Dricus Du Plessis responds to injury ‘rumours’ after Khamzat Chimaev claim

The middleweight champion was accused of being unavailable to fight this summer

Dricus Du Plessis has dismissed “rumours” that he is injured and unable to fight this summer, after Khamzat Chimaev accused the middleweight champion of the “biggest bulls***”.

With UFC 317 scheduled for International Fight Week in June, fans are expecting a stacked card and huge main event, with Du Plessis vs Chimaev on many wishlists.

Chimaev even tweeted a graphic of himself and Du Plessis last week after promising “Good news”, only to follow up by writing, “This guy biggest bulls***,” alongside a face-palm emoji.

Caio Borralho responded by calling for an interim-title fight with Chimaev, fuelling speculation that Du Plessis is injured.

However, Du Plessis has sought to set the record straight, writing on Instagram: “[Okay], so everyone had their opinions and rumors and stories about a shin break and injuries etc.

“I found it all very entertaining, unfortunately none of it is true, myself and @ufc already discussed a fight date and opponent, the June fight was never signed, I did not pull out of any fight.

“I am the champion, I know when I fight you, as a contender just show up when we tell you to. Fight announcement coming soon, stay tuned.”

Du Plessis, 31, won the middleweight belt with a decision victory over Sean Strickland in January 2024, and the South African has since retained it twice, beating ex-champion Israel Adesanya in August and Strickland again in February.

Dricus Du Plessis is eyeing a third successful title defence in a row (AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Chimaev is unbeaten and seen by some fans and pundits as champion-in-waiting. That said, Du Plessis is considered by many as the fighter with the best chance of stopping the Russian.

Last time out, Chimaev submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in October, crushing the Australian’s jaw in round one. The 30-year-old also holds a win over former welterweight king Kamaru Usman, whom he outpointed in 2023.