UFC Commentator: Khamzat Chimaev’s win over Dricus Du Plessis wasn’t boring

The undefeated Russian controlled the fight using brutal chain wrestling and suffocating top pressure, landing twelve takedowns and piling up a staggering total of 529 strikes, leaving Du Plessis permanently in the background.

Despite his control, Chimaev rarely pressed for a finish, relying more on consistent ground-and-pound than fight-ending strikes or sustained submission threats. Still, the pressure was overwhelming for the South African.

Because of the way the fight unfolded, part of the MMA community labeled it boring instead of the high-octane showdown it was supposed to be. However, Michael Bisping strongly disagrees.

Michael Bisping says Khamzat Chimaev’s dominance over Dricus Du Plessis was misread by fans

During a recent appearance on the JAXXON podcastUFC Hall of Famer and commentator Michael Bisping spoke about the recent wave of wrestling appearances in the UFC. “De Graaf” argued that Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant performance against Dricus Du Plessis was widely misunderstood.

“Khamzat Chimaev dominated Dricus Du Plessis from start to finish,” said Bisping. “But that’s ‘boring, he didn’t try to finish it.’ He tried to finish all the time. It is simply because of Dricus Du Plessis’ toughness that he was able to stay in the fight.”

Bisping added that fans who labeled the UFC 319 main event as boring failed to understand the subtlety of how Chimaev neutralized Du Plessis with elite wrestling control. Although the finish never came, the former UFC champion emphasized that the technical dominance on display deserved much greater appreciation.

“This is a masterpiece of wrestling. Khamzat Chimaev had Dricus in a crucifix for 22 minutes of control time. Much of that time was spent in a crucifix, which is a finishing position. That’s only because Dricus Du Plessis was so good at burying his head, so the only target available was the top of his head. Ninety-nine out of 100 men would have been finished in that position.”