DRICUS DU PLESSIS | THE BIGGEST DOG IN THE YARD

Middleweight Champion Talks Goals, Second Fights, And Strategies Ahead Of UFC 312

By E. Spencer Kyte • Feb. 7, 2025

Last year, Dricus Du Plessis achieved what many would consider the ultimate goal, claiming UFC gold by coming out on the happy side of a split decision verdict in a hotly contested clash with Sean Strickland towards the end of January in frigid Toronto.

A little over a year later and just days away from sharing the Octagon with Strickland for a second time, the 31-year-old middleweight champion explained that while winning the title was certainly a goal, it has never been the goal that truly drives him.

“I think that is the purpose — that’s my purpose on this Earth — is to achieve…