Dricus du Plessis, nicknamed "Stillknocks" or DDP, is a South African professional mixed martial artist competing in the UFC middleweight division.[1][2][4] Born on January 14, 1994, in Welkom, South Africa, he began training in judo at age five, added wrestling at twelve, and kickboxing at fourteen, achieving an undefeated 33-0 amateur kickboxing record with 30 knockouts and becoming South Africa's first WAKO World Champion in K-1 style at age 17.[1][2][3] Du Plessis turned professional in MMA in 2013, compiling a 4-0 record before his first loss by guillotine choke to Garreth McLellan in EFC Africa 33.[1][3][4] He rebounded to claim welterweight and middleweight titles in Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) and the welterweight belt in Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW).[1][2][4] Joining the UFC in 2020, he maintained an 8-0 record in the promotion, showcasing a well-rounded style with 9 knockouts and 11 submissions in his 24-2 overall career.[2][3][4] Key achievements include defeating Derek Brunson by TKO at UFC 285 (2023), Robert Whittaker by TKO at UFC 290 (2023) to earn a title shot, and winning the UFC middleweight championship—becoming the first South African to do so—against Sean Strickland in 2024.[2][4] He made successful defenses via fourth-round face crank submission over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 (August 2024) and unanimous decision rematch against Strickland at UFC 312 (February 2025).[4] As of August 2025, du Plessis held the #1 UFC middleweight ranking and #11 pound-for-pound, training at CIT Performance Institute in Pretoria.[1][4][7] He lost the title to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025, marking a pivotal recent event.[6] Standing 6'1" at 185 lbs, his aggressive, resilient style and national pride define his prominence in MMA.[3][5]