‘I Was Stuttering, I Couldn’t Believe It’

Dricus du Plessis may be defending his middleweight title yet again later tonight (Sat., Feb. 8, 2025) at UFC 312 LIVE on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, but there was a time when even his own parents doubted his championship ability.

It’s only been a little over four years since du Plessis made his first trip to the Octagon. Since then, DDP has turned in an undefeated 9-0 record with two title fight wins and career-defining victories over the likes of former champions Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Sean Strickland, who du Plessis will rematch atop UFC 312’s PPV card on Saturday night.

With so much success inside of the Octagon it seems like du Plessis would have unconditional support from family and friends. While DDP has proven to be the best middleweight in the sport over the past few years there was a time when his own parents doubted his ability to top a competitive 185-pound division. Maybe it was tough love or a weird way of motivating their son, but it has stuck with du Plessis.

“I fought Derek Brunson, and it was a tough fight. Great camp, felt amazing, but that first round was so intense,” said du Plessis during a recent interview with Mark Bouris. “I got home…and I just became number five in the world, the first South African ever to even get close to a ranking…my parents are so happy to see me, and they go ‘Geez! So you still want to be a world champion?’ and I said yes, my whole life is dedicated to this. And they said ‘Not if you fight like that! That was terrible!’…

“I couldn’t even fathom what was happening. Excuse me? I just became number five in the world. They said ‘That’s amazing, but is that all you want to achieve?” du Plessis continued. “That’s the highest achievement you’ll get if that’s the way you want to do it’. I was stuttering, I couldn’t believe it. They weren’t saying I wasn’t working hard or doing enough, but there was a change needed, and I needed to find it. Something for the next one because [with that performance], you won’t make it. I’m sorry.”

Safe to say du Plessis’ parents no longer doubt him. The 31-year-old champion is on the cusp of defending his title for the second-straight time and cementing himself as one of the best middleweights to ever step foot inside of the Octagon. DDP’s quest for greatness will continue later tonight at UFC 312 in his rematch against Strickland.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 312 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” bouts scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 312: “Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 312 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

This news first appeared on MMA Mania. Read the original article.