Dricus Du Plessis: Where Does He Rank Among the UFC’s
Du Plessis defeated Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 in July 2023. At UFC 312, du Plessis defended his middleweight title in a rematch with Sean Strickland. His subsequent record includes a July 2026 win over Kamaru Usman. The embedded video is TheWeasle’s analysis of UFC 312, not an official UFC broadcast.
What happened at UFC 312?
On February 8, 2025, du Plessis met Strickland in the main event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Du Plessis won by unanimous decision, with official scores of 50–45, 50–45 and 49–46, and retained the UFC middleweight championship. It was his second successful defense: he had submitted Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 after taking the title from Strickland at UFC 297. The official UFC 312 results and scorecards record the rematch and decision.
The wins behind his championship run
The Whittaker victory was a crucial step toward the belt, but it came at UFC 290 on July 8, 2023. Du Plessis stopped the former champion by strikes at 2:23 of round two. He then defeated Strickland by split decision at UFC 297 to win the middleweight title, submitted Adesanya by rear-naked choke at UFC 305, and beat Strickland again in their UFC 312 rematch. UFC’s UFC 297 event page, UFC 290 results and fighter record verify the earlier result and title history.
A title loss, then a strong return
Du Plessis’ championship reign ended at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025. Khamzat Chimaev controlled the five-round fight and won a unanimous decision, 50–44 on all three scorecards. Du Plessis did not remain champion, but he returned to the win column on July 18, 2026, defeating former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision in the UFC Oklahoma City main event. The official UFC 319 results and Oklahoma City results document both later chapters.
How does that résumé compare with the greats?
There is no official UFC list that settles an all-time middleweight ranking. A fair comparison should separate peak achievement from longevity. Du Plessis became champion, defended the belt twice against former titleholder Strickland and Adesanya, and owns notable wins over Whittaker and Usman. Those victories place him among the division’s defining modern competitors. His current résumé is shorter than the extended championship runs that make Anderson Silva and other long-reigning champions such demanding benchmarks.
So, after UFC 312, du Plessis had a credible case as one of the strongest middleweights of his era, and his second win over Strickland strengthened it. His later loss to Chimaev and victory over Usman add important context without erasing the title defenses. A precise all-time placement remains a judgment call: title defenses, quality of opposition, length of reign and performance over time can produce different rankings. His record provides the basis for comparing those achievements.
