Dricus Du Plessis | A New Era at Middleweight?

Would you believe middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is already on the cusp of a third title defense?

It feels like just yesterday he was knocking out Trevin Giles on the undercard of UFC 264: Poirier vs McGregor 3 as a prospect buried deep on a blockbuster card. That was only a few years ago, yet, here he is, potentially one win away from cementing place among the UFC elite.

Du Plessis’ rise has been fast and dominant. The 31-year-old may not have made things look easy at the start of his UFC career, facing some adversity in his matchups with Darren Till and Derek Brunson, but he sharpened his game at the perfect time.

At UFC 290, Du Plessis earned an opportunity to face Robert Whittaker…