Is Dricus du Plessis' brother Niel also an MMA fighter? A look into the South African's family

Dricus du Plessis' brother Niel has long been an important part of the stellar support system for the UFC star. Du Plessis is the reigning UFC middleweight champion, who boasts a professional MMA record of 22 victories and two defeats. Besides, 'Stillknocks' is 8-0 in the UFC thus far.

In his most recent fight, which transpired at UFC 305 (Aug. 2024), du Plessis defeated Israel Adesanya by fourth-round submission to secure his first middleweight title defense. Intriguingly, Niel du Plessis accompanied him to the fight, as did a few other members of their family, including their parents.

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Is Dricus du Plessis' brother Niel also an MMA fighter?

Dricus du Plessis has two older brothers -- WC du Plessis and Niel du Plessis. While WC du Plessis, the CEO of Orzella Investments, doesn't compete in the sport of MMA, Niel du Plessis has been a professional MMA fighter akin to their younger brother Dricus. Niel is also a lawyer, who operates his own law practice in their native South Africa.

Niel has a professional MMA record of three victories and two defeats. Like Dricus, he's fought in the welterweight and middleweight divisions. Niel has not competed professionally since March 2020, when he suffered a second-round submission loss against Stefan Pretorius at EFC 84.

All five of his pro mixed martial arts bouts took place in the EFC (Extreme Fighting Championship), a South Africa-based MMA organization. Niel du Plessis and Dricus du Plessis have extensively competed in Judo and kickboxing over the years, besides also honing their wrestling and Jiu-jitsu prowess.

Du Plessis' parents, father Japie du Plessis and mother Gerda du Plessis are also strong supporters of their youngest son's MMA career. They'd notably made waves in a heartwarming reunion backstage after Dricus' title-winning performance against Sean Strickland in January 2024.

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When Dricus du Plessis' brother Neil shared his thoughts on balancing MMA career with a full-time job

In February 2024, Niel du Plessis appeared on The MSP Show hosted by UFC bantamweight Cameron Saaiman, a fellow South African MMA fighter. The duo discussed Niel's love for training, participation in grappling competitions, and more.

Starting off the podcast episode, Niel acknowledged a running joke in the MMA community about fans calling for a fight between him and David Adesanya, a social media influencer who's Dricus' archrival Israel Adesanya's brother. Niel lightheartedly pointed out that he'd surely defeat David if they were to fight one another.

Furthermore, Cameron Saaiman notably asked Niel about how he balances his training with his full-time job. Niel responded by suggesting that an individual can achieve a certain level of success while juggling a job with a fighting career.

Nevertheless, he seemingly emphasized that you ought to focus on fighting on a full-time basis if you intend to rise to a world championship level in the UFC or another organization. Niel stated:

"That entire thought process, you can't switch that off for the time being if you wanna become a world champion, like in the UFC or any other competitive organization. Like, you have to sacrifice yourself for the sport. There's no both ways."

Watch Niel du Plessis and Cameron Saaiman address the topic below (27:02-29:12):