UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev aren’t fans of one another ahead of their upcoming booking at UFC 319. The two middleweights are known for pre-fight banter with their opponents, making the buildup to UFC 319 particularly eventful.

Du Plessis has already prepared for Chimaev to skip out on their upcoming fight date, as Chimaev has a history of pulling out of fights due to various health issues. If either du Plessis or Chimaev are forced to withdraw from UFC 319, Nassourdine Imavov will be waiting in the wings as the main event’s backup fighter.

In the meantime, the bad blood between du Plessis and Chimaev is on the path to a boiling point ahead of their upcoming fight.

Khamzat Chimaev mocks Dricus du Plessis’s coaches ahead of UFC 319 showdown

Chimaev isn’t a stranger to pre-fight banter with his opponents. Ahead of recent wins over Kevin Holland, Kamaru Usman, and Robert Whittaker, Chimaev’s proven to go different routes to try to get into his rival’s head.

Du Plessis is one of the top fighters at mental warfare in MMA today, as evidenced by recent heated buildups with the likes of Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland. Du Plessis’s jabs at Strickland’s horrific childhood resulted in the usually-brash fan favorite breaking down in tears on a podcast.

Things are quickly ramping up between du Plessis and Chimaev, and the undefeated contender threw a subtle jab at du Plessis’s coaches ahead of UFC 319.

In a recent post on X, Chimaev shared a photo of du Plessis with his coaches after his win at UFC 297, along with several ‘donut’ emojis aimed at mocking the burly size of his cornermen.

As of this writing, du Plessis hasn’t responded to Chimaev, but it likely won’t be long until he does. Du Plessis hasn’t fought since defeating Strickland by unanimous decision in their UFC 312 rematch.

UFC legend predicts Khamzat Chimaev will struggle to wrestle with DDP

In a recent upload to his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen predicted Chimaev’s attempts to take down the champion du Plessis will prove more difficult than he expects. Thus far in his career, Chimaev has taken down all of his opponents with ease, including in his most-recent submission victory over Whittaker.

But du Plessis has showcased elite grappling during his middleweight title reign, as evidenced in recent wins over Strickland and Adesanya. His unique striking, combined with his gritty wrestling, makes him a matchup nightmare in the UFC’s middleweight division.

Either du Plessis or Chimaev will suffer their first UFC defeat at UFC 319 later this year. Just months away from fight night, tensions are skyrocketing between the two top middleweights.