Dricus Du Plessis says he wants his next middleweight bout against Kamaru Usman to silence questions about his grappling and wrestling, not just his striking. He argues that beating another pure striker would add little to his legacy after twice defeating Sean Strickland. Du Plessis points to Usman's wrestling background, his win over Strickland, and a close fight with Khamzat Chimaev as proof that the matchup tests every dimension of his game.
Dricus Du Plessis has explained why a middleweight showdown with Kamaru Usman is the fight he wants next, framing it as a deliberate test of his complete skill set rather than another showcase of his striking.
The South African holds a 23-3-0 record and sits at number two in the middleweight rankings, with a top-ten pound-for-pound position at number seven. At 32 years old, Du Plessis fights out of Team CIT out of a switch stance, standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach. His numbers reflect a well-rounded game — he lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy while also averaging 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes, a figure that underlines the wrestling credentials he is looking to showcase.
Du Plessis argues that returning to face another pure striker following his two victories over Sean Strickland would offer diminishing returns for his legacy. Strickland, who holds a 31-7-0 record and carries the middleweight title, is one of the division's highest-volume strikers at 6.04 significant strikes per minute. Du Plessis has already solved that puzzle twice.
Instead, Du Plessis points to Usman's wrestling pedigree, Usman's own win over Strickland, and his own close contest with Khamzat Chimaev as reasons why the matchup demands more from him. Chimaev, the current number-one middleweight contender at 15-1-0, averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes — among the most aggressive wrestling rates in the division — and Du Plessis survived that pressure.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis is looking to validate his grappling and wrestling credentials alongside his striking reputation
- A win over Usman, a decorated wrestler, would strengthen the argument for his place among the division's all-time greats
- The matchup carries clear title implications, with Du Plessis ranked second behind Chimaev in a division still searching for an undisputed champion
