Rivalries and trash talk are part of MMA’s DNA, but when coaches jump into the mix, it often feels like the script goes sideways. That’s exactly what unfolded after the blockbuster UFC 319 main event, where Khamzat Chimaev ripped the middleweight title away from Dricus Du Plessis. Inside the cage, the fight wasn’t close. ‘Borz’ rag-dolled the South African star for 21 minutes and 40 seconds of the 25-minute contest, piling up 567 total strikes thrown and landing 529 — the most ever in UFC history — while converting 12 takedowns on 17 attempts. In one night, Chimaev rewrote the record book for ground striking, breaking Cain Velasquez’s long-standing benchmark and re-opening a conversation about whether wrestling dominance can coexist with entertainment value.
It was a clinic in wrestling dominance that left Du Plessis’ game plan and preparation under a harsh spotlight. Yet when the final horn silenced the fighters, their coaches picked up the fight outside the cage. Dricus Du Plessis’ head coach, Morne Visser, had already lit the fuse before the bout, brushing off Khamzat Chimaev’s wrestling as “one-dimensional.”
He escalated further, declaring, “I wouldn’t give him a pro license for his sh-t stand-up.” Even after Stillknocks’ defeat, Visser refused to back down, vowing to dismantle ‘Borz’ in a rematch by exploiting what he branded the champion’s vulnerable striking. Du Plessis himself avoided such rhetoric in fight week interviews. The harsher barbs came from Visser, whose comments mirror a growing trend in MMA — coaches taking over the promotional narrative that once lived strictly in fighter press conferences. This blurs the line between hype-building and disrespect, something veterans like Javier Mendez warn against.
Team Khabib steps in to defend Khamzat Chimaev amid UFC 319 coaching feud
DDP’s coach comments prompted an immediate rebuttal from Khamzat Chimaev’s coach, who stepped in to defend his fighter’s reputation. Appearing on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel, Chimaev’s coach Alan Nascimento mocked Du Plessis’ camp, joking that whoever prepared him for the ground game “should be fired.” The jab didn’t go unanswered. Not everyone in the coaching world thinks that kind of banter has a place.
Javier Mendez, longtime AKA head coach and the leader of Team Khabib, addressed the controversy on The Javier & Mo Show. When asked about the feud by co-host Mo Aziza, Mendez didn’t mince words—he believes coaches should stay clear of the hype machine.
“I think the coach should stay away from it,” Mendez said. “As a coach, I try to always talk good about the opponent. If we’re fighting somebody, we should respect him and respect his strengths. We should be confident in our fighter, but at the same time we need to be honest. If the guy’s got better boxing than you, then say he’s got better boxing—but also point out where your fighter is stronger.”
Syndication: Florida Times-Union, Khamzat Chimaev looks on from his corner during a welterweight bout against Gilbert Bu Syndication: Florida Times-Union, Khamzat Chimaev looks on from his corner during a welterweight bout against Gilbert Burns Saturday, April 9, 2022 during UFC 273 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. Chimaev won by unanimous decision. Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union Jki 041022 Ufc273 38, 10.04.2022 15:54:06, 18057386, Jacksonville, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, USATNSYNDICATION PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xCoreyxPerrine/FloridaxTimes-Unionx 18057386 , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xIMAGO/CoreyxPerrine/FloridaxTimes-Unionx 0370199188st
Mendez highlighted his own philosophy, recalling how he once assessed Islam Makhachev’s welterweight title clash with Jack Della Maddalena—praising Maddalena’s sharp boxing but still backing Makhachev to dictate the fight with his superior all-around game. “You always have to be positive for your guy, and you have to believe he can win,” Mendez explained. “You have to believe you know the techniques, the drills he needs to work on to beat that opponent.”
Team Dricus Du Plessis pushes back on calls for quick rematch with Khamzat Chimaev
Heading into UFC 319, Dricus Du Plessis’ coach, Morne Visser, was brimming with confidence that his fighter could neutralize Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant wrestling. But on August 16 at the United Center, ‘Borz’—undefeated throughout his MMA career—completely flipped the script. From the opening bell to the final horn, the Chechen star smothered Du Plessis like a “blanket,” controlling every exchange and exposing gaps in the South African’s game.
When the judges read the scorecards—50-44, 50-44, 50-44—they all awarded a unanimous victory to Khamzat Chimaev. Despite the loss, Visser is committed to guiding Du Plessis to reclaim the belt, though he is ruling out an immediate rematch. Speaking to Submission Radio, he said, “Do you want to do him a rematch? ” I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ We’d like another shot soon, but there’s no way I’ll take a rematch while we’re still behind in Russian-style wrestling. That’s just the reality. He knows how to control you on the floor.”
Du Plessis isn’t just fighting Chimaev — he’s fighting a generational style gap. MMA historians see echoes of early-2000s PRIDE, where jiu-jitsu aces were forced to learn wrestling or fade away. Fans on Reddit and X are calling this “the Russian wrestling tax,” a hurdle every middleweight contender must pay if they want gold. Until Du Plessis closes that gap, the rematch storyline feels less about redemption and more about survival.
For now, a rematch between the South African Lion and the Chechen Wolf is on hold. But the subtext of UFC 319 is bigger than belts: it asks whether sheer dominance, when stripped of highlight moments, satisfies modern fans. The split between record-breaking control and restless booing will shape how UFC markets Chimaev going forward. As either an unstoppable mauler in the lineage of Khabib, or as a puzzle the division is still desperate to solve.
For now, a rematch between the South African Lion and the Chechen Wolf is on hold. Could Dricus Du Plessis overturn the result if they meet again in the future? Share your thoughts below.
The post Khabib’s Team Rushes to Defend Khamzat Chimaev After Dricus Du Plessis’ Coach’s UFC 319 Remarks appeared first on EssentiallySports.
