Dricus du Plessis has now defended his middleweight title in the UFC on two occasions, and his reign as the champ seems set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Having just celebrated his 31st birthday last month, Du Plessis could remain at the top of the UFC landscape for at least another few years.
Of course, a brutal contact sport like UFC is anything but predictable and all it could take is one massive hit or momentary loss in concentration for Du Plessis to lose a fight.
That however, hasn’t happened since his debut in the UFC in October 2020.
Great run
Since then, Du Plessis has notched up nine wins in a row which included the middleweight title in his seventh fight.
That came against none other than Sean Strickland, who Du Plessis defeated again last week in his second title defence.
Though Du Plessis has had his fighting style described as ‘a white guy dancing’, his unorthodox approach is certainly effective.
Lending credence to his ability, are his former welterweight and Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), and Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW) titles.
The Welkom-born Du Plessis has a grounding in judo and wrestling before taking up kickboxing at the age of 14. He would go on to win gold in the Kickboxing World Championships at the age of 17.
With not much potential for big paydays, Du Plessis then turned to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and turned professional in 2013. It’s certainly been one of the best decisions he made, and his time as the UFC champ might only just be beginning.