DRICUS DU PLESSIS

Dricus du Plessis represents South Africa as a professional competitor within the middleweight class. Based at Team CIT MMA, he utilizes an orthodox stance and a versatile skill set rooted in grappling and kickboxing. His combat history includes capturing championship belts in both KSW and EFC before ascending to the top of the UFC. As a former middleweight titleholder, he earned the distinction of becoming the initial athlete from his nation to secure a championship crown in the organization.

The fighter enters this contest holding an overall professional record of 24-3-0. His recent performances reflect a consistent schedule, starting with a split-decision victory over Sean Strickland followed by a successful submission win against Israel Adesanya. After regaining momentum against Strickland in early 2025, he suffered a unanimous decision setback versus Khamzat Chimaev. Most recently, he defeated Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision in July 2026.