UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis was one of the most successful fighters in 2024. DDP not only captured the belt from Sean Strickland, but he also shut down all his doubters by defending the belt against Israel Adesanya. The South African fighter has a weird yet successful fighting style that has intrigued many legends.
In his last fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, DDP had much success over the former champion everywhere and submitted him. Even though Izzy is known for his takedown defense, Du Plessis was successful in getting him down. While there is an official record of his wrestling background, UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen recently shared an insider regarding it.
Dricus used to train with the South African National team in Greco Roman…I cannot prove that…I had people in the comments section day that Dricus grew up kickboxing…when I go online, I can’t find college wrestling, high school wrestling.
Chael Sonnen via his YouTube channel
Sonnen mentioned a Greco-Roman wrestler from the US, who trained with Du Plessis, supporting his argument. The UFC veteran also emphasized Du Plessis’s Muay Thai background, showcasing the diversity of the middleweight champion’s fighting skills. While Sonnen struggled to fully understand Du Plessis’s unorthodox fighting style, he acknowledged the South African’s knack for consistently winning fights.
UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall recently shared a similar perspective about the unpredictable fighting style of DDP. The Brit observed that the champion often executes techniques unconventionally, but still dominates opponents and secures impressive victories. As per many experts, Du Plessis’s unpredictability is a major factor in making him an incredibly challenging opponent to face.
Dricus Du Plessis talks about his fighting style
Dricus Du Plessis‘s rise to the top of UFC has been exponential in the last few years. Since his debut back in 2020, the middleweight fighter has fought off big names such as Darren Till, Robert Whittaker, etc. Most of his fights ended with a finish, which ultimately led him to the title shot against Sean Strickland.
Dricus Du Plessis fighting Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 (via X)Even though that fight was controversial, Du Plessis proved his mettle during his recent title defense. As a result, the whole MMA community started breaking down his technique. In an interview, the fighter hilarious denied all these assumptions.
People are going, ‘Look how he’s stepping in with his foot.’ People are breaking down my style, and saying how smart it is. And a lot of those things, I go, ‘What are you talking about?’ I don’t even think about that.
Dricus Du Plessis via SHAK MMA
Currently, Du Plessis is scheduled to defend his title for the second time against former champion Sean Strickland. The fight will take place at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia and the hype around it is huge. The ongoing rivalry between both fighters has further raised expectations from the fight fans.
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