Dricus du Plessis Names Mirko Cro Cop Footage as an Early
Dricus du Plessis has described watching Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović fight videos online and becoming fascinated by kickboxing and mixed martial arts. Combat-sports films and fight footage were among the influences that drew him toward the sport.
The interview below is a MightyCast episode hosted by former champion Demetrious Johnson. Du Plessis discusses his background and influences.
From rugby to combat sports
Du Plessis grew up in South Africa playing rugby, which he has described as his first sporting love. His interest in combat sports developed over time rather than through a single Hollywood moment. In a Sportsnet profile, he recalled becoming captivated by fight films and video footage, then starting K-1 kickboxing training around age 14 or 15. That account gives a useful timeline: the images caught his attention, training turned curiosity into a serious pursuit, and years of competition followed.
Another interview, reported by MMA News, identifies Cro Cop as a central influence. Du Plessis said that while he was playing rugby he watched the Croatian heavyweight’s clips on YouTube and became drawn to kickboxing. Cro Cop was known for high-level kickboxing before and during his mixed martial arts career, and his powerful left-leg kicks made him one of the most recognizable fighters of his generation. For a young viewer, those clips offered a direct look at the speed, technique, and impact of the sport.
Du Plessis has spoken about movies and fight footage broadly, and separately credited Cro Cop’s videos as a formative influence.
Watching became training
Du Plessis’s path was not an instant leap from fan to elite athlete. He began training in kickboxing as a teenager and competed in striking before adding the broader skill set needed for mixed martial arts. In the MightyCast conversation, the discussion moves from the transition between kickboxing and mixed martial arts to the influences that first drew him in, then to his first amateur bout. Those stages show how inspiration became routine: classes, preparation, competition, and learning how to combine different disciplines.
He later built a record across several organizations before reaching the sport’s leading global promotion. He became the first South African to win its middleweight championship, defeating Sean Strickland by split decision in January 2024. Du Plessis then defended the belt against Israel Adesanya and Strickland before losing it to Khamzat Chimaev at the August 2025 title fight.
Du Plessis’s early curiosity came from a mix of combat-sports films and fight videos, and he has singled out Cro Cop’s footage as a key influence while he was still involved in rugby. He began training as a teenager and kept developing from there.
Sources
MightyCast with Demetrious Johnson: du Plessis interview · MMA News report on Cro Cop’s influence · Sportsnet profile on du Plessis’s path into fighting · Official results from the August 2025 title fight
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
