Overview

• Du Plessis is sharpening his championship-round strategy through targeted drills aimed at leveraging his proven late-fight resilience.
• Chimaev has hired a new strength and conditioning coach and is undergoing daily cardio and recovery testing to address past stamina concerns.
• The challenger has restricted public outings and tightened team protocols to minimize the risk of illness after previous health setbacks.
• U.S. visa delays that disrupted Chimaev’s schedule have been resolved, clearing the path for his arrival in Chicago’s United Center on August 16.
• Analysts remain divided on whether Chimaev’s revamped conditioning regime will be enough to overcome doubts about his endurance against Du Plessis.