![\"Khamzat](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Khamzat-Chimaev-1-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKhamzat Chimaev has responded to his critics who aren\u2019t sold on him.<\/p>\n
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Chimaev will challenge Dricus du Plessis for the UFC Middleweight Championship on Saturday. It\u2019s a highly anticipated title bout, and many have a hard time deciding a winner. Those in favor of DDP believe his cardio will be a deciding factor in outlasting Chimaev. Fans and experts who back \u201cBorz\u201d believe his grappling will earn him his first UFC title.<\/p>\n
As for those who remain skeptical of Chimaev\u2019s viability as an elite middleweight champion, he had some words for the naysayers during the UFC 319 countdown show (h\/t Championship Rounds<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cPeople say Dricus has good cardio, and people watch me \u2018Khamzat has bad this, he\u2019s hype\u2019. How many years I\u2019ve been UFC? Still, people say \u2018he\u2019s hype\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n [Robert] fought Dricus how many minutes. Dricus been taken down from Robert. Robert didn\u2019t get me even one punch.<\/p>\n Everyone I fought they say \u2018I\u2019m preparing for a war.\u2019 Why should you prepare for a war, if you want to win you have to prepare for kill.\u201d<\/p>\n Chimaev enters UFC 319 with a perfect pro MMA record of 14-0. He\u2019s beaten the likes of Robert Whittaker, Kamaru Usman, and Gilbert Burns, but most agree this will be his toughest test to date. The 185-pound champion presents an awkward fighting style and elite-level cardio. Chimaev\u2019s strength and conditioning coach recently told reporters that he\u2019s confident in his fighter\u2019s ability to keep a solid gas tank<\/a> throughout the fight.<\/p>\n DDP has garnered an impressive resume, getting past the likes of Israel Adesanya and Whittaker. He also got the better of Sean Strickland twice, with their most recent encounter being widely in favor of \u201cStillknocks.\u201d<\/p>\n