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An extensive dive into the life and career of current UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis, including his MMA Record and Accomplishments, Personal Life and How Rich he is in 2024.
Dricus du Plessis background
Dricus du Plessis is a South African professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
He is the first South African to win the UFC Championship and is the current UFC Middleweight Champion.
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06:05 - 18.08.2024
Dricus du Plessis tries to break Israel Adesanya's neck - South African submits Nigerian to win UFC 305
South African Dricus du Plessis tries to break Nigeria's Israel Adesanya's neck to win by submission at UFC 305.
Du Plessis previously held the Welterweight and Middleweight Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) and Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW) Welterweight Championship.
Dricus du Plessis Profile
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Full name: Dricus du Plessis
Birth date: January 14, 1994
Nationality: South African
Place of birth: Welkom, Orange Free State, South Africa
Age: 30 years old (as of August 2024)
Height: 6ft (1.83m)
Weight: 84kg (185 lbs)
Division: Middleweight (since 2019)
Parents: Japie and Gerda du Plessis
Girlfriend: Vasti Spiller
Net worth: $1-3 million
Instagram: @dricusduplessis
Where is Dricus du Plessis from?
Dricus du Plessis is South African. He was born in Welkom, Orange Free State.
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Where does Dricus du Plessis live?
Dricus du Plessis, a resident of Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa, trains and competes from there. He has expressed his desire to remain in South Africa for a prolonged period and has a goal of contributing to the development of MMA in Africa.
Dricus du Plessis Age
Dricus du Plessis was born on January 14, 1994, meaning the MMA star is 30 years old as of August 2024.
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Dricus du Plessis Height
Dricus du Plessis’ is six feet tall. In metres, the South African’s height is 1.83.
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Who is Dricus du Plessis?
Dricus du Plessis is a South African professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter competing in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
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He is known for his aggressive fighting style and striking ability, gaining significant attention in the UFC for his impressive wins, including victories over Derek Brunson and Brad Tavares.
Du Plessis became UFC Middleweight Champion in January 2024 after defeating Sean Strickland following a split decision before successfully defending the belt against Israel Adesanya by submission on August 18, 2024, in Perth Australia.
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Dricus du Plessis Record
Dricus du Plessis has a professional MMA record of 22 wins and two losses from 24 matches. Nine of his victories have been by knockout, 11 by submission and two by judges decision.
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Notable victories came in his MMA debut against Tshikangu Makuebo in the Middleweight division in July 2013, success over Dino Bagattin in June 2015 by submission in his Welterweight debut and making Martin van Staden submit in June 2016 to win the EFC Welterweight Championship.
Other outstanding triumphs for du Plessis came against Roberto Soldic in April 2018 to win the KSW Welterweight Championship — although he lost to Soldic in a rematch in London six months later — success over Brendan Lesnar by submission in December 2019 to defend and unify the EFC Middleweight Championship.
The South African star took the UFC Middleweight Championship off Sean Strickland via a split decision in January 2024 before a successful defence against Adesanya in August after making the Nigerian submit.
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10:13 - 18.08.2024
‘Dricus made him cry’- South Africans mock Nigerians after Adesanya’s loss to Du Plessis
Nigerians have become a laughingstock for South Africans after Isreal Adesanya lost his fight against Dricus du Plessis.
Dricus du Plessis vs Israel Adesanya
Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya faced off in a highly anticipated UFC Middleweight Championship fight at UFC 305 on August 18, 2024, in a matchup billed as a clash of styles between the aggressive, grappling-focused du Plessis and the striking-dominant Adesanya.
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The fight started with a high-paced exchange, with both fighters looking to land their strikes. Du Plessis, known for his takedown attempts, managed to get Adesanya to the ground in the first round, even if Adesanya was able to defend and return to his feet.
Nevertheless, the South African champion continued to pressure the challenger throughout the fight, controlling the pace and landing significant strikes.
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In the fourth round, Du Plessis secured a crucial takedown and transitioned to a dominant position, eventually forcing Adesanya to submit. The match time was 3:38 (three minutes, 38 seconds).
Dricus du Plessis next fight
Dricus du Plessis' next fight is unconfirmed, even if observers are speculating a rematch with former champion Sean Strickland, a bout with current light heavyweight Alex Pereira or even another fight with Robert Whittaker.
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"Strickland is the next fight if that's what the people want," du Plessis said. "I'll come up to 205lbs (to face Pereira) after the Strickland fight.
"Whittaker deserves the shot and I think he's been looked over. He beat Paulo Costa in a more impressive way than Strickland and then was willing to face Khamzat Chimaev.
"He's getting the short end of the stick, unfortunately."
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Dricus du Plesis and Drake
UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis teased hip-hop megastar Drake after losing a substantial bet wagering against him at UFC 305.
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09:44 - 18.08.2024
Du Plessis vs Adesanya: Drake loses another ₦720 MILLION after Izzy submits to South African champion
Israel Adesanya cost Drake heavily yet again, after his defeat against Du Plessis
Known for his lavish spending on sports teams and athletes, the Canadian star placed a $450,000 bet on Adesanya to defeat du Plessis, hoping to win $850,000. However, Adesanya's defeat via fourth-round submission left the hip-hop star with a significant financial loss.
Du Plessis, not only celebrating his title defense but also Drake's financial misfortune, expressed his joy at causing the rapper to lose a large sum of money.
Dricus du Plessis Losses
Despite his enviable record, Dricus du Plessis does not have an unblemished career.
The South African has two losses on his record, with the first coming in a 2014 EFC 33 fight with Garreth McLellan for the EFC Middleweight Championship. The then-20-year-old held a 4-0-0 record entering the fight against his 32-year-old opponent, who climbed to 12-2 after beating du Plessis.
A second defeat came against Roberto Soldic at KSW 45 on October 6, 2018, months after beating the Croatian at a KSW 43 match in April to become KSW Welterweight Champion.
The rematch started with both fighters exchanging strikes, feeling each other out, as Soldic's striking accuracy and power were evident from the early rounds to land punches on du Plessis.
In the third round, Soldic unleashed a flurry of punches, connecting with du Plessis' head and body and the defending champion was unable to defend himself effectively, and Soldic eventually landed a powerful punch that sent him to the canvas. The referee immediately stepped in to stop the fight, awarding the challenger the victory by knockout.
Du Plessis has not been beaten since that 2018 loss, notching 10 consecutive victories.
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Dricus du Plessis Championships and Accomplishments
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Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
UFC Middleweight Championship (current)
Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC)
EFC Middleweight Champion
EFC Welterweight Champion
Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW)
KSW Welterweight Champion
Kickboxing
2012 Junior World Championships: 1st place -86kg
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Dricus du Plessis Parents
Dricus Du Plessis’ parents are Japie and Gerda du Plessis. They met at Theunissen Hoerskool in South Africa and have been supportive throughout his career, attending some UFC fights.
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Dricus du Plessis Brothers
Dricus Du Plessis has two brothers, Niel and WC du Plessis.
Niel, a mixed martial artist and attorney, has fought in the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), inspired by his younger brother's success and their elder brother, WC du Plessis, is the CEO of Orzella Investments.
Dricus du Plessis Wife
Dricus du Plessis is not married. However, he is known to be in a relationship.
Dricus du Plessis Girlfriend
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Dricus du Plessis is in a relationship with Vasti Spiller, a professional fashion model, social media influencer, and boxing coach.
The couple are spotted at events and Vasti is known to be supportive of the MMA star. They also own a dog, Achilles.
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Dricus du Plessis Net Worth
Dricus du Plessis' net worth is estimated to be between $1-3 million. This range is based on his UFC earnings, including base salaries, win bonuses and sponsorship deals.
The South African is an ambassador for Mercedes Benz SA, Ultimate Sports Nutrition and Monster, among others.
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Dricus du Plessis Social Media
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Dricus du Plessis has active social media accounts on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
The South African has 576,000 followers on Instagram as of August 2024 and a follower count of 102,100 on X.
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