UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has acknowledged Conor McGregor's significant contribution to the growth of mixed martial arts. The South African fighter noted that while people say no one can be bigger than the sport itself, McGregor managed to achieve exactly that status. Du Plessis's comments recognize the Irish superstar's unprecedented impact on MMA's popularity and mainstream appeal. The post indicates that du Plessis believes McGregor definitively made a major contribution to the sport's development. This represents praise from a current champion for a former two-division titleholder's legacy beyond just fighting.
UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has publicly credited Conor McGregor with playing a defining role in the growth of mixed martial arts, offering rare praise from a reigning titleholder for the Irish star's broader legacy.
Du Plessis, 32, holds the middleweight title and sits seventh in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings with a professional record of 23-3. The South African fighter trains out of Team CIT and has built a reputation as one of the most dangerous men in the 185-pound division, landing 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy while also threatening consistently on the ground with 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes. He is ranked second in the middleweight division.
McGregor, 37, carries a career record of 22-6 and built his reputation as a two-division UFC champion out of SBG Ireland. The Irishman averaged 5.32 significant strikes per minute across his career at 49 percent accuracy, and his fights regularly shattered pay-per-view records during the peak years of his run. His crossover appeal brought MMA to audiences far outside the sport's traditional fanbase.
Du Plessis acknowledged that the common belief holds no individual can be bigger than the sport itself, but argued McGregor managed to transcend that idea entirely. His comments frame McGregor's contribution not simply as athletic achievement but as a cultural force that expanded MMA's mainstream footprint in ways few fighters have come close to replicating.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis is the current middleweight champion, giving his words added weight within the MMA community
- McGregor's commercial legacy continues to shape how the sport is marketed and broadcast globally
- Recognition from an active champion reinforces the lasting relevance of McGregor's impact even as his fighting career remains in question
