In a defiant post-bout interview with Submission Radio following Dricus du Plessis’ unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, coach Morne Visser made his intentions crystal clear. He said they’re coming back stronger, and they want to destroy Chimaev in a rematch.
Despite watching Du Plessis get dominated on the ground for five rounds, Visser displayed the combat spirit that has defined du Plessis’ championship run. “I want to destroy him this time,” Visser declared when discussing a potential rematch with Chimaev. However, the experienced coach acknowledged they won’t rush back into the octagon unprepared.
“There’s no way I’ll take a rematch with us being a little behind in our Russian style of wrestling,” Visser admitted candidly. “We’ve got to go back to the drawing board soon. There’s a lot of things happening in the middleweight division now.”
The loss exposed a specific weakness in du Plessis’ game – defending against Chimaev’s suffocating wrestling style. Chimaev landed 570 shots according to post-fight statistics, though only 37 were significant strikes. The Chechen’s ability to control positions and maintain his “crucifix” hold proved too much for the former champion.
“This whole camp I would put Dricus in the worst possible position… and max 30 seconds he would get out, reverse and control position,” Visser explained. “The difference with Khamzat is he holds you so tight that it’s going to take another type of preparation.”
Rather than accepting match against other contenders like Robert Whittaker, Visser wants to dedicate the next 12-16 weeks exclusively to fixing this wrestling deficiency. “I would rather spend that time to fix the problem that we’ve got and then go into a camp. I won’t just take a fight because fights are available.”
The coach revealed he’s already begun reaching out to wrestling specialists worldwide, having started making calls at 4 AM the morning after the fight. “I know who the right people are, and the right people are willing to help us 100% to beat Khamzat,” he stated.
Both coach and fighter are embracing their status as “very bad losers,” using the defeat as motivation. “Watch this space guys. You’ve just maybe met the worst losers ever in your life, me and Dricus,” Visser warned critics. “I’m not sleeping until we’ve got that belt back.”
With the middleweight division potentially seeing major changes – including a rumored Chimaev vs. Anthony Hernandez fight in October – du Plessis and his team are planning their return for early 2025.
