Khamzat Chimaev challenged Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 in Chicago and controlled the fight with takedowns and positional dominance for five rounds. Chimaev earned a dominant unanimous decision after repeatedly taking Du Plessis down and controlling him on the mat. Arman Tsarukyan, part of Chimaev's camp and serving as cornerman, urged Chimaev not to switch to standing striking in the fourth round to avoid risking the lead. Tsarukyan emphasized that chasing a knockout could produce a costly mistake and advised continuing the successful wrestling game plan.
If we had let him go chasing a knockout, a finish, he might have made a mistake somewhere and lost the fight," Tsarukyan told Adam Zubayraev. "So it's a risk, right? Why risk it if everything's working? In the third round, he tells me, 'Can I box a little now?' [I said] No, Khamzat, everything's working for you already. If you see a chance to take him down, take him down and control.
Chimaev challenged Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title in the main event at UFC 319 last weekend in Chicago. Tsarukyan was a part of Chimaev's camp under head coach Sam Calavitta and also served as his cornerman. Chimaev took Du Plessis down and ragdolled him for five rounds to earn a dominant unanimous decision win. Tsarukyan revealed that Chimaev wanted to strike with "Stillknocks" going into the fourth stanza. However, "Ahalkalakets" didn't want Chimaev to risk anything, as the game plan was working to perfection.
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