Athletes
Dricus Du Plessis: Building His Own Legacy
Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis Puts His Title On The Line Against Israel Adesanya At UFC 305: Du Plessis vs Adesanya In Perth, Western Australia
Despite being just days away from the biggest fight of his life at UFC 305, South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis remains as composed as ever during fight week. The only difference this time around is that he proudly holds the title of UFC middleweight champion.
While there’s a few extra incentives that come along with being the best 185-pound fighter in the world, like having a nicer hotel room and driving around town in a Lamborghini, when it comes time to handle the final preparations for his first title defense against former middleweight king Israel Adesanya, it’s business as usual.
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“I’ve had a couple proper fight weeks, but now I’m champion,” Du Plessis said with an ear-to-ear grin. “It feels great. For me, it’s not very different. In terms of media scheduling, training, everything is the same. I have a recipe; it’s been working great.”
While Du Plessis may appear mild-mannered on the outside, he holds immense pride for his home nation, which has shown him unwavering support throughout his entire mixed martial arts career.
While not every fan could make the near 24-hour journey from South Africa to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, for his title-winning performance at UFC 297, they were all watching from various restaurants and bars across the country as the belt was being wrapped around his waist. It’s worth noting that Du Plessis’ fight against Sean Strickland began around 6:00 am local time in his native Pretoria.
“They wanted me to win just as bad as I wanted myself to win. So that was incredible when I arrived there. The welcoming I got, I felt so loved. That’s our country. We’re so proud of our country and when we achieve something. That’s what drives me when I get in there. I fight for something much, much bigger than myself, my own goals. It plays a role, but when I’m wearing that flag, I can’t do anything else than be exceptional, because it’s much bigger than myself.”
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He now puts his title on the line against two-time middleweight champion Adesanya, who’s highly regarded as one of the best to ever do it, not just at 185 pounds, but in the history of the UFC. “The Last Stylebender” holds wins over some of the biggest names in the sport, including Brazilian superstar Alex Pereira, UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva and former champion Robert Whittaker.
A win over someone of Adesanya’s caliber not only cements Du Plessis’ status as the top middleweight fighter in the world, but also adds a significant milestone to his rapidly expanding legacy.
“His career can’t be argued,” Du Plessis said of Adesanya’s resume. “He’s one of the greatest fighters ever. Not in the middleweight division, not in the UFC, but in MMA, one of the best to ever do it. While he’s still in the organization, I’m holding the belt, which makes it pretty evident that there’s something special [about me] and there’s something different.
“There’s definitely that extra motivation defending this title, and in a fight of this magnitude. It’s not my first headliner. My previous one I was a contender. As a champion it makes no difference. But the magnitude of this fight, myself vs Adesanya, this fight’s been in the making for almost two years.”
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These two have been at odds with one another for, as Du Plessis said, years. Their now heated rivalry was ignited at UFC 290, when Du Plessis finished Whittaker in the second round to earn his shot at UFC gold.
At the time, Adesanya was the reigning 185-pound champion and was watching from the stands. As soon as the fight ended, Du Plessis invited Adesanya into the Octagon for a very intense faceoff. The two met face-to-face again last month at a UFC 305 press conference, where they locked eyes for 90 seconds before heading offstage.
“It’s never, ever personal,” Du Plessis said. “It never has been, and it never will be. There’s nothing that can be said, there’s nothing that can be done that’s going to have an effect on me, mentally or emotionally. It’s strictly business when I get in there. I go out there and I’m mentally unbreakable. That’s my biggest attribute. I go out there and I see it for what it is. There’s no insult, there’s nothing anybody can say. He’s obviously emotional going in, but I’m not.
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“When it’s a press conference, I answer the question that’s given to me, and if my opponent is treating me with respect, then I will return the favor. But if you’re going to try to push me around, bully me on that mic, I will do to you exactly what I will do in the fight: I will not allow it. I think that is a big key for me and a big weapon that I have is to be able to shut down anything that happened previously, anything that happens outside the Octagon and focusing on the task at hand, and that’s winning the fight.”
Du Plessis has cruised through his UFC career with no hiccups, defeating seven straight opponents while finishing five of them and becoming middleweight champion. But amid all his success, he still receives constant criticism from fans on his unique fighting style, even being called a “gorilla on roller skates.” But if it’s gotten him this far, why fix what isn’t broke?
“It’s easy to be on the outside and looking at my fights and going, ‘This is not good, he got lucky,’” Du Plessis said. “I’ve been lucky quite a few times. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve held a title and multiple titles in every organization I’ve ever fought in. I’m currently the No. 1 middleweight on planet Earth.
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“When it comes to the way I fight, every fight is different. It’s unorthodox, but when I’m doing it, I know exactly why I’m doing it. And what I’m doing. It’s hard to figure that out, because to find somebody to imitate my style, which I’ve heard is a very weird style, is really hard to do. What makes myself different is I don’t try to fight like anybody else. I don’t try to adhere to the norm of this is how you should look, because that’s the critique I’ve been getting for my whole UFC career, that it doesn’t look right. A gorilla on roller skates is what somebody said.”
While I couldn’t help but laugh at what seemed like an outlandish metaphor, Du Plessis actually agreed with it.
“I mean that’s a pretty good comparison,” Du Plessis said smiling. “I look at the fights and I’m like, ‘OK, that makes sense.’ But I don’t want to adhere to what looks good. What looks good is a world title around your waist.”
And that’s exactly how he envisions Saturday night ending: with the belt wrapped around his waist. History shows it’s nearly impossible to finish Adesanya before the final horn; he’s been stopped only once in his 27-fight mixed martial arts career.
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But if Du Plessis can implement his game plan from the start, he doesn’t expect UFC 305’s main event to last more than 15 minutes.
“I know his prediction was a first-round knockout,” Du Plessis said. “In that case, he needs to come forward and make it a dog fight, which I doubt and which I would love. If that Izzy shows up, this fight’s not going past round two. If the Izzy shows up that we’ve been seeing, I’ll be able to get him out of there in three rounds, for sure.”
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs Adesanya took place live from RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia on August 17, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!