The middleweight division is about to witness its most explosive clash yet, as Dricus Du Plessis prepares to defend his title against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev this August. With both men bringing unmatched intensity and momentum into the cage, this battle is one of the highly anticipated clash of the year.  But former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen is happy that ‘Borz’ is finally fighting in Chicago (USA). For a long time, there had been rumors about Chimaev not being allowed to fight on US Soil.

Independent journalist Karim Zidan also revealed that Khamzat Chimaev’s difficulties entering the United States stem from his close ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. However, Sonnen feels that by announcing this fight in Chicago, UFC CEO Dana White has put an end to all such claims. ‘The American Gangster’, while speaking to Daniel Cormier on their Good Guy/ Bad Guy show, shared his honest opinion on the whole.

The video was shared by ESPN MMA on their YouTube channel, and Sonnen didn’t quite mince his words. He said, “Yes, Daniel, the answer is yes. Not to mention, we got a couple of Easter eggs with this fight. Like one little gem that they put down is that this is going to go down in Chicago. Now we have all been told that Khamzat Chimaev has a hard time getting around, that he can’t travel anywhere besides Fight Island. So we find out in Chicago, but then we also find out that of all the fights Dana announced, this is the only one he put a backup fighter in place for.” The Chechen fighter isn’t quite worried about all such things at the moment. Rather, he is putting all of his focus on his preparation.

In addition to training with his regular team, Khamzat Chimaev has brought in some extra firepower like legendary wrestling coach Salim Nutsalkhanov. For those unfamiliar, Salim Nutsalkhanov is widely regarded as one of the most elite wrestling coaches in the world. His resume speaks for itself—he’s mentored numerous Olympic-caliber athletes, including the legendary Buvaisar Saitiev, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the greatest wrestlers in history. But the champion isn’t quite worried about what his challenger is doing. Rather, he has confidence in his own ability and sent out a message to ‘Borz’.

Dricus Du Plessis is confident he will get past the challenge of Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev recently offered fans a sneak peek into his training camp through social media. During the video, he showcased his work with his renowned coach. By the looks of it, it seems ‘Borz’ is determined to fine-tune his already dangerous wrestling and is clearly leaving no stone unturned. However, Du Plessis has had the experience of fighting some of the elite fighters in the division and has come out on top every time. He has every right to be confident, and his recent message just gave the fans a glimpse of his mindset. ‘Stillknocks’ recently took to Instagram to share a glimpse of his training grind, sending a clear warning to Khamzat Chimaev.

In the post, the middleweight champ didn’t mince words, promising Chimaev the most grueling and unforgiving fight of his entire professional career. He wrote, “I don’t care how good you think you are, how tough, how fi,t or how strong, when you step into that octagon with me, it will be a first-time experience and not a pleasant one, that’s a promise. As we say in [South Africa], built different!! Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie [They don’t know what we know].” No matter how this fight ends, one thing is certain—fans are in for a high-octane clash between two of the UFC’s most electrifying warriors.

With both men known for their intensity and finishing ability, fireworks are all but guaranteed at UFC 319. Who do you think walks away with the win? Share your predictions in the comments below!