Dricus Du Plessis will defend his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev next Saturday night as the UFC returns to the United Center in Chicago, Illinois with quite the electrifying card. Du Plessis vs Chimaev best bets should be interesting.
Can Dricus Du Plessis retain his title against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev next Saturday? According to the best online betting sites, Du Plessis is an underdog to win his third title defence of his middleweight championship belt. Here is how the odds look around 10 days out:
Dricus Du Plessis has not lost in UFC and neither has Khamzat Chimaev. Just six months ago, he won a clear decision to beat Sean Strickland again. One of the top middleweights of recent memory, Du Plessis enters the ring on a 11-fight win streak. Now, the 31-year-old Afrikaner faces his toughest challenge yet.
Seeking to claim his first UFC title, Chimaev comes in rolling with 14 straight victories. The 31-year-old recently defeated Robert Whitaker via a face crank last October at UFC 308.
The top UFC online betting sites have Chimaev around a -185 favorite in next Saturday’s main event while Du Plessis is paying out at +175 odds to defend his belt. Expect a few more props to come out as the fight draws closer. Count on some better numbers also.
How much does potential rust impact Chimaev at UFC 319? It will be almost 10 months since his last bout. Meanwhile, Du Plessis has fought twice a year for the past three years. One other interesting point of contention is this. It is known that Chimaev has never gone beyond three rounds once in his entire career. Does his stamina hold up for potentially five rounds? Does that even matter?
One difference between most fighters and Chimaev is this. Du Plessis loves psychological warfare. He used it brilliantly in the lead-up to his two previous fights. The Russian will not be intimidated in the least here. Both fighters have a plethora of submission moves and punching power. Honestly, the belief is this fight does not go the distance.
Chimaev is our pick to win this fight but do shop around. The numbers may move a little more between now and August 16th.
With the underdog status may come some of the spoils. Dricus Du Plessis is the champion but as much as a +175 underdog to come out of the octagon next week with his belt. The Du Plessis vs Chimaev best bets wonder can Du Plessis pull this off?
Du Plessis has just three decisions in his 25 trips to the Octagon, so it’s almost safe to say this again will end before five rounds is up. The reigning middleweight champion is conditioned at a top-notch level. That goes from the physical and mental sides as we noted above.
However, this will be far from easy. Chimaev has not even sniffed trouble in any of his 14 professional fights. Du Plessis has been knocked out once and submitted once. If Du Plessis can tire out Chimaev some, he does have a chance. Chimaev has some issues breathing out of one nostril from a childhood injury. The Afrikaner has used his significant strikes very effectively in his past championship fights.
Du Plessis, like Chimaev, is equally dangerous from a knockout and submission end. One cannot underestimate the heart of a champion. Again, stunning Chimaev early will be vital for Du Plessis. He must do this in order to have any chance at success.
If you’re looking for props to keep an eye on, there will be plenty that open up within the next several days. Round props for knockouts and submissions will be closer to even for Chimaev. When it comes to the Du Plessis vs Chimaev best bets, be smart here.
Du Plessis by knockout could be one method to utilize. Guessing the round may be tougher but guessing round 4 or 5 could add some dollars to one’s bankroll if the South African can wear down Chimaev in any way. The over/under on round could be fun here. Some project 3.5 to be the number and others are split between 2.5 and 4.5.
As everyone knows, both fighters come at this from different style points. Du Plessis does not have a pegged style. Often his punches and attacks appear borderline sloppy. However, most of these have a measured effect whether they land or not. It is orthodox while being orthodox. Pace and pressure are his main calling cards. Some believe he may be meeting his match here.
Khamzat Chimaev holds one significant advantage. He can grapple like Khabib Nurmagomedov. It tilts the numbers to a submission a bit more than usual because of his ground game. If Chimaev gets Du Plessis on the ground often enough, the end can come at any time. Submission props will likely be plus money here.
Does one need a trusted place to get your bets in on Du Plessis vs Chimaev? Check out one of the bookmakers listed below. All these sites have bettor-friendly Las Vegas online odds for all the fights on the UFC 319 card so you’re not leaving any money on the table!
