Dricus du Plessis has already accomplished a lot in his UFC career following five years with the promotion.
‘Stillknocks’ has quickly risen to the top of the sport and he’s no stranger to the spotlight, with du Plessis set to compete in another huge matchup next time out.
Du Plessis will look to become the first person to beat Khamzat Chimaev when he attempts to defend the middleweight title for the third time at UFC 319.
His wins over the likes of Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker have cemented his status as the best 185 pound fighter in the world.
This wasn’t immediately apparent from his first few fights inside the Octagon where many fans were somewhat critical of his performances.
Dricus du Plessis reflects on being ‘terrified’ for his short notice UFC debut on Fight Island
In a recent video posted on his social media platforms in collaboration with Betway, Dricus du Plessis reflected on being with the UFC for five years.
After earning one last win in South African promotion EFC following his brief stint in KSW, ‘Stillknocks’ received the UFC call in less than ideal circumstances.
Markus Perez needed a replacement opponent for his bout on Fight Island after Rodolfo Vieira withdrew several weeks out from the matchup.
Du Plessis stepped in and though commentators warned that he could be experiencing some Octagon jitters in the early stages of the fight after an unsettled start to the contest, the South African produced a quick win after dropping Perez with a left hand in the opening round.
Having stated that he recently watched the fight back, the current champion suggested that the commentators were along the right lines, with him feeling the pressure of his debut, which his opponent capitalized on by fighting aggressively.
“The way it looked on TV, I had 10 days notice to make that. It was the least prepared I’ve ever been for a fight and the guy you see on TV that looks so composed, loving it, smiling, but inside, I was terrified.
“Got the first round knockout so I couldn’t really ask for a better debut but yeah, I mean, that fight was probably just as important as a title fight for me because that was the fight where, am I ready for this? Are they gonna put me in the losers pool? Are they even gonna keep me on? And I made it count.”
It took a long time for Dricus du Plessis to earn the respect that he felt he was owed
Dricus du Plessis’ UFC debut is fascinating to look back on and in some ways, it sums up his early UFC career.
The performance wasn’t pretty and it didn’t leave fans thinking that he would go on to become a champion but even when things weren’t necessarily going his way, he found a way to win and stopped his opponent.
This was the case in several of his wins, with there being plenty of criticism regarding his awkward style and gas tank, which have now been proven to be very effective.
The turning point for many fans was when he stopped Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 to earn a title shot, overcoming his toughest test at the time in style.