History of Dricus du Plessis in Timeline

"Dricus du Plessis, or DDP, is a South African professional mixed martial artist competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)'s Middleweight division. He is the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion and the first South African to achieve this title. As of July 30, 2024, he holds the 11th position in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

January 1994: Birth

Dricus du Plessis was born in January 1994 in Welkom, South Africa.

2012: Kickboxing World Champion

In 2012, at 17 years old, Dricus du Plessis became South Africa's first medalist at the WAKO World Championships by winning gold in K-1 style kickboxing.

2013: Professional MMA Debut

Dricus du Plessis made his professional MMA debut in 2013 after three amateur bouts. He faced future UFC fighter Garreth McLellan at EFC Africa 33, losing via guillotine choke submission in the third round.

June 2015: Welterweight Debut

Dricus du Plessis made his welterweight debut in June 2015 at EFC Africa 40 against Dino Bagattin, winning via a second-round rear-naked choke submission.

2017: Two-Division Champion

In 2017, Dricus du Plessis became a two-division champion within the EFC promotion after defeating Yannick Bahati at EFC Africa 62 for the Middleweight Championship.

2018: KSW Welterweight Champion

Dricus du Plessis challenged Roberto Soldić for the KSW Welterweight Championship at KSW 43: Soldić vs. Du Plessis on April 14, 2018, and won via TKO.

October 2020: UFC Debut

Dricus du Plessis made his promotional debut against Markus Perez on October 11, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 179, winning the fight via knockout in round one.

2020: Delayed Surgery

Dricus du Plessis's surgery to fix a breathing impairment in his nose was originally supposed to take place in 2020 but was put on hold after he signed with the UFC.

March 2021: Fight Cancellation

Dricus du Plessis was scheduled to face Trevin Giles on March 20, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 21 but pulled out due to visa issues.

July 2021: Performance of the Night

Dricus du Plessis fought Trevin Giles on July 10, 2021, at UFC 264. du Plessis won the fight via knockout in round two, earning him the Performance of the Night award.

April 2022: Fight Cancellations

Dricus du Plessis was scheduled to face Chris Curtis, then Anthony Hernandez, and finally Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 273 in April 2022, but all three fights were canceled due to injuries and visa issues.

July 2022: UFC 276 Victory

Dricus du Plessis faced Brad Tavares at UFC 276 on July 2, 2022, and won the fight via unanimous decision.

December 2022: Fight of the Night

Dricus du Plessis faced Darren Till at UFC 282 on December 10, 2022, and won the fight via submission in round three. This fight earned him his first Fight of the Night award.

March 2023: TKO Victory

Dricus du Plessis faced Derek Brunson on March 4, 2023, at UFC 285. He won the fight via technical knockout due to a corner stoppage at 4:59 of the second round.

April 2023: Surgery

In April 2023, Dricus du Plessis underwent surgery to fix a breathing impairment in his nose.

July 2023: Number One Contender

Dricus du Plessis faced former UFC Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in a title eliminator fight on July 8, 2023, at UFC 290. He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award and the number one contender spot in the middleweight division.

December 2023: Altercation with Sean Strickland

Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland were involved in an altercation at UFC 296 on December 16, 2023, resulting in Strickland being escorted out of the event.

January 2024: UFC Middleweight Champion

Dricus du Plessis faced Sean Strickland for the UFC Middleweight Championship on January 20, 2024, at UFC 297. Du Plessis won the bout by split decision, becoming the first UFC champion from South Africa. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night bonus.

July 2024: UFC Men's Pound-for-Pound Rankings

As of July 30, 2024, Dricus du Plessis was ranked #11 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

August 2024: Successful Title Defense

Dricus du Plessis made his first title defense against former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya on August 18, 2024, at UFC 305. He won the fight via a face crank submission in the fourth round leading to Adesanya's first career submission loss.