Dricus Du Plessis rejected a UFC proposal to enter an unofficial light heavyweight tournament, according to his head coach Morne Visser. The promotion asked three weeks ago for Du Plessis to move up to 205lbs and join a four-man pool with Jiri Prochazka, Magomed Ankalaev and Navajo Stirling, with the winners advancing to face one another and ultimately Carlos Ulberg in a Grand Prix-style format. Du Plessis is still pushing for another middleweight title shot against Sean Strickland, and reports suggest the UFC has offered $400k to show and $400k to win, which he wants increased.
Dricus Du Plessis has turned down a UFC proposal to move up to light heavyweight and enter an unofficial tournament, according to his head coach Morne Visser, as first reported by Bloody Elbow. The promotion reportedly approached him three weeks ago with a plan to place him in a four-man pool with Jiri Prochazka, Magomed Ankalaev and Navajo Stirling. The winners would advance to face one another and ultimately Carlos Ulberg in a Grand Prix-style format.
Du Plessis, 32, is a 24-3 middleweight ranked second in the division and seventh in the pound-for-pound rankings. The South African is still pushing for another title shot against champion Sean Strickland. Reports suggest the UFC has offered $400,000 to show and $400,000 to win, and his camp wants that figure increased.
His most recent recorded fight was a unanimous decision win over Kamaru Usman on July 18, 2026, which followed a unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev in a title fight in August 2025. Du Plessis lands 5.21 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy and averages 1.9 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Strickland, 35, holds the middleweight belt at 31-7. He won it by split decision over Chimaev on May 9, 2026, after a third-round TKO of Anthony Hernandez in February. The two have met twice. Du Plessis won a split decision at UFC 297 in January 2024, then took a unanimous decision at UFC 312 in February 2025, both five-round title fights.
Prochazka, 34, would have been one of Du Plessis's potential tournament opponents. The Czech fighter is ranked second at light heavyweight with a 32-6-1 record. He lost to Ulberg by first-round KO/TKO in a title fight on April 11, 2026. He lands 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, and stands at six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach, four inches longer than Du Plessis.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis is holding out for a rematch with the man he has beaten twice instead of changing divisions.
- The reported $400k/$400k offer is now a point of negotiation, with his camp seeking more.
- The UFC's tournament concept for 205 pounds would proceed without a former middleweight champion in the pool.
Jiri Prochazka vs Navajo Stirling
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