Diesel AK Blog

Fighter Profile: Dricus du Plessis

Dricus du Plessis: former UFC middleweight champion — record, unorthodox style and title case.

Fighters13 July 2026

Background

South African middleweight from Pretoria, a former KSW and EFC two-division champion and a former UFC middleweight champion. His professional record is 24-3, with a 10-1 mark inside the UFC.

Career timeline

Won the UFC middleweight championship from Sean Strickland by split decision in January 2024, then defended it against Israel Adesanya and beat Strickland again in a February 2025 rematch.
Lost the title to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025.
Beat former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City on 18 July 2026, using right hands, step-in knees and head kicks across five rounds.
Has since argued that he deserves the next middleweight title shot, while also suggesting Strickland should first face Nassourdine Imavov.

Fight craft

Du Plessis is genuinely awkward: he throws from unusual angles, switches stances mid-combination, and blitzes forward in bursts that look untidy but land. Opponents consistently report that his timing does not match what the footage suggests. He backs it with a strong clinch and enough wrestling to survive against grapplers. The costs are visible — he takes damage, his defensive structure is loose, and his cardio has been tested in every championship fight he has had. Against Usman he was the sharper and larger man throughout.

In the modern MMA landscape

Our wider MMA analysis has this bout as merely “scheduled” for July 2026. It has happened: Du Plessis won a one-sided decision and is now the leading contender at 185lb. He also already holds two wins over the current champion, which makes a third meeting with Strickland the most natural title fight in the division.

Return to What the Modern MMA Game Demands.

Sources

Record and competitive status checked 1 August 2026.