“The Aura Is Gone”: Dricus Du Plessis Reacts After UFC Rival Who Dethroned Him Finally Loses

• Dricus du Plessis believes Khamzat Chimaev lost some of his fear factor after suffering his first UFC defeat
• The South African fighter dismissed claims that a difficult weight cut cost Chimaev the middleweight title
• Du Plessis also questioned whether his former rival deserves an immediate rematch with Sean Strickland

South African UFC star Dricus du Plessis believes Khamzat Chimaev’s “aura” has taken a major hit after the man who dethroned him finally suffered defeat inside the octagon.

Chimaev lost the UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland by split decision at UFC 328 earlier in May 2026. It was the first defeat of his professional MMA career and came less than a year after he dominated Du Plessis to claim the championship belt at UFC 319.

Following the loss, several members of Chimaev’s camp blamed a difficult weight cut for his performance. Driscus Du Plessis, however, was not convinced.

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Dricus du Plessis says Chimaev’s “aura” has faded

MMA Fighting reports that while speaking to Fight Forecast, Du Plessis admitted Chimaev remains dangerous, but believes the unbeaten mystique around the fighter has been damaged.

“I think a lot of aura was lost in that,” Du Plessis said.

The South African said the defeat could become a turning point in Chimaev’s career.

“This fight is going to go one of two ways for him,” he explained.

“Is this going to break him or is this going to motivate him to say, ‘Listen, I can’t just rely on my wrestling. I need to fight MMA.’”

Du Plessis added that fighters across the UFC are beginning to adapt to dominant wrestling styles.

“The wrestling guys have been so dominant that everybody’s starting to catch up,” he said.

Dricus du Plessis rejects Khamzat Chimaev’s weight-cut excuse

Du Plessis also dismissed suggestions that Chimaev’s weight cut was the main reason for the defeat.

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“I think this whole weight cut excuse is ridiculous, to be honest with you,” he said.

According to Du Plessis, cutting 12 pounds in the final 24 hours before a fight was normal for elite MMA fighters. He described those figures as “rookie numbers” and said most fighters have experienced difficult weight cuts before bouts.

However, Du Plessis said there should be no excuses once a fighter steps into the octagon. He added that discipline plays a major role in handling weight cuts. The South African also suggested that fighters struggling to make weight should move divisions instead of blaming poor performances on bad cuts.

Sean Strickland praised after UFC 328 title fight

Du Plessis also praised Strickland for stopping Chimaev’s wrestling and doing what many fans thought could not be done. He said he was shocked the fight ended in a split decision and felt Strickland clearly won three rounds while Chimaev only won two.

The South African fighter also questioned calls for an immediate rematch. He argued that Chimaev did not deserve another title shot because he lost the belt before making a single successful title defence.

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“I don’t think he deserves a rematch,” Du Plessis said.

“He definitely doesn’t because he has no title defences, zero.”

Du Plessis lost his own UFC middleweight title to Chimaev in August 2025 but appears convinced the division has now changed dramatically after UFC 328.

JC Lamprecht praises Dricus du Plessis mentality

Briefly News also reported that former rival and teammate JC Lamprecht praised Dricus du Plessis’ relentless mentality and work ethic during a recent interview.

Lamprecht said the South African UFC star is constantly training and described his mindset as “insane”, with fans flooding social media to praise Du Plessis for representing South Africa on the global MMA stage.

Source: Briefly News