Din Thomas thinks Khamzat Chimaev would struggle against UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis . Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC)  retained his middleweight title by defeating Sean Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) a second time in this past Saturday’s UFC 312 main event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Du Plessis wants Chimaev next , and has opened up as a betting underdog in a potential matchup against the undefeated phenom. Although Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) has torn through most competition so far, Thomas points to his two decision wins over Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman as a cause for concern. “I think Khamzat is a sprinter,” Thomas said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “If you were to make fights one five-minute round, Khamzat beats anybody in the world, any weight class. But you can’t fight championship-level fights for five rounds at the pace where he’s at his best.