We\u2019re hours away from the UFC 319 pre-fight press conference, and fans can\u2019t wait to see what kind of verbal warfare middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis unleashes on challenger Khamzat Chimaev.<\/p>\n
Chimaev may be the favorite going into their main event on Saturday night (Aug. 16, 2025), but du Plessis has a history of making his opponents freak out<\/a> and cry<\/a> during press conferences. Whether it\u2019s a dead dog<\/a> or an abusive childhood,<\/a> there\u2019s no topic too taboo for \u201cStillknocks\u201d to dig up and deploy during a presser as part of his mental warfare.<\/p>\n That being said, DDP told MMA Guru in a recent interview that there\u2019s a solid chance no nuclear bombs would be dropped on Khamzat Chimaev. All \u201cBorz\u201d has to do is keep things respectful as he has thus far<\/a> and Dricus will do the same.<\/p>\n \u201cHow I do it is, I am not going out there to be a crazy menace in the press conference,\u201d du Plessis said. \u201cI do give you the opportunity to get away from it unscathed. You know, with a guy like Khamzat, he seems like he has turned a new page in his life. So maybe it will be all respectful, it will be about the fight and not [go] there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut if he\u2019s gonna come at me, I\u2019ll be ready. I\u2019ll match the energy, like always. Like, I\u2019m chill until you\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n Du Plessis has gained a reputation for being a top tier troll on social media and at press conferences, but has always maintained that he\u2019s been respectful until disrespected.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at the Strickland presser where things went haywire,\u201d the South African said. \u201cIt was really a respectful one until he came and said some stuff, and I was like, okay, let\u2019s do it this way. The same with Adesanya. Maybe this one can be chill, but if not, I\u2019m ready for it. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m gonna say, but I\u2019ll figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n