland atop the UFC 312 pay-per-view (PPV) event in Sydney, is prepared to defend his 185-pound title against undefeated middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev at some point later this year.
That doesn’t sit well with fast-rising French phenom Nassourdine Imavov, who outranks Chimaev in the official middleweight rankings.
“What do you think makes more money, me and Khamzat or me and Imavov,” Du Plessis (23-2) said during the UFC 312 post-fight presser. “I think you make the Caio [Borralho] and Imavov fight. That [winner is] the next fight for the title after the fight with Khamzat.”
The once-beaten Borralho (17-1, 1 NC) is currently ranked No. 6 at 185 pounds.
“That’s what the UFC is all about, allow the best to become champ, no matter their fame,” Imavov (16-4, 1 NC) replied on Twitter. “You’re a good example of that. You took advantage of it and now you’re closing the door. Khamzat is a superstar, he’ll sell against anyone. Him or me, your time’s coming Dricus Du Plessis.”
Former champions Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Sean Strickland are all coming off losses. In addition, Gregory Rodrigues could burst into the Top 10 with a victory over this former title challenger later this week, giving matchmakers plenty of options for late 2025.
For complete UFC 312 results and video highlights click here.
