Walk into any MMA gym and you’ll hear the same thing. Size matters, until it doesn't. When Dricus "Stillknocks" du Plessis stands across from an opponent in the Octagon, the first thing people look at isn't his cardio or his awkward, blitzing striking style. It’s the frame. People are obsessed with the Dricus du Plessis height because, frankly, he looks like a human refrigerator. He’s dense. He’s wide.
The official UFC stats list him at 6 feet 0 inches (183 cm).
But if you’ve followed the middleweight division for more than five minutes, you know that the "Tale of the Tape" is sometimes about as reliable as a weather forecast in a hurricane. Fighters round up. Organizations measure with shoes on. Sometimes, a guy just looks bigger because of his posture or the way he carries his muscle mass. With Dricus, the height is only half the battle; it's the 76-inch reach and that massive South African bone structure that actually dictates how his fights play out.
The Reality of Being a 6-Foot Middleweight
Is 6'0" tall for a middleweight? Sorta. It’s basically the "average" height for the 185-pound division.
Think about the landscape. You’ve got long, rangy snipers like Israel Adesanya who stands at 6'4". Then you have the stockier powerhouses like Robert Whittaker who is officially 6'0" but often looks a hair shorter than Dricus when they stood center-cage. When Dricus fought Sean Strickland—a man also billed at 6'1"—they looked almost identical in stature.
Height is a weird metric in the UFC.
It’s a static number that doesn't account for "functional height." When Dricus dips his head and lunges forward with those heavy hooks, he isn't fighting like a tall man. He’s fighting like a wrecking ball. He uses a shorter vertical profile to get under the long jabs of guys like Adesanya. It’s a tactical choice. If he were 6'3", he might not be able to generate that same explosive upward power that has become his trademark.
Breaking Down the Reach Advantage
Reach is usually where the Dricus du Plessis height conversation gets interesting. He has a 76-inch reach.
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Mathematically, that’s a "positive" ape index. Most people have a reach roughly equal to their height. Dricus has a reach that is four inches longer than his height. That is a massive deal in professional fighting. It’s the reason he can land those "clumsy" looking lead rights from a distance that seems impossible. He’s reaching further than his height suggests he should be able to.
Compare that to someone like Kelvin Gastelum, who is significantly shorter but has a similar reach. Or look at Chris Weidman, who is taller but doesn't necessarily utilize the length in the same aggressive, forward-marching way Dricus does.
Why the "Stillknocks" Frame is Different
Dricus isn't just tall; he's thick. His torso is wide. His legs are like tree trunks.
When you see him standing next to a guy like Cameron Saaiman (his teammate) or even top-tier light heavyweights, he doesn't look out of place. There’s a reason people keep asking if he’ll move up to 205 pounds. It’s not because he’s exceptionally tall—he’d actually be a short light heavyweight—but because his skeletal structure is heavy.
I’ve seen him in person at press conferences. He doesn't tower over you. He just occupies a lot of horizontal space. It’s an intimidating kind of "big."
Does Height Impact His Infamous Gas Tank?
For a long time, the meme was that Dricus gassed out after three minutes. People blamed the muscle mass. They blamed the "big" frame. They said a guy that size, carrying that much explosive tissue, simply couldn't breathe.
Then we found out about the nose.
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Dricus had a deviated septum that basically meant he was fighting with 8% oxygen intake through his nose. He got the surgery. Suddenly, the "big, tired South African" was outlasting world champions in five-round wars. The height and weight weren't the problem; it was the plumbing.
Nowadays, his size is his biggest asset in the later rounds. He uses his weight to lean on opponents. He clinches. He makes them carry his 185-pound (which is actually closer to 205 on fight night) frame. If he were a lanky 6'0", he wouldn't be as effective in the wrestling exchanges. His low center of gravity combined with that 6-foot frame makes him a nightmare to trip or toss.
Comparing Dricus to the Middleweight Greats
If we look at the history of the 185-pound division, the "ideal" height has shifted back and forth.
- Anderson Silva: 6'2" - The quintessential long, lean striker.
- Chris Weidman: 6'2" - A tall wrestler who used height to leverage takedowns.
- Robert Whittaker: 6'0" - The "shorter" king who used speed to nullify height.
- Alex Pereira: 6'4" - A literal giant who eventually had to move up because he was too big for the scale.
Dricus sits right in that Whittaker/Bisping range. He’s the "everyman" height for the elite. But he plays the game differently. He doesn't try to be a "long" fighter. He uses his 6'0" stature to stay compact.
Honestly, the most impressive thing about the Dricus du Plessis height isn't the number itself, but how he negates the height of others. When he fought Adesanya, he didn't care about the 4-inch height deficit. He just closed the distance. He made the cage small. He turned a "long" fight into a "phone booth" fight.
The Scientific Side: Height vs. Power
There is a school of thought in combat sports that shorter, stockier limbs are better for generating torque.
Think about a wrench. A shorter, thicker wrench can sometimes apply more concentrated force without bending. Dricus’s arms aren't spindly. His "shorter" levers (compared to a 6'4" fighter) allow him to throw those looping power shots with incredible centrifugal force. When he connects, people go down. It's not "touch" KO power like Conor McGregor; it's "thud" power like a falling safe.
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He’s a specimen. There’s no other way to put it.
The South African S&C (Strength and Conditioning) programs he follows at Team CIT are legendary for building "functional armor." They don't care if he grows an inch; they care that every inch of his 6-foot frame is packed with explosive fast-twitch fiber.
What Most Fans Get Wrong
The biggest misconception? That he’s "too small" for the elite wrestlers or "too short" for the elite strikers.
He proved the wrestling doubters wrong against Derek Brunson. He proved the striking doubters wrong against Sean Strickland and Izzy. The reality is that 6 feet is a "Goldilocks" height in MMA. You’re tall enough to not get bullied, but short enough to keep your center of gravity under your opponent's hips.
If you're betting on a Dricus fight, stop looking at the height. Look at the shoulder width. Look at the neck thickness. That’s where the real "size" lives.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Bettors
When evaluating Dricus du Plessis in future matchups, keep these physical factors in mind:
- Ignore the 1-inch variance: Whether he’s 6'0" or 6'1" doesn't change his entries. He’s a "distance closer," not a "range keeper."
- Watch the Reach: His 76-inch reach is his most dangerous physical stat. It allows him to land the "overhand right" even when he’s technically "out-ranged" on paper.
- The Weight Cut: Dricus is a massive middleweight. His height allows him to carry more muscle than a 6'3" fighter could while still making the 185-pound limit. This gives him a strength advantage in almost every clinch.
- Leverage: Because he isn't overly tall, his takedown defense is naturally better. It’s harder to get under the hips of a 6-foot man than a 6-foot-4 man.
Dricus du Plessis is a physical anomaly. He’s a man built like a heavyweight trapped in a middleweight’s height. Whether he's defending his belt or moving up to challenge for a second one, his 6-foot frame will continue to be the foundation of one of the most chaotic and successful styles in UFC history. If you want to understand his success, stop looking at the top of his head and start looking at the way he uses his entire frame to impose his will. He isn't fighting to be the tallest guy in the room—he's fighting to be the heaviest hitter in the pocket. Moving forward, expect him to use this physical leverage to bully anyone who thinks a few inches of height constitutes a real advantage in the cage.