{"id":37634,"date":"2026-04-07T16:17:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Dricus-Du-Plessis-lists-most-challenging-UFC-opponents-200756"},"modified":"2026-04-07T16:17:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:17:34","slug":"dricus-du-plessis-lists-most-challenging-ufc-opponents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/dricus-du-plessis-lists-most-challenging-ufc-opponents\/","title":{"rendered":"Dricus Du Plessis lists most challenging UFC opponents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

Dricus Du
\nPlessis<\/a> has faced some opponents who just refused to go
\ndown.<\/p>\n

Du Plessis (23-3) lost his middleweight title to Khamzat
\nChimaev<\/a> at
\nUFC 319<\/a> last year. However, it didn\u2019t feel like a fight to Du
\nPlessis, as he was dominated for five straight rounds. Excluding
\nthe loss against Chimaev, Du Plessis considers Israel
\nAdesanya<\/a> the most technically sound opponent he has faced so
\nfar. Du Plessis was losing against Adesanya while defending his
\ntitle in 2024, before he turned things around and submitted \u201cThe
\nLast Stylebender.\u201d <\/p>\n

In terms of sheer grit, Du Plessis considers Brad
\nTavares<\/a> and Sean
\nStrickland<\/a> his toughest opponents so far. Du Plessis has won
\ntwo title fights against Strickland, who is known for defensive
\nstriking. Du Plessis notes that while Strickland rolled with his
\npunches, Tavares kept standing despite absorbing some flush
\nshots.<\/p>\n

Technical and Tough<\/h2>\n

\u201cObviously, the Khamzat fight was one that I lost pretty
\nsignificantly,\u201d Du Plessis told Fight Forecast<\/a>. \u201cBut for me, that wasn\u2019t a
\nfight. Let\u2019s take that one out of the equation\u2026 Adesanya was the
\nbest guy that I have faced. His timing, his speed, the power he
\nkicks with. Even takedown defense-wise. He was the best technical
\nguy that I have ever faced. Toughest guy has to be Brad Tavares or
\nSean Strickland. It just has to be. Just in terms of the amount of
\nshots they took and just kept standing. Strickland takes the
\npunches but rolls with it. Tavares took some solid shots and just
\nkept standing.\u201d