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Du Plessis has won 11 fights in succession, but Chimaev remains unbeaten in 14 professional bouts.
Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP
Mixed martial arts fighter Dricus du Plessis will have lots of support from fans back home and across the world in his next title defence, but he will have to be at his best against an undefeated opponent who has been tipped as the early favourite.
Du Plessis and Russia-born fighter Khamzat Chimaev of the UAE will meet in the cage for the first time at UFC 319, to be held in Chicago on 17 August.
And the South African will be confident of retaining his middleweight belt as he looks to expand on his winning streak of 11 fights and an impressive career record which includes 21 wins and just two defeats from his 23 professional bouts.
Third title defence
Du Plessis first won the UFC middleweight title in January last year, against Sean Strickland, and he has since successfully defended his title against Israel Adesanya and Strickland.
However, Chimaev won’t be a pushover and he enters the fight with a real chance to take the belt against the more experienced champion.
Ranked third in the middleweight division, Chimaev has won all 14 of his professional contests, ending nine of those fights in the first round.
Odds on the challenger
Early odds favour the challenger, with Betway offering 1.47 for Chimaev to win, though Du Plessis is also given a decent chance at 2.38, and he will be eager to prove once again that he deserves to wear the middleweight belt.
There are also 10 other fights on the UFC 319 card which give punters additional options to make some cash.
These Betway odds are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change.
