If you’ve watched a single UFC middleweight title fight lately, you know the name. Dricus du Plessis is basically a human wrecking ball with a gas tank that defies logic. But every time he steps into the Octagon, the same question pops up in the search bars: how old is Dricus du Plessis?
People ask because he fights with the reckless abandonment of a teenager but carries the physical "dad strength" of a man who’s been hauling hay on a farm for twenty years. Honestly, his age is a sweet spot in combat sports—that rare intersection where physical prime meets veteran experience.
The Short Answer: How Old Is Dricus du Plessis Right Now?
Let's get right to it. Dricus du Plessis was born on January 14, 1994.
As we sit here in January 2026, he just celebrated his 32nd birthday.
It’s kind of wild to think about. At 32, he’s technically entered what most MMA analysts consider the "golden window" for the heavier weight classes. In the middleweight division (185 lbs), fighters often peak between 31 and 35. You’ve got enough miles on the odometer to know every trick in the book, but your chin hasn't turned to glass yet.
He hails from Welkom, South Africa. If you aren't familiar, it’s a gold-mining city in the Free State province. Maybe there’s something in the water there, or maybe it’s just the Afrikaner toughness, but "Stillknocks" has been competing at a high level since most of us were still trying to figure out how to parallel park.
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A Career That Started Way Earlier Than You Think
To really understand the age factor here, you have to look at when he started. Dricus didn't just wake up one day and decide to be a UFC champion.
- Age 5: He started Judo. Most kids are playing with blocks; he was learning how to throw people onto their heads.
- Age 12: He added wrestling to the mix.
- Age 14: He started kickboxing.
- Age 17: He became a WAKO World Champion in K-1 style kickboxing.
By the time he turned professional in MMA in 2013, he was only 19. Think about that. He’s been a pro fighter for over a decade. When you search how old is Dricus du Plessis, the number "32" doesn't quite capture the amount of "combat age" he has. He’s been in the gym, taking impact and dishing it out, for 27 years.
Why His Age Matters for the Middleweight Division
The UFC middleweight landscape is a shark tank. You’ve had guys like Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker holding the fort for years. Both of those legends are in their mid-30s. Khamzat Chimaev, who recently handed Dricus a tough loss in August 2025, is 31.
Dricus is right in the thick of it.
There was a lot of talk about his "8% oxygen" intake before he had surgery on his nose a couple of years back. People thought he was gassing out because he was "old" or out of shape. Nope. He was just 29 and fighting with blocked pipes. Post-surgery, his cardio looked like a man ten years younger.
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He’s not a "young prospect" anymore, but he’s also nowhere near the "washed" category. He’s the bridge between the old guard and the new wave of talent coming out of the Contender Series.
Milestones at Every Age
It’s sort of fun to track his life through the titles he's held. He was the EFC Welterweight and Middleweight champ in South Africa before he could legally rent a car in some countries. Then he went over to Poland and took the KSW Welterweight belt.
By the time he made his UFC debut in 2020 at the age of 26, he was already a triple-champ in other organizations. Most guys enter the UFC at that age looking to find themselves; DDP entered looking to take over.
What's Next for the 32-Year-Old?
Coming off that unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August 2025, Dricus is at a bit of a crossroads. But 32 is a great age to rebuild. He’s already beaten Sean Strickland (twice, if you count the rematch in early 2025) and submitted Israel Adesanya.
His legacy is already secure as the first South African to ever wrap UFC gold around his waist.
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But if you know anything about "Stillknocks," you know he’s not done. He’s still training at Team CIT in Pretoria under Morne Visser. They’ve got this "tough love" style—sometimes involving tasers during training, which sounds insane but clearly works—that keeps him sharp.
The Actionable Takeaway:
If you’re a fan or a bettor, keep an eye on his next two years. History shows that middleweights who stay active in their early 30s often have their most dominant runs before the speed starts to fade around age 34 or 35.
Basically, we are watching the peak version of Dricus du Plessis right now. Don't blink.
What you should do next: Check out the latest middleweight rankings to see where Dricus sits after his 2025 campaign. If you want to see how he looked before the "UFC polish," go find his old EFC fights on YouTube—it’s a trip to see a 20-year-old DDP fighting like a seasoned vet.