TLDR
- Dricus du Plessis dismissed Khamzat Chimaev’s weight cut excuse for losing to Sean Strickland at UFC 328
- Du Plessis said cutting 12 pounds in 24 hours are ‘rookie numbers’ and not enough to justify the loss
- The former champion told Chimaev to ‘take your loss like a man’ and stop making excuses
- Chimaev lost his middleweight title via split decision after visibly slowing down following a dominant first round
- Du Plessis does not believe Chimaev deserves a rematch since he had zero title defenses
Sources: mmamania.com | mmafighting.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has dismissed weight cut excuses surrounding Khamzat Chimaev’s title loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 328. The South African fighter called the explanation “ridiculous” and said Chimaev needs to accept responsibility for the defeat.
Chimaev lost his middleweight championship via split decision to Strickland on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. After dominating the first round, the champion visibly slowed down and eventually dropped a split decision in what became his first professional loss.
Following the fight, Chimaev’s training partner Arman Tsarukyan revealed the champion had cut 12 to 13 pounds in the final 24 hours before weigh-ins. Chimaev’s brother Artur also blamed the difficult weight cut for affecting his performance in the cage.
Dricus du Plessis says Khamzat Chimaev lost his aura after using the weight cut as an excuse for the loss to Sean Strickland
“The weight cut excuse is ridiculous. 12 pounds in 24 hours? Those are rookie numbers… I definitely cut more than that.”
(via @FForecastShow) pic.twitter.com/smulqKgzRI
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 20, 2026
Du Plessis Questions the Numbers
Du Plessis, who has fought both Strickland and Chimaev, was not impressed with the excuse. “I think this whole weight cut excuse is ridiculous,” du Plessis told Fight Forecast. “They said he cut 12 pounds in the last 24 hours. Those are rookie numbers.”
The former champion explained that the final 24 hours matter most in weight cutting, not the total amount lost throughout camp. “12 pounds is not that much,” du Plessis said. “I’ve definitely done more than that.”
Du Plessis registered two victories over Strickland during his career but lost his title to Chimaev last August at UFC 319 in Chicago. He has not competed since that loss but is expected to announce his next fight before the end of May.
“Everybody that cuts weight has had that experience where the next day you feel ‘ugh’ and you have a bad cut,” du Plessis said. “One kilogram can make the world of difference in a weight cut.”
No Excuses in the Octagon
Despite acknowledging that bad weight cuts happen to everyone, du Plessis insisted fighters should not use them as excuses for losing. “You don’t go out and say, ‘Oh, I lost the fight because of that.’ No,” he said.
The former champion compared blaming a weight cut to blaming fitness levels. “It’s on you. Be more disciplined. Be more disciplined and the weight cut would be easier,” du Plessis explained.
Du Plessis extended his philosophy to all types of excuses. “If you went in there with a big injury, you made the decision to fight,” he said. “Even if the injury was the reason for losing, be a man and take your loss like a man. Don’t make any excuses.”
Tsarukyan provided more details about Chimaev’s weight cut on the JAXXON Podcast. He said Chimaev woke up feeling weak with no energy and didn’t want to finish cutting the last four pounds. The team had to push him hard to complete the cut.
UFC CEO Dana White said immediately after the fight that Chimaev planned to move up to light heavyweight. However, Chimaev’s team has since called for an immediate rematch with Strickland at middleweight.
Du Plessis does not believe Chimaev deserves a rematch. “He definitely doesn’t because he has no title defenses, zero,” du Plessis said. “So it doesn’t justify a rematch at all.”
The former champion called the split decision “crazy” and said he thought Strickland clearly won three rounds to two. Du Plessis currently ranks No. 2 at middleweight, directly above Nassourdine Imavov at No. 3.
