3. Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev
The UFC’s reigning middleweight champion is on a roll that has quickly become one of the most dominant ever seen in the 2020’s. Dricus Du Plessis has rattled off an assertive run that saw him dispatch Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, Derek Brunson, and Darren Till in consecutive fights. The South African star has virtually conquered the old guard at 185 pounds in the UFC and it would appear only one more challenge remains before he looks to attack the next wave of up-and-comers.
Enter Khamzat Chimaev, the undefeated dynamo who remains one of the most intimidating forces in mixed martial arts. “Borz” today is a different one than seen in years past as fatherhood and an illness that sidelined him earlier this year have seemingly led to a more subdued personality than the braggadocios character who fans gravitated toward in 2020. But if he seems like a new man outside the cage, inside the cage he is as dangerous a killer as ever as evidenced by his first round dismantling of former champion and perennial title threat Robert Whittaker that sent “The Reaper” to the hospital.
Currently, logistics are the biggest road block to this fight than anything else. For one, Du Plessis has a rematch on deck in February against Sean Strickland who fought him to a close decision last year. Finally, whether or not Chimaev competes somewhere outside the Middle East will be the deciding factor. Several middleweights are on impressive runs at the moment and the UFC schedule could determine whether or not the promotion books Chimaev or goes with another fighter who is easier to book logistically for the title.
