“Mentally, I cannot be broken. It is impossible.” Chimaev is no stranger to being the villain during fight weeks. That was certainly the case when backstage scuffles and a huge weight miss in September 2022 led to fans booing and fighters like Georges St-Pierre criticizing Chimaev’s conduct at UFC 279.

Get the best Du Plessis vs. Chimaev predictions ahead of their UFC 319 title fight. Free UFC picks and predictions for Saturday, August 16.

Unlike his two prior title defences, the build-up to Dricus du Plessis’ third title defence, against Khamzat Chimaev, has been strictly focused on the action inside the octagon.