Is Dricus du Plessis a French name? Tracing the origin of the surname
Dricus du Plessis is one of the rising stars in MMA and is set to compete for the UFC title in his next outing.
So, it is understandable for combat sports fans to be curious about the 30-year-old's life and know more about him. One thing people look up on the internet is the origin of du Plessis' surname.
According to FamilySearch.org, the surname is prevalent among South African citizens and traces back to a French Huguenot named Jean Prieur du Plessis, who reached the Dutch Cape Colony through the Netherlands in the year 1688.
The name refers to a person who lived by a fence of interwoven branches.
Du Plessis is currently on an incredible run in the UFC. The South African has competed in six promotional fights and has gotten his hand raised in all of them. This winning streak includes prominent names like former UFC champion Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, Darren Till, and Brad Tavares.
Another impressive thing to note is that five out of those six victories have come via finishes.
The 30-year-old is now set to face Sean Strickland for the middleweight throne at UFC 297. The fight will take place on Jan. 20 and will be held at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
Israel Adesanya weighs in on Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis
Former UFC champion Israel Adesanya has shared his thoughts on the upcoming title clash between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis.
'The Last Stylebender' uploaded a video to his YouTube channel where he spoke about the fight and gave his prediction. Adesanya picked for the South African to emerge victorious and predicted that the fight would not go the 25-minute distance:
"Official pick, I'm going to go with Dricus. Does it go the distance? I'm gonna say no. Not that I don't respect Sean or his skills, the guy beat me, so of course I respect his skills."
Catch Israel Adesanya's prediction for Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis below:
Adesanya was last seen in action at UFC 293, when he faced off against 'Tarzan' for the title. The Nigerian-New Zealander had a rough day at work as he was outclassed by his opponent for the majority of the contest and lost the bout via unanimous decision.