Dricus Du Plessis receives an encouraging message from his fiancée after his recent loss.
On Saturday night at Chicago’s United Center, Du Plessis dropped his middleweight title after a lopsided unanimous decision defeat to Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 319 main event.
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The fight unfolded as expected, with Chimaev immediately asserting his dominance by taking Du Plessis down and keeping him grounded throughout the first round. That approach defined the bout, as “Borz” repeatedly controlled the South African on the canvas over five rounds, landing 12 of 17 takedowns and leaving Du Plessis little room to mount any offense.
On the ground, Chimaev moved Du Plessis across the Octagon at will, landing ground strikes that, while not heavily damaging, prevented any meaningful counterattack. It wasn’t until the fifth round that "Stillknocks" found a brief spark with his striking, landing some clean shots, but it was too late to turn the tide. The judges unanimously scored the fight 50-44, handing Chimaev a dominant win and crowning him the new UFC middleweight champion.
In the wake of his loss, Dricus Du Plessis finds comfort and encouragement from his closest loved ones.
After his tough defeat at UFC 319, Dricus Du Plessis’ fiancée, Vasti Spiller, turned to social media to send an uplifting message to “Stillknocks,” proving she remains a constant pillar of support in his life.
"My world. This is just the beginning," Spiller posted on Instagram.
This defeat marked Du Plessis’ first loss in the UFC since his debut in October 2020. Before that, “Stillknocks” hadn’t experienced defeat since October 2018 at KSW 45, where he suffered a third-round TKO at the hands of Roberto Soldić.
The 31-year-old South African captured the UFC middleweight title in January 2024, defeating Sean Strickland via split decision at UFC 297. He then successfully defended his belt twice, first against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 and later in a rematch with Strickland at UFC 312.
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