full name: Dricus du Plessis
fight name: Stillknocks
residence: Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa
height: 6’0”
weight divisions: middleweight, welterweight
current promotion: UFC
pro MMA record: 19-2

Dricus du Plessis is a South African professional mixed martial artist and a second-degree black belt in kickboxing whose fight name is Stillknocks. Born and raised in Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa, he trained judo from 1999 to 2004 and wrestling from 2006 to 2008.

From 2013 to 2017, Du Plessis competed in the Extreme Fighting Championship. He had 12 bouts in the promotion, which all took place in South Africa.

From 2018 to 2019, du Plessis competed in the Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki and the EFC. In 2020, he made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

Du Plessis is 6’0″ tall and he competes in the middleweight and welterweight divisions. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. In 2009, he started competing as a K-1 kickboxer. He went on to become the Amateur K-1 SA Champion.
2. In 2012, he became the first ever World Association of Kickboxing Organizations K-1 World Champion from South Africa. He was the WAKO Junior K-1 World Champion.
3. On July 25, 2013, he made his professional MMA debut as a middleweight fighter at “EFC Africa 21” in Brakpan, Gauteng, South Africa where he defeated Tshikangu Makuebo via technical knockout due to knee injury. Both via rear-naked choke in Brakpan, he submitted Bruno Mukulu at “EFC Africa 23” on September 12, 2013 and Johannes Coenraad Lambrecht at “EFC Africa 24” on October 10, 2013. On February 27, 2014, he defeated Donavin Hawkey via technical knockout via punches at “EFC Africa 27” in Johannesburg, Gauteng.
4. He studied agricultural economics the University of Pretoria in Hatfield but he dropped out in his final year when he got his shot at the EFC Middleweight Championship. On August 30, 2014, Garrett McLellan submitted him via guillotine choke at “EFC Africa 33” in Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, marking his first professional MMA loss.
5. On February 21, 2015, he submitted Darren Daniel via rear-naked choke at “EFC Africa 37”. On June 6, 2015, he made his welterweight debut at “EFC Africa 40” where he submitted Dino Bagattin via rear-naked choke. On December 12, 2015, he submitted Mukulu again via rear-naked choke at “EFC Africa 46”. The three bouts took place in Brakpan.
6. On June 17, 2016, he became the EFC Welterweight Champion by submitting Martin van Staden at “EFC Africa 50” in Sun City, North West Province, South Africa. On December 9, 2016, he returned to the middleweight division at “EFC Africa 56” in Johannesburg where he submitted Rafal Haratyk via guillotine choke.
7. Both in Johannesburg, he defeated Jose Mauricio da Rocha Jr. via punches at “EFC Africa 59” on May 13, 2017 and became the EFC Middleweight Champion by dethroning then champion Yannick Bahati at “EFC Africa 62” via guillotine choke submission on August 19, 2017.
8. On April 14, 2018, he became the KSW Welterweight Champion by dethroning then champion Roberto Soldić at “KSW 43” in Wroclaw, Poland. On October 6, 2018, he lost the KSW Welterweight Championship title to Soldić in their rematch at “KSW 45” in Wembley, London, England.
9. On September 14, 2019, he returned to the middleweight division and defeated Joilton Lutterbach via technical knockout via punches at “KSW 50” in Wembley. On December 14, 2019, he regained the EFC Middleweight Championship title by dethroning then champion Brendan Lesar at “EFC Africa 83” in Pretoria.
10. On October 10, 2020, he made his UFC debut at “UFC Fight Island 5” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates where he knocked out Markus Perez via punches.
11. On July 10, 2021, he knocked out Trevin Giles via punches at “UFC 264” in Paradise, Nevada, United States.
12. Both in Paradise, he defeated Brad Tavares via unanimous decision at “UFC 276” on July 2, 2022 and submitted Darren Till at “UFC 282” on December 10, 2022.
13. He was 29 years old when he defeated Derek Brunson via technical knockout via corner stoppage at “UFC 285” on March 4, 2023 in Paradise, which improved his professional MMA record to 19 wins and 2 losses.