Dricus Du Plessis says details of next fight to be revealed this week

UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has revealed that full details of his next title defense will be made public within the coming week, though the South African did not name his opponent or disclose a location or date for the bout.

Du Plessis, 32, carries a 23-3-0 record and holds the middleweight title while sitting seventh in the pound-for-pound rankings. Fighting out of Team CIT, the switch-stance striker is one of the division's most active offensive threats, landing 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy and adding 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes to his arsenal. His reach measures a 76-inch, 193 cm frame at six-foot-one.

Three names have emerged as the likeliest challengers. Nassourdine Imavov is the division's top-ranked contender at number one. The 30-year-old Frenchman from MMA Factory stands six-foot-three with a 191 cm reach and owns a 17-4-0 record. He lands 4.28 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy and averages one submission attempt per 15 minutes.

Caio Borralho sits at number four in the rankings. The 33-year-old Brazilian, known as The Natural, is 18-2-0 and competes as a southpaw with a 75-inch reach. His 56 percent striking accuracy is the highest among the three candidates, and he posts 3.44 significant strikes per minute.

Why it matters

• Du Plessis is ranked seventh pound-for-pound, and the choice of opponent will signal how the UFC intends to rebuild the middleweight title picture.
• Imavov's status as the number-one contender gives him the strongest divisional claim heading into the announcement.
• Borralho's unbeaten run in the UFC has elevated him rapidly, keeping him in the conversation despite a lower ranking than Imavov.