Dricus Du Plessis’s strength of schedule over the past two years has been nothing short of sensational.
Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) has faced the best of the best in the UFC’s middleweight division on his way to winning—and subsequently defending—the title.
The South African earned a title shot back in 2023 by navigating a tough No. 1 contender matchup against former champion Robert Whittaker. He then went on to dethrone Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in January 2024, becoming the first South African champion in UFC history.
His first title defense came later that year against the longtime king of the 185-pound division, Israel Adesanya, followed by another victory over Strickland at UFC 312 in February of this year.
Now, as he prepares to face Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 319 later this month, Du Plessis has been reflecting on that remarkable run of four consecutive fights against former UFC middleweight champions—and he knows exactly which of those opponents gave him the toughest challenge.
“My toughest opponent to date? Well, that's a very open-ended question because there were (many) fights that were the hardest for me,” Du Plessis told Betway this week. “I have to say probably Adesanya was the best guy I faced in his specific area. Probably the fight I was the most nervous for. Just in terms of how good he is, he can catch you with anything, anytime.”
Du Plessis’s win over “The Last Stylebender” at UFC 305 last year was a war of attrition, with both fighters coming close to finishing the fight before “DDP” submitted Adesanya in the fourth round.
“You know, all the time I spent looking up to him and studying him because he was the benchmark,” Du Plessis said. “Knowing what he's capable of. I think he is the best guy I've faced. And obviously, if you watch that fight, it was one hell of a fight. It was a tough night at the office for both of us.”
While Adesanya posed the toughest test for Du Plessis from a technical standpoint, the UFC middleweight champion points to the man he defeated to win the belt—Sean Strickland—as his most resilient opponent… along with one other surprise inclusion. “When you just go on pure toughness, you have to go with either Brad Tavares or Sean Strickland,” he said. “Just the amount of damage they were able to take and just keep going.”
