Dricus du Plessis News
Sean Strickland dismisses Dricus du Plessis trilogy for now: "I don’t think sitting out on the sidelines gets you a title shot"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 29, 2026
Sean Strickland doesn’t believe the first title defense in his second reign as the UFC Middleweight Champion will be against Dricus du Plessis. Strickland and du Plessis have shared the Octagon twice. “Stillknocks” defeated Strickland via split decision back in Jan. 2024 to capture the 185-pound gold. Their title rematch was far more one-sided with du Plessis earning a unanimous decision victory.
Dricus du Plessis slams Khamzat Chimaev's team for post-UFC 328 weight cut excuses
Curtis Calhoun - May 20, 2026
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis believes Khamzat Chimaev ‘lost his aura’ at UFC 328 after a bad weight cut. Khamzat Chimaev was on the losing end of one of the biggest upsets in UFC history earlier this month at UFC 328 against Sean Strickland. In his first UFC middleweight title defense, Chimaev was outpointed by a split decision as Strickland reclaimed the throne in a five-round war.
Dricus du Plessis reacts to Sean Strickland's upset win over Khamzat Chimaev: "I guess this makes me world champion again"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 10, 2026
Dricus du Plessis attended the UFC 328 main event between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev, and he has some thoughts. Strickland and Chimaev took center stage in Newark on Saturday night. Going into the UFC Middleweight Championship scrap, many questioned if the challenger Strickland could defend takedowns well enough to force Chimaev to stand up throughout the bout. Strickland ultimately did manage to force “Borz” to fight on the feet, and it earned him a split decision victory to capture his second UFC middleweight title.
Khamzat Chimaev admits he overestimated Dricus du Plessis in dominant UFC title win: "He was just surviving there"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 6, 2026
Khamzat Chimaev feels he may have misjudged how strong Dricus du Plessis was going to be in their lopsided UFC title fight. Back in Aug. 2025, Chimaev challenged du Plessis for the UFC Middleweight Championship. While some felt du Plessis had a chance to make things interesting, he was outclassed in the grappling department. Chimaev scored 12 takedowns on 17 attempts. He also had 21 minutes and 40 seconds of total control time.
Caio Borralho looks for Dricus du Plessis in South Africa, DDP answers: “Stop being a little kid"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 29, 2026
Caio Borralho went looking for Dricus du Plessis in South Africa, and he got a response. Borralho has been calling for a clash with the former UFC Middleweight Champion. So far, there has been little movement, and the Fighting Nerds representative is getting impatient. Borralho took a trip to Johannesburg and trolled du Plessis on social media (via MMAMania).
Caio Borralho envisions KO win over Dricus du Plessis: "He has some defensive openings that can be exploited"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 20, 2026
Caio Borralho is looking for a quick path to UFC gold, and a knockout win over Dricus du Plessis might do it. After defeating Reinier de Ridder via unanimous decision at UFC 326, Borralho is already looking at what’s ahead. The next fight for du Plessis hasn’t been determined, and “The Natural” believes he’d be the right dance partner.
Dricus du Plessis touts former rival Sean Strickland to have 'strong' chance to dethrone Khamzat Chimaev
Curtis Calhoun - March 3, 2026
Dricus du Plessis believes his two-time rival Sean Strickland would present UFC middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev with many problems. Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis was dethroned by Khamzat Chimaev in their middleweight title matchup last year at UFC 319. In one of the most highly anticipated showdowns in middleweight history, Chimaev wrestled his way to a dominant performance to win the 185 lb belt.
Dricus du Plessis questions Kamaru Usman after former champ's public dismissal of potential middleweight clash
Curtis Calhoun - March 3, 2026
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis responded to Kamaru Usman’s apparent declining of an alleged fight offer. Dricus du Plessis is looking to earn another shot at UFC middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev in his planned return to the Octagon. Du Plessis, who lost to Chimaev by unanimous decision last year at UFC 319, envisions a No. 1 contender fight to potentially get back into the middleweight title conversation.
Dricus du Plessis lauds heated rival Israel Adesanya for taking risky Joe Pyfer fight at UFC Seattle
Curtis Calhoun - February 12, 2026
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis credited Israel Adesanya for taking a massive risk in his upcoming fight at UFC Seattle. Former UFC middleweight champions Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya shared one of the most heated feuds in the division’s history ahead of their fight at UFC 305. Two years later, tensions have alleviated between the two sides as they both look to get back into the title mix.
Dricus du Plessis admits he was 'bored' as he lost UFC middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev in dominant fashion
Curtis Calhoun - January 20, 2026
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis admits he hit a mental lull during his title loss to Khamzat Chimaev. Khamzat Chimaev put on one of the most dominant performances in the Octagon of 2025 against reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319.
Dricus du Plessis' coach warns Khamzat Chimaev he'll get 'f---- up' in rematch as he scolds new champion's 'unwillingness to fight'
Curtis Calhoun - January 19, 2026
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis’ previous praise of Khamzat Chimaev didn’t last long after their UFC 319 title fight. Dricus du Plessis was one of several reigning UFC titleholders to lose their belts in 2025.
Dricus du Plessis breaks down the state of UFC's middleweight division
Harry Kettle - December 18, 2025
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has given his thoughts on the current state of the division. As we know, Dricus du Plessis is one of the top middleweight fighters in mixed martial arts right now. However, he is no longer the champion in the UFC after he was beaten in a fairly one-sided fight against Khamzat Chimaev earlier this year.
Dricus du Plessis rips 'idiot' UFC middleweight contender over recent callout
Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 3, 2025
Dricus du Plessis has some harsh words for one UFC middleweight contender. Since losing the UFC Middleweight Championship back in August, Dricus du Plessis hasn’t been in action. The wipeout defeat to Khamzat Chimaev left many within the MMA community stunned given just how one-sided the fight was. A race for the No. 1 contender spot soon began, and it led to Allen scoring an upset win over Reinier de Ridder.
Former UFC champion explains why he "can't" pick against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322
Harry Kettle - November 12, 2025
Former UFC champion Dricus du Plessis has explained why he can’t pick against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322. On Saturday night, Islam Makhachev will attempt to become a two-weight world champion when he challenges Jack Della Maddalena in the main event of UFC 322. It’s safe to say that a lot of fans and pundits believe he’s going to get the job done, but in equal measure, JDM earned the respect of many thanks to the way in which he was able to defeat Belal Muhammad to win the belt in the first place.
Dricus du Plessis doesn't "think there’s a heavyweight in the world that can even compete with" Tom Aspinall
Dylan Bowker - October 24, 2025
Dricus du Plessis is breaking down this weekend’s UFC 321 main event bout and heaped heavy praise on event headliner and UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. The UK native aims to make the first successful defense of his undisputed crown in his return from last July, when Aspinall finished Curtis Blaydes in a rematch to retain his then-interim title. Ciryl Gane will stand in Aspinall’s way on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, with the former UFC middleweight champion offering up his viewpoint on the October 25th pay-per-view closer. During an appearance on Fight Forecast, du Plessis said [via MMA Fighting],
Dricus du Plessis scolded by UFC Vancouver winner over sudden silence
Fernando Quiles Jr. - October 24, 2025
Dricus du Plessis has been quiet following UFC Vancouver, and one winner on the card thinks he knows why. Brendan Allen stepped up on short notice to fight Reinier de Ridder in the main event of UFC Vancouver inside Rogers Arena. Allen replaced an injured Anthony Hernandez. “All In” capitalized on his opportunity, forcing de Ridder to quit on his stool before the start of the fifth round.
Joe Rogan shares grim outlook for Dricus du Plessis' chances of avenging loss to Khamzat Chimaev
Fernando Quiles Jr. - September 26, 2025
Joe Rogan isn’t sold on things being much different if Dricus du Plessis ever gets a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis entered UFC 319 as the UFC Middleweight Champion. He defeated Sean Strickland twice, submitted Israel Adesanya, and stopped Robert Whittaker. It’s an impressive resume for “Stillknocks,” but Chimaev didn’t care about any of it. “Borz” handled business, ragdolling and controlling du Plessis throughout their title fight back in August. Chimaev ultimately scored the unanimous decision victory to capture UFC gold for the first time in his career.
Dricus du Plessis' biggest mistake against Khamzat Chimaev revealed by rising UFC contender
Fernando Quiles Jr. - September 2, 2025
Dricus du Plessis couldn’t get much going against Khamzat Chimaev, and one surging contender thinks he knows why. Entering UFC 319, du Plessis was looking for his third successful UFC Middleweight Championship defense. It was apparent early on that Chimaev’s takedowns and control would be the story of the night. “Borz” had a methodical game plan that allowed him to preserve energy all the way until the final horn.