MMA analyst Chael Sonnen shared a striking perspective on Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant victory over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319.
Chimaev claims middleweight crown
In the main event in Chicago, Chimaev beat du Plessis to secure the UFC middleweight championship. He used his wrestling skills from the opening round until the end. When the fight finished, there was no doubt he had earned the belt.
Many observers praised Chimaev’s performance. At the same time, some felt du Plessis disappointed in the cage. Only du Plessis knows what went wrong that night. Fans now wonder what might happen if both men meet again.
Sonnen breaks down Chimaev’s control
In a recent video, Sonnen explained how Chimaev neutralized du Plessis. He called the performance something rarely seen in MMA. “It’s very important you understand how Chimaev controlled Dricus because you’ve never seen this before,” Sonnen said. He added that even in training, he had never witnessed control at this level.
He described the decisive moments. Du Plessis was on all fours, trying to rise, but he failed. Normally, the next move would be to attack. When Chimaev launched his offense, du Plessis managed reversals and looked competitive for brief stretches. This led to a grappling battle, which usually favors du Plessis.
Sonnen highlights the basics
Sonnen stressed that Chimaev didn’t dominate through advanced grappling tricks. He simply used fundamentals. “Bump him forward. Pull him back. Take him left. Take him right. Make him reset. Make him reset again as the clock runs,” Sonnen explained.
He found this approach fascinating. Chimaev outgrappled du Plessis while showing less technique than he could have. Sonnen admitted that this strategy unsettled many experts. “I will just tell you, I’ve never seen it before,” he concluded.
