Dricus Du Plessis Bio
Dricus Du Plessis (born 14 January 1994) is a South African professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Known widely by his initials DDP and the ring name “Stillknocks,” he is recognized as the first South African to win a UFC championship, capturing the middleweight title at UFC 297. As of August 2025, he held the number one spot in the UFC middleweight rankings.
Outside the UFC, Du Plessis built a decorated résumé with championships in both the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Extreme Fighting Championship, as well as the KSW Welterweight title. Fighting out of an orthodox stance with a 193 cm reach, he is regarded as one of the most distinctive talents to emerge from Africa in mixed martial arts.
Early Life and Background
Du Plessis is an Afrikaner, born in Welkom in the Free State province of South Africa. He was raised in a country with a deep martial arts culture and began training in judo at the age of five, before moving on to wrestling at twelve and kickboxing at fourteen. His early multi-discipline grounding shaped the unorthodox, pressure-oriented style that later defined his professional career.
Alongside martial arts, Du Plessis played rugby throughout his schooling years and has remained a vocal supporter of the Springboks, South Africa’s national rugby team. In 2012, at the age of 17, he became South Africa’s first ever medalist at the WAKO World Championships, winning gold in K-1 style kickboxing. He later chose to transition to mixed martial arts after deciding there was not as much money available in competitive kickboxing.
Du Plessis attended the University of Pretoria, where he studied agricultural economics. He dropped out during his final year in order to pursue a full-time career in mixed martial arts. He currently resides in Hatfield, Pretoria, in the Gauteng province of South Africa, where he trains out of Team CIT MMA.
Path to MMA
Du Plessis had three amateur bouts before making his professional debut in 2013. He compiled a perfect 4–0 record before stepping up against future UFC fighter and then-EFC Middleweight Champion Garreth McLellan at EFC Africa 33, where he suffered a third-round guillotine choke submission loss. The defeat served as a learning experience that pushed him to refine his grappling defense and overall game.
After the loss to McLellan, Du Plessis moved down to welterweight and made his debut in the division at EFC Africa 40 in June 2015, defeating Dino Bagattin via second-round rear-naked choke submission. He went 3–0 in 2015 and went on to capture the vacant EFC Welterweight Championship with a third-round guillotine choke of veteran striker Martin van Staden at EFC 50. He also briefly studied kickboxing to a high level, holding a second-degree black belt in the discipline.
In 2017, Du Plessis returned to EFC’s middleweight ranks, where he defeated Mauricio Da Rocha Jr. before capturing the EFC Middleweight Championship from Yannick Bahati with a first-round guillotine choke at EFC Africa 62, becoming a two-division champion within the promotion. His EFC success earned him opportunities on the international stage, including a 2018 call-up to KSW in Poland.
Dricus Du Plessis Career
Early Career (2013–2019)
Following his two-division success in EFC, Du Plessis signed with Polish promotion Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki. In April 2018 at KSW 43, he challenged Roberto Soldić for the KSW Welterweight Championship and produced one of the biggest upsets of the year, dropping Soldić with a left hook and winning via TKO to take the title. The two would later rematch at KSW 45 in October 2018, with Du Plessis losing via third-round knockout, a setback that prompted his push toward the UFC.
He continued to compete in KSW, returning at KSW 50 to defeat Joilton Santos via TKO, and also reappeared in EFC. In 2019, after Brendan Lesar upset Garreth McLellan for the EFC Interim Middleweight Championship, Du Plessis faced Lesar at EFC Africa 83 and won the bout via first-round guillotine choke submission to add another piece of EFC gold to his résumé.
UFC Breakthrough (2020–2023)
Du Plessis made his UFC debut on 11 October 2020 at UFC Fight Night 179 against Markus Perez, winning via first-round knockout. After a visa-related scratch from UFC on ESPN 21, he was rescheduled against Trevin Giles at UFC 264, where he won via second-round knockout to claim the Performance of the Night bonus. A pair of 2022 booking shuffles, including opponent withdrawals from Chris Curtis, Nassourdine Imavov, and Kelvin Gastelum, kept him on the sidelines before he faced Brad Tavares at UFC 276, winning via unanimous decision.
He extended his run at UFC 282 in December 2022 with a third-round submission of Darren Till, earning his first Fight of the Night award, and then handed former title challenger Derek Brunson a technical knockout loss via corner stoppage at 4:59 of round two at UFC 285 in March 2023. These performances positioned him as a top contender in the middleweight division heading into the second half of 2023.
UFC Championship Era (2024–2025)
On 8 July 2023, Du Plessis faced former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker in a title eliminator at UFC 290, winning via second-round technical knockout to lock up the number one contender spot and another Performance of the Night bonus. An expected title shot against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 fell through when Du Plessis withdrew due to a leg injury, and Sean Strickland stepped in to claim the belt. The stage was set for a heated showdown at UFC 297 on 20 January 2024, where Du Plessis defeated Strickland by split decision to become the first UFC champion from South Africa. The win also earned him the Fight of the Night bonus.
He made his first title defense against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 on 18 August 2024, finishing the former two-time champion via a fourth-round face crank submission, the first submission loss of Adesanya’s career. His second defense came in a rematch with Sean Strickland at UFC 312 on 9 February 2025, where he retained the middleweight championship by unanimous decision. His third title defense came on 16 August 2025 at UFC 319 against undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev, where he lost the title by unanimous decision.
Driving Style and Strengths
Du Plessis fights out of an orthodox stance, though his striking rarely looks textbook. His movement is herky-jerky, his punches loop at odd angles, and he dives on double-leg shots that resemble rugby tackles more than collegiate wrestling entries. Underneath the quirks is a clear strategy: constant forward pressure, high striking volume to the head, body, and legs, and quick level changes that drag opponents to the mat when they begin to shell up. The approach has drawn criticism as sloppy, but Du Plessis argues it is a fight-first method rather than a choreography exercise, with his championship résumé backing the philosophy.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his career-defining moments was becoming the first South African to win a UFC championship at UFC 297, a victory that drew significant attention in his home country. The pre-fight brawl with Sean Strickland at UFC 296 and the emotionally charged exchanges with Israel Adesanya at UFC 290 became signature events, demonstrating his reputation for psychological warfare. His submission of Adesanya at UFC 305 marked the first time the former champion had ever been finished by tap-out, a milestone result in middleweight history.
Dricus Du Plessis Career Wins
Across his professional career, Dricus Du Plessis has compiled 23 wins in 26 total bouts, with three losses. His finishes are spread across decisions, knockouts, and submissions, reflecting a versatile finishing arsenal. He has captured major championships in EFC welterweight and middleweight divisions, the KSW welterweight division, and the UFC middleweight division.
UFC Highlights
Du Plessis has scored multiple first- and second-round finishes inside the UFC, beginning with his debut knockout of Markus Perez in 2020. He added a knockout of Trevin Giles, a submission of Darren Till, and a corner-stoppage technical knockout of Derek Brunson before dethroning Sean Strickland by split decision at UFC 297 to claim the middleweight title. He followed that with a submission victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 and a unanimous decision over Strickland in their rematch at UFC 312.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the UFC, Du Plessis captured the EFC Welterweight Championship, the EFC Middleweight Championship, and the KSW Welterweight Championship. Notable regional results include his first-round guillotine choke of Brendan Lesar at EFC Africa 83 and his TKO upset of Roberto Soldić at KSW 43 to claim the welterweight title.
Dricus Du Plessis Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Dricus Du Plessis’s immediate family beyond his fiancée is limited. He is an Afrikaner and was raised in Welkom, Free State, before relocating to Pretoria to train and compete at the highest levels of mixed martial arts.
Personal Life
Du Plessis is bilingual, speaking both English and Afrikaans. He is engaged to Vasti Spiller, having proposed to her on his 31st birthday on 14 January 2025. In April 2023, he underwent surgery to correct a breathing impairment in his nose, with his coach Morne Visser revealing that Du Plessis had been competing in the UFC with only 8% oxygen intake through his nostrils before the procedure.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was defined by a pair of high-stakes middleweight championship fights. Du Plessis opened the year with a rematch against Sean Strickland at UFC 312 on 9 February, retaining the middleweight title with a confident unanimous decision win that silenced pre-fight doubters. The performance reinforced his reputation for five-round pace and pressure against elite opposition.
His summer brought a fresh test in undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 on 16 August 2025. In a tactical battle, Du Plessis ultimately lost the middleweight championship by unanimous decision, ending his reign as title holder. Despite the setback, the ranking picture remained strong, with Du Plessis holding the number one spot in the UFC middleweight rankings as of August 2025.
Looking ahead, Du Plessis is widely expected to remain a central figure in the middleweight title picture, given his ranking, fan interest, and history of marketable bouts against the division’s top names. His training base at Team CIT MMA in Pretoria, along with his ongoing partnership with coach Morne Visser, positions him to pursue another championship run. With his unorthodox style and durable gas tank, he is likely to remain a top contender and draw marquee bookings in the middleweight division.