‘Absolutely no excuses’ – Dricus du Plessis issues powerful first statement since Khamzat Chimaev UFC 319 defeat

Dricus du Plessis has promised to be back better than ever in his first statement since losing to Khamzat Chimaev.

Du Plessis lost the middleweight title to Chimaev at UFC 319 after being dominated by the undefeated Russian-Emirati fighter over five rounds.

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He was dragged to the canvas a few seconds into their bout and never managed to escape the devastating clinch of ‘Borz’ for the remainder of the fight.

Chimaev subsequently totalled 21 minutes and 40 seconds of ground control time over the 25-minute fight, smashing the record for a UFC middleweight title bout to dethrone du Plessis of his strap.

Du Plessis now finds himself heading back to the drawing board with the hope of getting his hands on Chimaev again in a rematch.

The 31-year-old from South Africa took to Instagram on Monday and was brutally honest with his thoughts in the aftermath of his UFC 319 defeat.

What did Dricus du Plessis say after losing to Khamzat Chimaev?

“It’s been just over a week, and I have spent some time with my family and friends, those closest to me who will be with me win or lose,” the former middleweight champion wrote.

“I embrace this loss with open arms, because believe me, as much as I hate losing, it’s as much part of life as part of our game – and I believe it’s necessary in my pursuit of greatness…

“Make no mistake, I’m not a good loser, because a good loser becomes a frequent one. I am, however, an avid learner of the arts and of life itself.

“This loss has exploded a desire in me that will have the consequence of an onslaught bigger than the original domination – my return to glory and pursuit of greatness will be unimaginable for the average-minded.

“I have absolutely no excuses for my performance, I was beaten by a better fighter on the night, congratulations to my opponent and thank you for the honour of sharing the octagon with you.

“Thank you for all the love and support from fans all over the world, and my sponsors that has always and will in the future play a critical role in my success.

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“And sincerely thank you to all those who enjoyed to see me fall, because I will return the favour, like I always have…”

Du Plessis earned his first title shot in MMA’s premier promotion after going on a six-fight undefeated streak since his October 2020 debut.

He had notable wins over big names like Darren Till, Derek Brunson, and Robert Whittaker, before challenging Sean Strickland for the 185lbs title at UFC 297.

‘Stillknocks’ then outpointed Strickland in the pair’s Toronto main event in January 2024 to become the new middleweight champion.

He submitted ex-champion Israel Adesanya seven months later in his first title defence, before defeating Strickland once again in a bloody rematch at UFC 312.

After tasting victory for the second time against Strickland, who has this month been suspended from competition, Du Plessis knew Chimaev would be the next obstacle in his title reign.

UFC Middleweight Rankings

Champion: Khamzat Chimaev

1. Dricus du Plessis
2. Nassourdine Imavov
3. Sean Strickland
4. Israel Adesanya
5. Reinier de Ridder
6. Anthony Hernandez
7. Caio Borralho
8. Robert Whittaker
9. Brendan Allen
10. Michael Page
11. Jared Cannonier
12. Roman Dolidze
13. Paulo Costa
14. Marvin Vettori
15. Roman Kopylov

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Chimaev, ultimately, proved why he is one of Dana White‘s deadliest fighters at UFC 319, having skyrocketed to the promotion’s No. 4-ranked pound-for-pound star as the new middleweight champion.

He is being considered to make his first title defence at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on October 25, when Briton Tom Aspinall puts his undisputed heavyweight title on the line for the first time against Ciryl Gane.

Du Plessis, meanwhile, has previously expressed his desire in a conversation with talkSPORT to move up a division to light heavyweight in the future.

However, ‘Stillknocks’ will most likely wait until Chimaev has made his first title defence to then contest his rematch, before considering his future in the division.