Dricus du Plessis
South African MMA star Dricus du Plessis is already back in training, determined to rebuild after losing his UFC middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025.
The former champion endured a punishing five-round battle with the Russian-born fighter, who ultimately claimed a unanimous decision victory.
The defeat ended Du Plessis’s reign and exposed areas in his game that needed refining, most notably, his wrestling.
In the aftermath, Du Plessis and his team decided not to rush back into the octagon. His coach, Morne Visser, revealed that the focus now is on improving the technical flaws that Chimaev exploited. “Our focus is clear, improve the wrestling, get stronger, and prepare to face Chimaev again,” Visser said.
On Saturday, 18 October, Du Plessis shared new training photos on Instagram, showing him in full grind mode, working intensely on his grappling and takedown defence. Fans praised his determination, noting that the fighter seemed hungrier than ever to reclaim his belt.
As speculation grows about his next opponent, many in the MMA community believe Du Plessis will take one or two fights before challenging for the title again.
Brazilian powerhouse Paulo Costa has emerged as a strong contender, especially after issuing a public callout.
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen called the potential matchup a perfect fit. “Costa issued the callout, and he nailed it. There might not be a better fight available for Du Plessis right now, it’s a competitive, exciting matchup for both men,” Sonnen remarked.
Analyst Brian Darrell echoed the sentiment that Du Plessis needs to rebuild from the ground up, saying the South African’s strength alone wasn’t enough against Chimaev’s dominant wrestling.
“He needs to go back to the drawing board,” Darrell said, adding that the team must take lessons from how Chimaev controlled the fight.
