Dricus Du Plessis oozes confidence as fierce Khamzat UFC challenge awaits

The South African was met with a chorus of boos as the crowd rallied behind the challenger, who thrived on the hostility.

"This will mean to me exactly what it means to every other guy before this. It's not about the opponent, it's not about who I face, it's about defending that belt every time someone steps up to try and take it from me, that's all that matters to me,” du Plessis said. 

“It's a question that I don't wanna be taken down the first minute but I mean I'm gonna try and stop every single take down I can promise you that. If I get taken down the first minute, I don't care, I'll get back up."

Chimaev taunted Du Plessis, warning he won’t be taking the belt back home — but the champion fired right back, refusing to back down.

"The motivations differ, the outcome will be the same, I'm walking out there champion. He's getting his money whether he wins or loses, so it's a good day at the office for him. I'll only be satisfied when I walk out there with my belt," he added.

Du Plessis insisted the hostile crowd didn’t rattle him as he’d faced the scenario before, only for Chimaev to cut him off again.

"Sunday morning, another title defence, another finish, let's have some beers. I've walked into every fight, especially the main event and heard this exact crowd."