Dricus du Plessis

Dricus du Plessis Jr. is a South African mixed martial artist who is currently the champion of the middleweight division (185 lbs) of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Du Plessis was born on January 14, 1994, in Hatfield, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa. Known for his awkward but powerful fighting style, du Plessis earned him the moniker "Stillknocks."

Before joining the UFC, du Plessis won the EFC Middleweight title twice and previously held the EFC Welterweight Championship. He has also been a former titleholder in the KSW Welterweight division. Currently, du Plessis holds the UFC middleweight belt after winning it from Sean Strickland at UFC 297 on January 20, 2024.

Dricus du Plessis Personal Information

Name	Dricus du Plessis
Age	31
DOB	January 14, 1994
Nationality	South African
Mother Name	Japie du Plessis
Father name	Gerda du Plessis
Profession	MMA Fighter
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg) - Middleweight
Education	University of Pretoria
Relationship Status	In a relationship with Vasti Spiller

Dricus du Plessis Early Life

Dricus ‘Stillknocks’ du Plessis was born on January 14, 1994, in Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa. He began training in judo at the age of five, wrestling at twelve, and kickboxing at fourteen. In 2012, he won a gold medal in K-1 style kickboxing at the WAKO World Championships, becoming South Africa’s first medalist in the event. However, he later switched to mixed martial arts after realizing that there was not as much money in kickboxing.

Du Plessis had three amateur bouts before making his professional debut in 2013. He compiled a 4-0 record before facing future UFC fighter and then-EFC Middleweight Champion Garreth McLellan at EFC Africa 33, losing via guillotine choke submission in the third round. In June 2015, he made his Welterweight debut at EFC Africa 40 against Dino Bagattin, winning via a second-round rear-naked choke submission. After going 3-0 in 2015, he faced veteran striker Martin Van Staden at EFC 50 for the vacant EFC Welterweight Championship, winning via guillotine choke submission in the third round.

Dricus du Plessis Personal Life

As a fighter, Dricus du Plessis had an impairment with his nose, which ultimately led to him gassing out very early in his fights. However, in April of 2023, du Plessis underwent surgery to fix this impairment. His coach, Morne Visser, posted on Instagram that du Plessis had been competing in the UFC with “only 8% oxygen” intake through his nostrils. However, a sports doctor later shut down this claim. In a recent interview, du Plessis stated that this surgery drastically improved his cardio during fights, which was evident in his clash against Sean Strickland at UFC 297.

Dricus du Plessis Girlfriend

Vasti Spiller, a businesswoman who runs her own photography agency, is Dricus du Plessis' girlfriend. In her spare time, she also coaches boxing and has also authored a book called ‘The Art of Loving.’

Dricus du Plessis Social Media

Dricus du Plessis has social media accounts on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter). du Plessis’ Instagram page is filled with posts of his training montages, fight promotions, physique updates, and sponsorship posts. He boasts an impressive follower count of over 678,000 on Instagram and over 116,000 on X.

Dricus du Plessis Endorsements

Dricus du Plessis has inked several endorsement agreements during his career, expanding his brand partnerships. Some of these brands include Titan Secure, Ultimate Sports Nutrition, Hennies, World Sports Betting, and Aldo Shoes.

Dricus du Plessis MMA Record

As of February 4, 2025, Dricus du Plessis holds a remarkable professional MMA record of 22 wins and 2 losses (22-2-0). Du Plessis made his presence felt by making his UFC debut in 2020, winning via KO against Markus Perez. Throughout his career, ‘Stillknocks’ has faced fierce opponents such as Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and Sean Strickland, earning accolades like Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night. Of his 22 wins, 9 victories came via knockouts, 11 by submitting his opponent, and only 2 by decision. Of his eight appearances in the UFC, du Plessis has won all eight of them, with 6 wins coming via stoppage and 2 through a judge’s decision.

Dricus du Plessis Losses

Dricus du Plessis has suffered 2 losses in his MMA career, but none of them have come inside the UFC octagon.

Garreth McLellan (August 30, 2014 - EFC 33)

Dricus du Plessis suffered his first professional loss with a submission (guillotine choke) by Garreth McLellan during EFC 33 on August 30, 2014, in Gauteng, South Africa. The bout was for the EFC Middleweight Championship, and the defeat occurred in the 3rd round at 2 minutes and 12 seconds.

Roberto Soldic (October 6, 2018 - KSW 45)

Roberto Soldic and Dricus du Plessis rematched at KSW 45: De Fries vs. Bedorf after du Plessis won their first encounter. However, the tables were turned this time, resulting in du Plessis experiencing a third-round knockout and his second loss in professional MMA.

Dricus du Plessis House

Dricus du Plessis resides and fights out of Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa.

Dricus du Plessis Cars

According to his Instagram page, Dricus du Plessis’ car collection consists of a Mercedes-AMG EQE Sedan and a white BMW.