Months after a crushing defeat, the sting of the loss still lingers for Dricus Du Plessis' camp, and the blame game is on!
In a highly anticipated UFC 319 main event, Dricus Du Plessis faced a dominant loss against Khamzat Chimaev. This fight, long in the making, ended with Chimaev's hand raised, leaving Du Plessis and his team to re-evaluate their strategy.
Since then, Du Plessis, nicknamed 'Stillknocks,' has been relatively quiet about his next move. There was even talk of him switching weight classes instead of immediately pursuing a rematch with 'Borz.'
However, his head coach, Morne Visser, is still haunted by the fight. And he's pointing the finger at the veteran referee, Marc Goddard.
But here's where it gets controversial...
Can anyone truly defeat Khamzat Chimaev? The middleweight champion has looked virtually unstoppable throughout his perfect 15-0 MMA career. His power and skill have made him a formidable opponent, leaving many wondering if there's anyone who can dethrone him.
A Bold Claim and a Backfired Strategy
Leading up to the fight on August 16th, Visser made some bold statements about Chimaev, calling him 'one-dimensional' and claiming Du Plessis would dominate him. Unfortunately, these comments backfired spectacularly as Du Plessis was outmatched for all five rounds, highlighting the significant gap in grappling skills.
Now, months after the loss, Visser is placing the blame on referee Marc Goddard. He stated that the referee should have stood the fighters up more often, as Chimaev didn't want to engage in a true fight.
"We were not prepared for a guy who’s not willing to fight, because really, he didn’t want to fight," Visser said. "If we knew he was gonna do that, I would’ve changed Dricus’ base, no punches, no kicks, just wrestle the guy, and Dricus is good enough to do that… When he kept Dricus on the floor, he never wanted to fight… (Goddard) should’ve stood that fight up many times," he continued.
What's Next for the Middleweight Division?
Following his victory over 'Stillknocks,' Chimaev is likely to defend his title against Nassourdine Imavov. While a rematch for Du Plessis seems distant, Visser has claimed that they've already begun making adjustments to beat Chimaev in a potential rematch.
"We’ve learned a hell of a lot… This time around, he’s gonna get f—– up. He’s got zero chance against Dricus chance in the standup, he’s got zero chance against Dricus in the clinch, his only chance is to keep us on the floor, so that’s the only thing we need to fix.”
The Road Back to the Top
The middleweight division is packed with contenders, and Du Plessis has a challenging path ahead. A significant fight is scheduled between Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez. The winner of that fight will likely face the winner of the Chimaev vs. Imavov bout, leaving Du Plessis with limited options.
One intriguing possibility for Du Plessis is a fight with Brendan Allen, who is currently on a two-fight winning streak, having defeated Marvin Vettori and Reinier De Ridder.
So, what do you think? Was the referee's performance a factor in the fight? Do you believe Du Plessis has a chance in a rematch? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
