The UFC 319 card is shaping up to be the perfect stage for a grudge match between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev. Both have been firing shots at each other on social media, adding more fuel to their already simmering rivalry. Trash talk is nothing new in MMA, but the situation took a different turn when the South African champion’s coach, Morne Visser, decided to jump in.
Visser, the mastermind behind turning Du Plessis into the champion he is today, takes his role very seriously. Known for his blunt and unfiltered takes, he rarely holds back. Back in April, during an interview with Submission Radio, Visser aimed at Alex Pereira, saying, “We’ve finished guys on the floor [and] we’ve finished guys in stand-up in Dricus’ career. Pereira has never done that.” Well, his straight-shooting attitude didn’t change heading into UFC 319 either.
The South African coach has spoken about Chimaev on several occasions! But in the UFC 319 countdown video, he made waves by stating, “You can’t think you’re gonna beat my guy coming with one thing, and it’s wrestling. That guy’s one-dimensional.” In short, Visser dismissed the idea that ‘Borz’ could defeat ‘Stillknocks’ by relying solely on wrestling. The remark drew plenty of attention—one of the most notable reactions came from veteran MMA referee Big John McCarthy, who wasn’t impressed with Visser’s choice of words.
At The Weighing In podcast, Big John said, “I hate when a coach starts talking about an opponent like that. I think that’s the dumbest thing they can do. It doesn’t help your fighter in any fashion. You could think he’s the worst thing in the world—that’s fine, that’s between you and your fighter, and you keep it that way. When you’re talking about him, you talk about how great he is. Because all it does is, if your fighter does win, it’s like you said he wasn’t that good anyway. So, don’t do that.”
LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 9: Khamzat Chimaev L speaks to Joe Rogan R during the ceremonial weigh-ins on September 9, 2022, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire MMA: SEP 09 UFC 279 Icon220909510279
The veteran ref didn’t explicitly say where he felt the line was crossed, but it’s safe to assume he was referring to the entire situation. Whether a coach should get involved in trash talk is up for debate—but sometimes it can fire up the opposing camp even more. If that’s the case here, the Du Plessis team may have just added fuel to the fire.
And as the Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev rivalry reaches a boiling point, another middleweight contender might already have his eyes on the winner. Let’s take a closer look at that in a moment.
Anthony Hernandez to watch Dricus du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev clash at UFC 319
The winner of UFC 319 won’t have any shortage of contenders, as plenty of hungry eyes are already locked on the middleweight crown. Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov have both made strong cases for a title shot, and with the two set to clash at UFC Paris, the winner would be almost guaranteed a crack at the belt. But it seems Anthony Hernandez isn’t willing to sit back and wait for his turn.
‘Fluffy’ earned a massive win over Roman Dolidze at UFC Vegas 109—and he looked outstanding doing it. After choking out ‘The Caucasian,’ he immediately gestured for the belt, making his intentions crystal clear. At the post-fight press conference, Hernandez revealed that the promotion is already making arrangements to fly him out to the United Center Arena so he can watch UFC 319 up close.
“I’m flying to Chicago. So, yeah, I’ll be there,” Hernandez said. “I was just told that in the back right now, that [the UFC] are going to fly me out. So, I’ll be looking forward to that.” With Hernandez cageside, the UFC 319 headliners have yet another reason to put on a show—knowing a dangerous and credible contender will be watching every move.
Caio Borralho has been announced by multiple outlets as the official backup for UFC 319. If something happens to Chimaev, the UFC has an in-house contingency who is already training as a potential replacement and Borralho’s acceptance of that role changes matchmaking dynamics across the division. Nassourdine Imavov was reportedly approached for backup but has opted to headline UFC Paris instead.
That said, do you believe Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev’s growing rivalry will make this fight more emotional than tactical? And will the two camps bury the hatchet after the fight, or will the animosity only grow?
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