RIP DDP?
August’s blockbuster Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view (PPV), UFC 319, is just weeks away, featuring UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis defending his title for the third time against the relentless Khamzat Chimaev inside Chicago’s United Center.
Fighters are split on how this clash of styles will unfold, given the unique skill sets “DDP” and Chimaev bring to the Octagon. Shara Magomedov, who faces Marc-Andre Barriault this weekend (Sat., July 26, 2025) at UFC Abu Dhabi,
is firmly in Chimaev’s corner and offered a grim prediction.
“As I said before, Dricus has very good, strong hands in this fight,” Magomedov said. “We’ll make sure to remember his name with two seconds of silence afterwards.”
Sounds like “Shara Bullet” expects a memorial for Du Plessis after Chimaev steamrolls him.
However, not everyone agrees. UFC Abu Dhabi’s headliner, Robert Whittaker, believes “Stillknocks” could derail Chimaev’s hype train.
“I’m leaning toward Dricus,” Whittaker told FOX Sports recently. “It comes down to one question: Can Chimaev take him down and finish him before he gets back up? That’s the million-dollar question. If he doesn’t finish on the ground, I think he loses.”
With Chimaev currently a -180 betting favorite, maybe the one-eyed pirate is onto something.
Either way, the Middleweight title is up for grabs in just 23 days.
Buckle up!
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Abu Dhabi fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ABC/ESPN (simulcast on ESPN+) at 3 p.m. ET.
To checkout the latest and greatest UFC Abu Dhabi: “Whittaker vs. de Ridder” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
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