Reinier de Ridder sees Dricus Du Plessis finishing Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319
Reinier de Ridder doesn't see Khamzat Chimaev lasting against UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis.
Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his title against Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) on Aug. 16 in the UFC 319 main event at United Center in Chicago (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) doubled down on his prediction of Du Plessis beating Chimaev. But not only does the rising middleweight see Du Plessis getting his hand raised, he sees him overwhelming Chimaev and stopping him.
"I think Dricus will win, yeah," De Ridder told MMA Junkie. "I don't think Khamzat is going to get him out of there early, and Dricus is a motherf*cker. He keeps going, and he gets better every round. I see Dricus like finishing him in the late rounds. Like fourth round, fifth round maybe with a lot of volume. I see Khamzat maybe taking him down in the first, second round, getting to his back maybe. I don't know, I think Dricus has a good shot."
De Ridder could find himself in title contention if he can get past former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) in the UFC on ABC 9 main event on July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
ESPN writer Brian Windhorst explains why Ace Bailey is a 'dangerous' prospect
Former Rutgers forward Ace Bailey is no longer considered a lock to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA draft after declining several workout requests, prompting ESPN senior writer Brian Windhorst to label him a "dangerous" prospect. Bailey, who has yet to visit any team, canceled a workout on Friday with the Philadelphia 76ers, who select third. The prevailing thought is that Bailey and his representation are declining workouts to ensure he lands with a specific team that can offer him a significant role to maximize his development. The 6-foot-8 standout has consistently been projected to be the third or fourth pick by most mock drafts. However, Bailey is falling down draft boards and could now be selected in the 3-8 range on Wednesday, which, as Windhorst explained Friday on "NBA Today," could be problematic for front offices. Every year, there is a dangerous prospect in the draft; he is a dangerous prospect. He is, obviously, incredibly talented: You draft him, it could be a grand slam. You pass on him, and somebody else drafts him, you might have it all over your face. If you draft him and it doesn't work out because of these concerns, that could get you fired. ... I think the team that gets him will be a team with a general manager who is very safe in his job, who says, 'Trust me. I believe in this player.' Bailey was a third-team All-Big Ten selection, averaging 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and one steal on 34.6% shooting from 3-point range. He ranked ninth among all freshmen in points (527) and 10th in rebounds (215). The 18-year-old measured slightly smaller than expected at the draft combine last month, after Rutgers listed him at 6 feet, 10 inches. Teams were also displeased with his apparent lack of preparation and focus at the combine, factors that have also hurt his draft stock. Bailey is highly touted because of his size, scoring and instincts on both ends of the court. He still projects to be a potential franchise cornerstone at the next level, though he may not be selected as high as initially thought after a precarious predraft process.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Stephen A. Smith Facing Backlash After Cameras Catch Him During NBA Finals
Stephen A. Smith Facing Backlash After Cameras Catch Him During NBA Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. ESPN "First Take" and "NBA Countdown" host Stephen A. Smith has been, as usual, turning heads with his opinions on the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2025 NBA Finals. Advertisement In particular, he took offense to Tyrese Haliburton criticizing the way people like him in the media cover the NBA. Before Game 4, he stated on "First Take" that "players far more accomplished and far more superior have made their efforts trying to call me out. How has that worked out?" Then, as Haliburton and the Pacers battled the Thunder in a thrilling Game 4 on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Smith was caught by a fan's camera doing something that would be hard for even him to talk his way out of. ESPN's Stephen A. SmithKirby Lee-Imagn Images Social media users were furious when they saw the photo of the $100 million ESPN star that went viral during Game 4. Advertisement A fan at the game looked down and took a photo of him appearing to play solitaire on his phone during the game. Though it was unclear when the photo was taken, the crowd in the background was standing up and appeared to be engaged in the action on the court, unlike Smith. "How can you have all of these opinions while you're playing solitaire instead of watching the game @stephenasmith?" the user said. "This who @espn paying 100 million," said another harsh fan. "They pay him to be an entertainer, not an analyst," another critic said on X. "When you look at it that way, it all makes sense. ESPN continues to be a joke." Advertisement "Please let this absolutely explode, modern day media is TERRIBLE," wrote a jaded fan. In the end, the Thunder evened the series at 2-2 with a massive 111-104 win before heading back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Monday. Related: Fans Are Not Happy After Major Change During NBA Finals Related: Caitlin Clark Earns New Nickname for What She Did After Pacers Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Ilia Topuria sees scenario in which he has shot to win titles in three UFC divisions
LAS VEGAS – It's possible Ilia Topuria's stay at lightweight will be short-lived – even if he wins the title next week. Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) meets Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) for the vacant 155-pound title in the main event of UFC 317 next week at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Topuria earlier this year vacated the featherweight title so he could move to lightweight and a shot at title in a second division, even though he wasn't able to retain his 145-pound strap at the same time. Topuria reiterated Friday that he wanted a shot at former champ Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC), who vacated his lightweight belt and announced a move to welterweight. He's expected to challenge new 170-pound champ Jack Della Maddalena later this year. "To be honest, I wanted to face (Makhachev) because he was the guy who was dominating anyone and everyone (at lightweight)," Topuria said Friday at a media scrum ahead of an open workout in Las Vegas. "But at the end of the day, I can't control what they do. The only thing I can control is what I do. So I wanted to move up, I wanted to fight for the title of this division. That's what I'm doing. He decided to move up also. I can't do anything else but go and fight whoever wants to fight me." Except Topuria said there maybe is something else he could do, in theory, to get a fight with Makhachev. If Makhachev, longtime protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov, wins the welterweight title, and Topuria has the lightweight belt, he might go through this whole exercise again to fight at 170 pounds. The UFC never has had a fighter win titles in three different divisions. "We'll see how he does in the welterweight division, if he wins the title and I win the title in the lightweight division. Maybe I move up or he comes down to the lightweight division and we have the fight that everyone wants to see," Topuria said. "… If Islam becomes the world welterweight champion, for sure I'm going to push for that shot and I will move to the welterweight division."
