Is Dricus du Plessis' brother Niel also an MMA fighter? A look into the South African's family
Dricus du Plessis' brother Niel has long been an important part of the stellar support system for the UFC star. Dricus is a veteran MMA fighter, who boasts a professional MMA record of 21 victories and two defeats. Besides, 'DDP' aka 'Stillknocks' is 7-0 in the UFC thus far.
In his most recent fight, which transpired at UFC 297 (Jan. 2024), Dricus du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland via split decision and was crowned the new UFC middleweight champion. Intriguingly, Niel du Plessis accompanied him to the fight, as did a few other members of their family, including their parents.
Is Dricus du Plessis' brother Niel also an MMA fighter?
Dricus du Plessis has two older brothers -- WC du Plessis and Niel du Plessis. Their parents, father Japie du Plessis and mother Gerda du Plessis, are also strong supporters of their youngest son's MMA career. They'd notably made waves in a heartwarming reunion backstage after Dricus' title-winning performance back in January.
WC du Plessis, the CEO of Orzella Investments, doesn't compete in the sport of MMA. Nevertheless, Niel du Plessis is indeed a professional MMA fighter akin to their younger brother Dricus du Plessis. Niel is also a lawyer, who operates his own law practice in their native South Africa.
Niel boasts a professional MMA record of three victories and two defeats. He's fought in the welterweight and middleweight divisions. Niel's most recent MMA fight was a middleweight bout at EFC 84 (March 2020), in which he suffered a second-round submission defeat against Stefan Pretorius. 'Steel' hasn't competed in MMA since.
All five of his pro mixed martial arts bouts took place in the EFC (Extreme Fighting Championship), a South Africa-based MMA organization. Niel du Plessis and Dricus du Plessis have extensively competed in Judo and kickboxing over the years, besides also honing their wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu prowess.
Earlier this year, Niel du Plessis appeared on The MSP Show hosted by UFC bantamweight Cameron Saaiman, a fellow South African MMA fighter. The duo discussed Niel's love for training, participation in grappling competitions, and more.
Starting off the podcast episode, Niel acknowledged a running joke in the MMA community about fans calling for a fight between him and David Adesanya, a social media influencer who's Dricus' archrival Israel Adesanya's brother. Niel lightheartedly pointed out that he'd surely defeat David if they were to fight one another.
Presently, Dricus du Plessis is scheduled to defend his UFC middleweight title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 (Aug. 17, 2024; Aug. 18 local time in Australia).
Furthermore, Cameron Saaiman notably asked Niel about how he balances his training with his full-time job. Niel responded by suggesting that an individual can achieve a certain level of success while juggling a job with a fighting career.
Nevertheless, he seemingly emphasized that you ought to focus on fighting on a full-time basis if you intend to rise to a world championship level in the UFC or another organization. Niel stated:
"That entire thought process, you can't switch that off for the time being if you wanna become a world champion, like in the UFC or any other competitive organization. Like, you have to sacrifice yourself for the sport. There's no both ways."
Watch Niel du Plessis and Cameron Saaiman address the topic below (27:02-29:12):