Dricus du Plessis says that the manner of his five-round loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 earlier this month has lit a fire under him that can only be extinguished by returning to the summit of the middleweight division.
Du Plessis’ 185-pound title reign was ended by the unbeaten Chimaev in Chicago, after the Chechen employed a grappling heavy approach to win a comprehensive 50-44 decision on all three scorecards.
The bout saw Chimaev land 12 takedowns across the five rounds, as well as applying a UFC record three separate crucifix positions to his South African foe from which Du Plessis was unable to extricate himself from.
But after the humbling loss, Du Plessis says that while he has no excuses for the nature of the loss, he intends to come back with his tools sharpened for another assault at the summit of the division.
“It’s been just over a week, and I have spent some time with my family and friends, those closest to me who will be with me win or lose,” Du Plessis stated on social media.
“I embrace this loss with open arms, because believe me, as much as I hate losing, it’s as much part of life as part of our game — and I believe it’s necessary in my pursuit of greatness. Make no mistake, I’m not a good loser, because a good loser becomes a frequent one. I am, however, an avid learner of the arts and of life itself.
“This loss has exploded a desire in me that will have the consequence of an onslaught bigger than the original domination – my return to glory and pursuit of greatness will be unimaginable for the average-minded.
“I have absolutely no excuses for my performance, I was beaten by a better fighter on the night, congratulations to my opponent and thank you for the honour of sharing the octagon with you.
“Thank you for all the love and support from fans all over the world, and my sponsors that has always and will in the future play a critical role in my success.
“And sincerely thank you to all those who enjoyed to see me fall, because I will return the favour, like I always have…”
The loss, in which Du Plessis was controlled on the canvas for a total of more than 21 minutes, snapped an 11-fight win streak dating back to 2018.
