Fans claim Khamzat Chimaev is ‘assembling the avengers’ to face Dricus du Plessis after former UFC champ joins his camp

Khamzat Chimaev has taken a different approach for his UFC 319 preparations.

The undefeated star is set to compete in one of the biggest fights of the year next month when he challenges for the UFC middleweight title.

While Chimaev has a lot of support ahead of his clash with Dricus du Plessis, there are also a lot of fans that are split on the matchup.

Ahead of August 16 in Chicago, Chimaev has been spending time in the United States, which quickly dispelled any rumors of travel restriction issues.

This has allowed him to join forces with some other notable names who will seemingly aid him in his pursuit of the 185-pound gold.

READ MORE: Ex-UFC star boldly claims Sean Strickland ‘could be’ world’s best middleweight over Dricus du Plessis, Khamzat ChimaevFans react to Khamzat Chimaev potentially working alongside TJ Dillashaw ahead of UFC 319During his training camp, Khamzat Chimaev has already been seen alongside Arman Tsarukyan as he prepares for UFC 319.

‘Borz’ certainly wasn’t short on elite-level athletes to work with before he made the trip over to the United States but it does look like he has put together another decorated team in Los Angeles.

Several images and videos have shown that Chimaev has been working out of the gym that is attached to the Jaxxon podcast, which is hosted by MMA legend Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson.

Jackson regularly interviews some of the top names in the sport, with several high-profile athletes making regular appearances on the show.

One of those more common guests is former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, who retired in 2022 following a brief return to the Octagon.

Dillashaw recently posted an image of him alongside Chimaev with a caption suggesting that he’ll be a part of the challenger’s training camp, which got fans talking.

‘Best grappler of all time and most skilled fighter of all time.’

‘2 legends. So happy to see a genius in MMA like you helping Khamzat. I’m now certain, and new.’

‘Damn, imagine having TJ in camp, all over for your opponent.’

‘Just give him the belt. We all know Dricus has no chance.’

Other responses came in when the photo was reposted on X, with one fan pointing out that this doesn’t necessarily mean that Dillashaw will be working alongside Chimaev.

‘He didn’t join his camp, his camp is at Jaxxon podcast studio where TJ works lol.’

‘Bros assembling the avengers for goofy goober final boss.’

READ MORE: Charles Oliveira reveals return timeline and opponent he is targeting next… ‘He said he would fight me too’The best middleweight outside of the UFC explained why he gives Dricus du Plessis the edge at UFC 319In an interview with MMA Junkie, Johnny Eblen, who is widely regarded as the best middleweight outside of the UFC, gave his thoughts on the UFC 319 main event.

He believes that along with his proven cardio, Dricus du Plessis holds an advantage over Khamzat Chimaev when it comes to high-level experience.

“I like DDP’s chances just because the guys he’s fought and the rounds he’s put in,” Eblen added. “Chimaev hasn’t. Not to say it’s going to be easy, Chimaev is very, very tough, but I think DDP has more, he’s just more of a veteran when it comes to five-round fights, and tough fights, and he’s fought middleweight this whole time. Chimaev is just kind of coming up.”

As is the case with many of his previous UFC outings, many fans expect Chimaev to hold the advantage early on before factors like cardio and experience in the later rounds start to come into play.