Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis remains firmly focused on his future, declaring his intent to eventually capture the light heavyweight championship. While his primary goal is to regain the 185-pound belt he recently surrendered, the South African fighter expressed during an interview with Sias du Plessis that he is confident in his ability to secure gold at 205 pounds as well. Check out Dricus du Plessis’ comments below. Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at and more. He will have to wait quite a bit for a chance at the belt, while du Plessis wants the middleweight gold back.
The path to middleweight redemption is complicated by the current division landscape. Du Plessis is no longer the champion, having lost the title to Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319. That bout saw a dominant performance from Chimaev, who secured 12 takedowns and maintained control for over 21 minutes, resulting in a 50-44 unanimous decision victory across all three judges’ scorecards. The loss snapped du Plessis’s 11-fight winning streak and marked his first defeat since joining the UFC. Tarzan’ is also involved in a war of words with the UFC regarding his pay for the fight.
Currently, the middleweight belt is held by Sean Strickland.
Du Plessis holds a 2-0 record against Strickland, having defeated him by split decision at UFC 297 and by unanimous decision at UFC 312. Strickland, who recently reclaimed the title by handing Chimaev his first-ever MMA loss at UFC 328, is expected to defend his crown against Nassourdine Imavov. While a date for that encounter has not yet been finalized, negotiations have been marked by public disputes over pay, leaving du Plessis waiting for his opportunity to challenge for the title once more. Where the South African got a unanimous decision win, their second meeting was at UFC 312.
Despite the current roadblock in the middleweight rankings, the former champion is looking ahead to the future with clear ambition. His career trajectory continues to fuel his belief that he can move up in weight class and establish himself as a multi-divisional force, aiming to transition successfully to light heavyweight and secure a belt in that division following his efforts to reclaim his previous title.
