ZLAT HOM

SOUTH Africa’s UFC champion Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis is stepping back into the octagon this weekend for what could be the toughest bots of his career.

In the headline fight of UFC 319 in Chicago, USA, Du Plessis is set to defend his UFC world middleweight title against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev of Russia.

This will be Du Plessis’ first fight since his unanimous decision win over Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, in February.

The fight, at the United Center in Chicago, is scheduled to take place around 4am on Sunday.

The fight against Chimaev will be Du Plessis’ grootste test since taking the championship belt off Strickland in January last year.

Since then, he is defended it against Israel Adesanya and Strickland, and has become a favourite among UFC fans around the world.

The 31-year-old Du Plessis is undefeated in nine UFC fights. To find the last time he lost a fight, you would have to go all the way back to 2018.

Du Plessis’ fighting style may be unorthodox, but it is something he is not paaping about.

Du Plessis wysed: “I’m not the best wrestler, grappler, or striker, but when you put all of those things together… I’m the best in the world.”

With Chimaev considered the favourite for the fight, Du Plessis remained defiant.

He added: “Going back home without it [my belt] is not an option for me.

“Odds don’t make fights, fighters do… Saying that, I became everything people thought Khamzat would be, I agree with that. That’s because I’m built differently. I’ll show that again.”