UFC 305: Paradoxical Champion Dricus du Plessis Continues to Defy Odds

If it weren’t for the fact that he keeps winning every time, you might be able to convince yourself that UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis isn’t that great of a fighter.

If you go by his looks alone, maybe. If you only watched the early parts of his fights, like when he threw himself at Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305. Or even later, when he was getting his ribs tenderized with punches and kicks while looking like a man who wished he could call a timeout and sit down for a moment. Then you’d be forgiven for thinking this guy was far from the best middleweight in the world.

But keep watching and, sure enough, sooner or later, he’ll find a way to win. Against Adesanya, the champion needed only a tiny opening provided by a momentary defensive lapse. And though moments before he looked tired and drained, struggling reluctantly to get up and fight, when his moment came, du Plessis jumped on Adesanya’s back and clamped down on the choke to force the tap at the end of the fourth round.

Du Plessis has beaten (almost) everyone who has held the UFC middleweight belt in the last seven years. The only exception is Alex Pereira, who held the belt for less than six months and has since moved up to light heavyweight.

Today, after just eight fights and just under four full years in the UFC, du Plessis has reached the top of the mountain and stayed there at least long enough to take a good look around. At no point has he seemed dominant or invulnerable. At times, his success doesn’t even seem to make sense. Yet here it is, as disconcerting and inevitable as any other paradox in the known universe.

Whatever one may think of his success or its duration, we ultimately have to admit that du Plessis deserves that title around his waist. If he hadn’t, someone would have beaten him by now. And at least during his time in the UFC, that simply hasn’t happened. We may not be able to understand how he keeps winning these fights, but maybe we don’t have to. The facts speak for themselves and they are undeniable.

As for what happens next, it’s a little more complicated. Sean Strickland, who had a cup of coffee with the middleweight belt before losing it to du Plessis earlier this year, thinks he should be next in line. Pereira, who seems to think he could still go down to 185 pounds with the right motivation, also raised the idea of ​​a return. Then there’s Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev who are due to face off (or so we’re told) in October, and the winner could have a strong claim to the next title.

The thing about being a champion who is used to tiptoeing to victory before leaping into victory is that there is never a shortage of people who think they might be the one to finally beat you. Du Plessis is…