DRICUS DU PLESSIS

Hailing from South Africa, Dricus du Plessis competes within the middleweight class and trains under the Team CIT MMA banner. The orthodox fighter previously captured championships in both KSW and EFC before ascending to the top of the UFC. As the first athlete from his home nation to secure a belt in the organization, he built a reputation through aggressive forward movement combined with a versatile background in kickboxing, wrestling, and judo.

Entering this September event, the fighter carries a professional ledger consisting of twenty-four victories and three defeats. He arrives at this contest following a successful unanimous decision performance against Kamaru Usman in July 2026. This recent victory served as a rebound from an August 2025 decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev. Earlier, he secured consecutive wins over Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya.