Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has finally addressed his devastating loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, releasing his first public statement nine days after surrendering his title in Chicago. The South African fighter took to Instagram on August 25, breaking his silence with a message that combined acceptance of defeat with a promise of future vengeance against his critics.
The comprehensive defeat at the hands of Chimaev marked the end of Du Plessis’s brief but significant reign as UFC middleweight champion. All three judges scored the bout 50-44 in favor of the undefeated Russian-Swedish fighter, with Chimaev controlling 21 minutes and 40 seconds of the 25-minute contest.