Dricus Du Plessis and The South African MMA Scene

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 08: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts to the finish of his middleweight fight during the UFC 290 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 08, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

On the 20th of January Dricus Du Plessis will fight Sean Strickland for the UFC Middleweight championship belt. This will mark the first time a fighter from South Africa will fight for a UFC title.
Du Plessis is already far and away South Africa’s most accomplished MMA export. One could argue (correctly) that he already achieved this when he beat Roberto Soldic for the KSW Welterweight title in 2018.

However, what does it mean to be the greatest fighter coming out of South Africa?
Honestly, not that much.

South Africa has a relatively large population, in comparison to its geographic size, and boasts a few meaningful international sporting accomplishments. Most notably winning the rugby world cup four times, having the best cricket team to never reach a world cup final, and winning several gold medals in the olympics (mostly for boxing, swimming, and athletics). 

The point of the above is to prove that, despite various economic challenges facing the country, South Africa has a large amount of athletic talent. In fact one might argue (correctly) that when it comes to MMA, our main selling point is our athletic potential. And Du Plessis exemplifies this.

There’s a reason you don’t see much in the way of high level talent coming out of South Africa. Firstly, there isn’t much of a combat sports culture outside of boxing. MMA has been growing in popularity as the years go by, but there’s still a significant barrier, that being a lack of overrall expertise. Unlike the United States, there isn’t a combat sports base at the school level. While gyms do exist, and there are knowledgeable coaches there, you’re not going to find a plethora of options outside of a karate school or judo. This makes things like cross-training (the process in which a fighter trains in multiple disciplines to become more rounded) even more difficult, where you’ll struggle to find experts in a single area of MMA, let alone all levels.
However, this is gradually becoming less of an issue as South Africa becomes more interested in MMA, and as more coaches from across the world notice the value of opening gyms here. But there’s still a significant gap between South Africa and countries like Brazil, where you will find 3 Jiu Jitsu gyms on any given block.

This has created an interesting meta within the South African MMA scene, one which Du Plessis and his team CIT MMA, have exploited masterfully. With the lack of cross-training available, most South African MMA fights boil down to whether who can implement their game first, or better. You’ll have grapplers constantly shooting for takedowns, and strikers doing everything in their power to avoid the ground. But likely neither will have the transitional skills to ensure that happens.
So most South African MMA fights are decided by who has the athletic edge to make their game happen. Of course there are exceptions when styles play against each other in favourable ways, but ultimately the South African MMA scene is a grinder to determine who the best athlete is.

CIT MMA takes advantage of this by training a counter-grappling game, their fighters usually prefer to stay on their feet, but have skills to take advantage of sloppy takedowns. This comprises frontside chokes like guillotines and darces, as well as a deep knowledge of sweeps from various positions. This coupled with crushing ground and pound makes their team a nightmare for any grappler that lacks a truly rounded game. 

This can be seen in Du Plessis’ early career in the Extreme Fighting Championship, where he would often wear his opponents down with his pace and power, forcing them to shoot, where he could either reverse the position or cinch in a choke. If you look at Du Plessis’ record, you’ll see a staggering 13 wins by submission, mostly because his opponents lacked the depth to defend his submission attacks.

Du Plessis also benefits from being an absurd athlete in almost all areas relevant for MMA. He has solid endurance, he’s ridiculously strong and powerful, he’s incredibly endurable, the only thing really lacking is his coordination and speed. 

So how does this all play out this Saturday for Du Plessis’ showdown with reigning champion Sean Strickland?

Well, it’s quite interesting really. Both men have severe flaws in their game. For Du Plessis it’s his lack of coherence in his striking, and his defence is poor, as well as his technical footwork. His takedowns are also quite poor, often relying on size, or his opponents making a mistake to get it to the ground. When it does get there, he’s quite dangerous, though unconventional.

Strickland is a more polished striker, but does little more than sit behind his jab and throw the occasional cross. He also has quite a square stance and likes to parry jabs, leaving him open for check hooks. By all accounts he has a solid wrestling game, but rarely uses it even when it would be a great benefit to him.

I imagine the fight could play out in two different ways. One (I believe more likely) where Strickland forces Du Plessis back and pot shots behind his jab and the occasional cross. Du Plessis has a tendency to concede ground and cover up with a double forearm guard. I can see him losing rounds consistently in a fight where Strickland feels comfortable to take control.

The less likely, in my opinion, but still possible outcome is that Du Plessis lands a hellish left hook and finishes Strickland. This could happen at any time in the fight since it seems clear that Du Plessis’ power carries throughout the rounds. 

To be honest I don’t believe Du Plessis has the wrestling chops to take Strickland down, but I do think it may be dangerous if something MMA happens and it winds up on the floor. Many people point to Strickland’s guard against former champion Kamaru Usman, as an indication that Du Plessis won’t have much success.
My concern with that view is that Usman and Du Plessis have incredibly different top games. Du Plessis is looking to finish fights or force scrambles that will get him into a position where he can finish a fight. Usman on the other hand is more content to hold controlling positions and land pot shots to maintain points. So while it’s commendable, and a good sign for Strickland that he was able to prevent Usman from getting anything going, it doesn’t necessarily mean the outcome will be the same against Du Plessis.

However as I said before, I think the discussion is kind of moot because I don’t think it’s hitting the ground unless something odd happens.

As a South African, and someone who’s had a history of underestimating Sean Strickland, I am quite possibly wrong on my read for how this fight may play out. No matter how it goes, the fight will be entertaining, and it could have a massive impact on the MMA scene in South Africa. Du Plessis is already a local star in the South African scene, with two time rugby world cup winner, and captain of the Springboks Siya Kolisi wishing Du Plessis luck and support before his fight.

Who knows, if South Africa gets its own MMA star it might push more talent into the sport. It could ramp up the development of the local scene and transform South Africa into a consistent force within MMA.