Dricus Du Plessis was on the verge of achieving glory at UFC 319! He had the chance to become the first man ever to hand Khamzat Chimaev his first pro loss and retain his gold belt for the third time. However, ‘Borz’ turned out to be a steep mountain to climb for ‘Stillknocks’ as well. The South African ended up losing his shine, describing the experience of facing Chimaev as, “He was just like a blanket.” That begged the question–what’s next for the former champ? Well, Dana White may have subtly answered that question. 

The UFC head honcho recently announced Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez as the main event for UFC Vancouver on October 18, while Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho are set to clash at UFC Fight Night Paris on September 6. Clarifying the situation, White stated on his livestream, “So these fights have massive implications,” hinting that Khamzat Chimaev’s next contender will likely come from one of these two bouts. Does that mean Du Plessis, who had defended the belt twice, won’t get an immediate rematch? His first response appears to suggest just that.

Dricus du Plessis admits to learning from loss after crushing UFC 319 defeat

The former middleweight champion posted on his Instagram, “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. 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. ‘Without the bitter, the sweet wouldn’t be as sweet.’ 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.”  

Du Plessis has always carried a rock-solid mindset. We rarely see him mentally waver, either before or after a fight. But the loss to Chimaev was without question the most one-sided beatdown of his career. So, it may take him some time to fully shake off the mental toll of that defeat as well. Still, the 31-year-old showed class in the aftermath, taking a moment to thank his opponent for sharing the Octagon.

He continued in the post, “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.” Admitting his loss wholeheartedly, he said, “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 honor of sharing the octagon with you.”

It’s certainly a positive sign that Du Plessis has promised to learn from his mistakes and come back stronger. However, he made no mention of wanting an immediate rematch with Chimaev in his statement. Instead, he hinted that he might take some time off to work on his mistakes and fine-tune his strategy. That in itself explains why Dana White quickly set up two key middleweight bouts, which could decide the next challenger for ‘Borz’.

But Du Plessis didn’t stop there. After vowing to return as a better fighter, he turned his attention to the most important people in his life—the fans who support him and the loved ones who stand by him through every high and low.

‘Stillknocks’ addresses fans after the loss

Dricus du Plessis may have suffered the most crushing defeat of his career! But his run as the 185-pound champion earned him a loyal fan base. After his reign came to an end at UFC 319 with a decisive loss to Khamzat Chimaev, ‘DDP’ continued expressing his thoughts on social media with a message to his fans and sponsors. Thanking them for standing by his side through the highs and lows.

In the same Instagram post, the former middleweight champ shared: “Thank you for all the love and support from fans all over the world, and my sponsors that have always—and will in the future—play a critical role in my success.”

Du Plessis didn’t stop there. He also had something to say for those celebrating his downfall, while showing his religious side as well. “AND SINCERELY thank you to all those who enjoyed to see me fall, because I will return the favour, like I always have. I believe in the plan of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He knows best, and I can’t wait to see what He has planned for me going forward,” he stated.

It’s clear that ‘Stillknocks’ remains high in spirits despite the setback, and his message reflects both gratitude and determination. Still, it remains to be seen when he is going to return, and against whom. Until then, let us know what you think of Du Plessis’ heartfelt words in the comments section below.