(Video) When UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis suffered a KO loss to Roberto Soldic

Ben King

 

Dricus Du Plessis is known for his iron chin, having never been knocked down during his tenure with the UFC despite facing several heavy hitters. However, the South African middleweight champion was not able to withstand the power of Roberto Soldic in their previous encounter.

In October 2018, Du Plessis and Soldic faced off in a rematch at KSW 45 in London. Six months earlier, Du Plessis had stopped Soldic in the second round at KSW 43 to win the Polish promotion’s welterweight title. But this time, it was Soldic who emerged victorious.

Midway through the third round, Soldic landed a devastating overhand right that sent Du Plessis crashing to the canvas. The Bosnian banger then followed up with a vicious knee and a crisp left hook, leaving Du Plessis crumpled against the cage as the referee stepped in to call off the fight.

Du Plessis campaigned for a rubber match with Soldic in the years that followed, but the fight never materialized. He would eventually join the UFC in 2020 and go on to record six straight wins, culminating in a split-decision victory over Sean Strickland to become the UFC middleweight champion.

Now, Du Plessis is set to defend his title against fierce rival Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia. The two have been on a collision course for years, and their confrontation at UFC 290 in July 2023 was marred by racial tension.

While Du Plessis is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career, Soldic’s journey has taken a different path. The 29-year-old is now competing in ONE Championship, where he has faced some setbacks, including a no-contest due to an accidental groin strike and a TKO loss.

Du Plessis credits his coach, Morne Visser, as the driving force behind his success. Visser has been with Du Plessis since the beginning of his MMA career and is known for his unorthodox training methods, including the use of a taser during sparring sessions.

As the UFC middleweight champion prepares to defend his title against the formidable Adesanya, he will no doubt be drawing on the lessons he learned from his previous defeat to Soldic.

Ben King