Dricus du Plessis could move to light heavyweight or heavyweight, says Brendan Schaub

Dricus du Plessis could move up in weight after UFC 319 title fight

UFC middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis is currently preparing for his upcoming title defense against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 on August 16. While du Plessis remains focused on his middleweight title reign, future plans may involve a shift to higher weight classes, according to former UFC heavyweight and MMA commentator Brendan Schaub.

Du Plessis, who has successfully defended his middleweight title twice, will look to hand Chimaev his first professional loss in the octagon. Chimaev enters the bout as a slight betting favorite across major sportsbooks. Despite the odds, du Plessis has previously defeated high-caliber opponents, including Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.


Dricus fought first in EFC (Extreme Fighting Championship) in Africa and was also a national wrestler for South Africa. The South African’s famous duel, with Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland where he got popular for his famous trash talk skills along with his fighting skills. Dricus had to defend his middleweight belt twice both against Strickland.

Now Dricus goes up against Chimaev for the middleweight title. The odds are against Dricus, as fan favourites believe the reason for this is because there is no odds against Chimaev after his beatdown on longest reigning middleweight title holder Robert Whittaker, in the first round, submitting and breaking his jaw.

Chimaev stands undefeated, so is Dricus except, only in the UFC and two losses in his total professional MMA career. Alex Pereira wanted to fight Dricus, but, Dricus said that he would make the fight after his Chimaev fight, by moving to light heavyweight.

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Appearing on the “JAXXON Podcast,” Schaub discussed the broader implications of the UFC 319 main event. He suggested that the winner of du Plessis vs. Chimaev could eventually pursue titles across multiple divisions.

“I think for Islam it made sense,” Schaub said. “For Topuria, I still [think] he had some work to do, but for Makhachev it made sense to jump up to ‘70. He can definitely capture ‘55, ‘70. ‘85’s a different animal because you have guys like DDP and Khamzat.

“I think whoever wins out of Khamzat and DDP, whoever wins that can go for three belts. DDP’s bigger than Khamzat, so light heavyweight, he’s probably a light heavyweight naturally. So it makes sense for DDP to go to light heavyweight. Heavyweight’s not as far a stretch for him. DDP’s a big boy.”

Speculation grows around Du Plessis' future in light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions

While du Plessis has more potential contenders to face at middleweight if successful at UFC 319, Schaub’s comments suggest the 185-pound champion may not remain in his current division indefinitely. Du Plessis’ size and build, according to Schaub, make him a natural candidate for light heavyweight, with heavyweight also a viable long-term option.

The idea of multi-division champions has gained traction in recent years, with several UFC fighters attempting to capture titles in multiple weight classes. Should du Plessis continue his momentum, a transition to light heavyweight or even heavyweight could position him for historic achievements within the promotion.

For now, however, the primary focus remains on UFC 319. Fans and analysts alike await the middleweight clash between du Plessis and Chimaev, which could determine more than just the current status of the 185-pound division.