Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev are ready to get after it.
On Saturday, du Plessis and Chimaev will battle it out for the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 319. It’s one of the most anticipated fights of the year, and as fight week has gone along, the intensity has ratcheted up between the two, nearly spilling over at the ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday evening.
The last two fighters to walk on the scale for the ceremonial weigh-ins at United Center on Friday, Chimaev didn’t even take his shirt off, merely stepping up and doing his trademark scream. Du Plessis did go tarp off for his final pose, and immediately stepped down to faceoff with Chimaev, where things got heated.
Du Plessis and Chimaev came together aggressively, prompting security to intervene before things could escalate. Even still, Chimaev reached through security to give du Plessis a little shove before they were completely separated to give their final remarks.
“Just gonna go f*ck this boy up,” Chimaev said. “One day. He has only one day left. He’s dead tomorrow.”
Du Plessis was a little more verbose, responding to the loud boos from the pro-Chimaev crowd.
“He’s an absolute beast of an opponent, but I can tell you this, I’m putting that man to sleep,” du Plessis said. “Whether it be on the ground, whether I knock him out, I’m taking out your boy, and all of you will be cheering. I just know it, like every other time!”
UFC 319 takes place tomorrow, with the Pay-Per-View portion of the event starting at 10 p.m. ET.