Dricus Du Plessis, known to fans as “Stillknocks,” made history as the first South African to win a UFC championship, and he’s still one of the most exciting fighters in the middleweight division heading into the back half of 2026.
Dricus Du Plessis’ Biography
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Dricus du Plessis |
| Nickname | Stillknocks (DDP) |
| Date of Birth | 14 January 1994 |
| Age | 32 years |
| Birthplace | Welkom, Orange Free State (now Free State), South Africa |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | South African |
| Height | 6’0″ (183 cm) |
| Weight Class | Middleweight (185 lb) |
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) |
| Gym / Team | Team CIT MMA, Pretoria |
| Professional Debut | 25 July 2013 |
| Current Ranking | #2 UFC Middleweight (as of August 2026) |
| MMA Record | 24 wins, 3 losses (27 fights) |
| Net Worth | Estimated $5–6 million |
| Relationship Status | Engaged |
| Fiancée | Vasti Spiller |
| Children | N/A |
| Instagram Profile | @dricusduplessis |
Early Career
Du Plessis grew up playing rugby and started martial arts young, training judo at five, wrestling at twelve, and kickboxing at fourteen. He won gold at the 2012 WAKO Junior World Championships in kickboxing before switching to MMA, turning pro in 2013 with South Africa’s Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC).
He captured both the EFC welterweight and middleweight titles, then briefly held the KSW welterweight belt in Poland before losing it in a rematch.
Professional Career
Du Plessis signed with the UFC in 2020 and debuted with a first-round knockout of Markus Perez. He rattled off nine straight wins, including finishes of Darren Till and Robert Whittaker, before dethroning Sean Strickland via split decision at UFC 297 in January 2024 to become the first South African UFC champion.
He defended the title against Israel Adesanya and Strickland again before losing it to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August 2025. He bounced back in July 2026 with a dominant decision win over Kamaru Usman, reclaiming his spot as the No. 2-ranked middleweight and setting up a potential title rematch.
Engaged
Dricus Du Plessis is engaged to Vasti Spiller, a South African photographer, boxing coach, and entrepreneur he met through the CIT boxing gym scene in Pretoria. He proposed on 14 January 2025, his 31st birthday, during a celebration surrounded by friends and family, and she said yes on the spot. The couple does not have any children together, and as of publicly available information, no official wedding date has been confirmed, though a wedding registry listing suggests plans for August 2026. Du Plessis rarely shares personal details publicly, but Spiller occasionally posts about their relationship on social media.
Dricus Du Plessis’ Net Worth Details
As of 2026, Most public estimates put Dricus Du Plessis’s net worth somewhere between $5 million and $6.2 million.
Fight Purses
| Fight | Event | Date | Reported Purse |
| vs. Darren Till | UFC 282 | 10 Dec 2022 | $80,000 show + $80,000 win |
| vs. Derek Brunson | UFC 285 | 4 Mar 2023 | $100,000 show + $100,000 win |
| vs. Robert Whittaker | UFC 290 | 8 Jul 2023 | $150,000 show + $150,000 win |
| vs. Sean Strickland (Title win) | UFC 297 | 20 Jan 2024 | $750,000 (incl. $50,000 bonus) |
| vs. Israel Adesanya | UFC 305 | 18 Aug 2024 | $800,000 |
| vs. Sean Strickland 2 | UFC 312 | 9 Feb 2025 | ~$2.14 million (incl. PPV & sponsorship) |
| vs. Khamzat Chimaev | UFC 319 | 16 Aug 2025 | ~$3 million (incl. PPV, no win bonus) |
| vs. Kamaru Usman | UFC Fight Night 281 | 18 Jul 2026 | $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus |
Career Earnings
| Source | Estimated Earnings |
| Total documented UFC fight purses | Over $2.1 million (base and win bonuses alone) |
| PPV revenue share (title fights) | Estimated $400,000–$600,000 per title defense |
| Endorsement and sponsorship deals | $30,000–$50,000 per bout, plus multiple annual brand deals |
| Business ventures (gym, real estate) | Not publicly available (exact figures undisclosed) |
| Estimated total net worth (2026) | $5–6.2 million |
Endorsements
Dricus Du Plessis has built a solid endorsement portfolio centered on South African and African brands, leveraging his status as the country’s first UFC champion. Reported deals include partnerships with a major South African bank, a sports apparel brand, a telecommunications company, and a nutrition/supplement brand, together reportedly worth several hundred thousand dollars a year.
He’s also picked up appearance fees for South African TV spots and has been linked to brand ambassador roles across the continent, though exact contract values for most of these deals are not publicly disclosed.
Championships & Achievements
| Title / Award | Detail |
| UFC Middleweight Championship | Won at UFC 297 (Jan 2024); two successful defenses |
| First South African UFC Champion | Historic first for the country |
| EFC Middleweight Champion | Former titleholder |
| EFC Welterweight Champion | Former titleholder |
| KSW Welterweight Champion | Former titleholder |
| WAKO Junior World Championship (Kickboxing) | Gold, 2012 |
| UFC Fight of the Night | 3 times (Till, Strickland 1, Usman) |
| UFC Performance of the Night | 2 times (Giles, Whittaker) |
| World MMA Awards | 2024 International Fighter of the Year |
Fight Record
| Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Event |
| Feb 8, 2025 | Sean Strickland | Win (Unanimous) | Decision | UFC 312 |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Israel Adesanya | Win | Submission (R4) | UFC 305 |
| Jan 20, 2024 | Sean Strickland | Win (Split) | Decision | UFC 297 |
| Jul 8, 2023 | Robert Whittaker | Win | KO/TKO (R2) | UFC 290 |
| Mar 4, 2023 | Derek Brunson | Win | KO/TKO (R2) | UFC 285 |
| Dec 10, 2022 | Darren Till | Win | Submission (R3) | UFC 282 |
| Jul 2, 2022 | Brad Tavares | Win | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 276 |
| Jul 10, 2021 | Trevin Giles | Win | KO/TKO (R2) | UFC 264 |
| Oct 10, 2020 | Markus Perez | Win | KO/TKO (R1) | UFC Fight Night |
| Oct 6, 2018 | Roberto Soldić | Win | KO/TKO (R3) | KSW 45 |
FAQs
1. Who is Dricus Du Plessis?
Dricus “Stillknocks” Du Plessis is a South African professional mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC middleweight division. He became the first South African to win a UFC championship.
2. What is Dricus Du Plessis’s MMA record?
Du Plessis has a professional MMA record of 24 wins and 3 losses.
3. How old is Dricus Du Plessis?
He was born on January 14, 1994, in Welkom, South Africa.
4. What weight class does Dricus Du Plessis fight in?
He fights at middleweight, a division with a 185-pound non-title weight limit in the UFC.
5. Was Dricus Du Plessis a UFC champion?
Yes. He won the UFC middleweight title by split decision over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 on January 20, 2024.
6. How many times did Dricus Du Plessis defend the UFC middleweight title?
He made two successful title defenses: against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 and Sean Strickland in their rematch at UFC 312.
7. Who did Dricus Du Plessis beat to win the UFC title?
He defeated then-champion Sean Strickland by split decision in a five-round fight at UFC 297.
8. How did Dricus Du Plessis defeat Israel Adesanya?
Du Plessis submitted Adesanya with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round at UFC 305 on August 17, 2024.
9. Why is Dricus Du Plessis called “Stillknocks”?
His brother gave him the nickname after Du Plessis’s amateur K-1 kickboxing career, in which he said he went 33–0 with 30 knockouts.
10. What is Dricus Du Plessis’s fighting style and background?
He has a combat-sports base in judo, wrestling, and K-1 kickboxing. In MMA, he is known for aggressive pressure, versatile striking, grappling, and a strong finishing record, with nine knockout wins and 11 submission wins listed by the