Dricus Du Plessis Bio
Dricus Du Plessis, born on 14 January 1994, is a South African professional mixed martial artist who has built a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters of his generation. He is widely recognized as the first South African to win a UFC championship, capturing the UFC Middleweight title at UFC 297 in January 2024. Competing out of Team CIT MMA in Pretoria, Du Plessis has carried South African MMA onto the global stage with a relentless style and an unshakable competitive spirit.
Before reaching the UFC, Du Plessis built an impressive résumé on the regional and international circuits, holding titles in both the Extreme Fighting Championship and the Polish-based KSW promotion. He is a former EFC Welterweight and Middleweight Champion, as well as a former KSW Welterweight Champion. Known for his unorthodox striking, forward pressure, and mental toughness, Du Plessis has become a defining figure for combat sports in Africa.
Early Life and Background
Dricus Du Plessis was born in Welkom, in the Free State province of South Africa. He grew up in an Afrikaner household and discovered martial arts at a young age, beginning judo training when he was just five years old. By the time he was twelve, he had added wrestling to his skill set, and at fourteen he began training in kickboxing, a discipline that would later become one of his trademarks inside the cage.
At seventeen, Du Plessis became South Africa’s first-ever medalist at the WAKO World Championships in Bratislava, winning gold in K-1 style kickboxing at the Junior level. Despite this success, he chose to transition to mixed martial arts, citing the limited financial opportunities in amateur kickboxing. In addition to martial arts, Du Plessis played rugby throughout his school years and remains a vocal supporter of the Springboks, South Africa’s national rugby team.
He later enrolled at the University of Pretoria, where he studied agricultural economics, but he ultimately dropped out during his final year to pursue a professional career in mixed martial arts. He currently resides in Hatfield, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, where he trains at Team CIT MMA under coach Morne Visser.
Path to MMA
After establishing himself as a decorated amateur kickboxer, Du Plessis turned to mixed martial arts to chase a professional career. He had three amateur bouts before making his professional debut in 2013, quickly compiling an unbeaten record on the South African regional circuit. He fought under the Extreme Fighting Championship banner, the premier MMA promotion in Africa at the time, and steadily climbed the ranks in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions.
Du Plessis captured the EFC Welterweight Championship and later added the EFC Middleweight Championship, becoming a two-division champion within the promotion. In 2018, he earned a shot at the KSW Welterweight title against Roberto Soldić in Poland, scoring one of the biggest upsets of his career by dethroning Soldić via TKO. These performances on two continents established Du Plessis as a top global prospect and eventually earned him a contract with the UFC.
Dricus Du Plessis Career
Early Career (2013–2019)
Du Plessis began his professional MMA career in 2013 with the Extreme Fighting Championship in South Africa. After winning his first four fights, he suffered his first professional loss to future UFC fighter Garreth McLellan, who submitted him in the third round. Undeterred, Du Plessis bounced back and went 3-0 in 2015, eventually winning the vacant EFC Welterweight Championship by submitting Martin van Staden in the third round.
In 2017, Du Plessis added the EFC Middleweight Championship to his résumé with a first-round guillotine choke victory over Yannick Bahati, making him a two-division EFC champion. The following year, he traveled to Poland to challenge Roberto Soldić for the KSW Welterweight Championship at KSW 43 and won by TKO, though he dropped the rematch later that year. These championship performances across multiple promotions set the stage for his eventual move to the UFC.
UFC Breakthrough (2020–2023)
Du Plessis made his UFC debut on 11 October 2020 at UFC Fight Night 179, where he knocked out Markus Perez in the first round. He followed this with a Performance of the Night-winning knockout of Trevin Giles at UFC 264, and a series of dominant victories that pushed him up the middleweight ladder. A unanimous decision win over Brad Tavares at UFC 276 and a third-round submission of Darren Till at UFC 282 earned him a Fight of the Night bonus and growing recognition inside the division.
His biggest breakthrough came in 2023, when he stopped former title challenger Derek Brunson at UFC 285 and then knocked out former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 in a title eliminator. The Whittaker victory earned Du Plessis the Performance of the Night award and the number one contender spot in the middleweight division, officially announcing him as a championship threat on the global stage.
UFC Championship Era (2024–2025)
Du Plessis faced Sean Strickland for the vacant UFC Middleweight Championship on 20 January 2024 at UFC 297. In a grueling five-round battle, he out-landed Strickland in the later rounds and won by split decision, becoming the first South African UFC champion and earning a Fight of the Night bonus. He successfully defended the title twice, submitting former two-time champion Israel Adesanya via face crank in the fourth round at UFC 305, and winning a unanimous decision over Strickland in their rematch at UFC 312.
On 16 August 2025, Du Plessis made his third title defense against undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. He lost the championship by unanimous decision, ending his reign as middleweight champion. He is currently scheduled to face former UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman on 18 July 2026 in the main event of UFC Fight Night 281.
Style and Strengths
Du Plessis fights out of an orthodox stance but rarely looks conventional. His movement is unpredictable, his punches loop at unusual angles, and he frequently uses rugby-style level changes to drag opponents to the mat. He holds a 2nd-degree black belt in kickboxing and combines heavy forward pressure with high-volume striking to the head, body, and legs, breaking down opponents round after round.
Notable Events and Milestones
Becoming the first South African UFC champion at UFC 297 stands as the defining milestone of Du Plessis’s career. Other signature moments include his upset TKO of Roberto Soldić for the KSW title, his knockout of former champion Robert Whittaker, and his fourth-round submission of Israel Adesanya. His pre-fight altercation with Sean Strickland at UFC 296 also became one of the most talked-about moments in recent UFC history.
Dricus Du Plessis Career Wins
Across his professional career, Dricus Du Plessis has compiled an impressive 23 wins in 26 total professional MMA bouts, with victories across the EFC, KSW, and UFC. His finishes have come through knockouts, submissions, and decisions, demonstrating a well-rounded skill set developed through years of competing on multiple continents.
UFC Highlights
In the UFC, Du Plessis has secured multiple Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses, beginning with his UFC 264 knockout of Trevin Giles. His most significant UFC victory came at UFC 297, where he defeated Sean Strickland by split decision to claim the Middleweight Championship. He followed that with a fourth-round submission of Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 and a successful title defense against Strickland at UFC 312 before losing the belt to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the UFC, Du Plessis captured the EFC Welterweight Championship by submitting Martin van Staden, the EFC Middleweight Championship by finishing Yannick Bahati, and the KSW Welterweight Championship by TKO over Roberto Soldić. He also won the interim EFC Middleweight title by submitting Brendan Lesar at EFC Africa 83. Earlier in his career, he represented South Africa in kickboxing and won gold at the 2012 WAKO Junior World Championships.
Dricus Du Plessis Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Dricus Du Plessis grew up in an Afrikaner family in Welkom, South Africa, and remains closely connected to his South African roots. He carries his family name with pride as one of the country’s most prominent combat sports athletes.
Personal Life
Du Plessis is bilingual, speaking both English and Afrikaans. He is engaged to Vasti Spiller, his longtime partner, to whom he proposed on his 31st birthday on 14 January 2025. In 2023, he underwent surgery to correct a nasal breathing impairment that had limited his oxygen intake to roughly eight percent during competition. He is known for his public support of the Springboks, South Africa’s national rugby team.
2025 Season Performance
Dricus Du Plessis’s 2025 campaign began with a successful middleweight title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in February, where he earned a unanimous decision in a hard-fought rematch. The victory extended his championship reign and further cemented his status as one of the top middleweights in the world. He continued to train out of Team CIT MMA under coach Morne Visser, refining the relentless pressure style that has defined his UFC tenure.
His season took a difficult turn on 16 August 2025 at UFC 319, when he lost the UFC Middleweight Championship to Khamzat Chimaev by unanimous decision. The loss ended his reign as champion but did little to diminish his standing in the division. Looking ahead, Du Plessis remains one of the most compelling figures in mixed martial arts, with a scheduled bout against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in 2026 already on the horizon.
