Dricus Du Plessis, after laying waste to a couple of former champions and capturing the top title in the middleweight division, is at risk of witnessing his unbeaten run in the UFC come to an end. That’s because he’ll stand face-to-face opposite Khamzat Chimaev, who’s on a mission to beat the South African and make his millions at UFC 319 in Chicago this weekend. However, before the fight rolls around, let us take a look at an interesting story.

Dricus du Plessis’s ascension to the 185lbs champion status happened with him fighting the majority of his fights with just one nose. It appeared that the South African star had a deviated septum, and it affected his performance. How did it come about?

Dricus du Plessis’ nose and cardio problems

Before UFC 290, many people pointed out that Dricus du Plessis had issues with his cardio, as he breathed too heavily during fights. Although at that time, he only needed to go five rounds once, against Brad Tavares, it was later revealed that the middleweight champion had a deviated septum. It refers to a condition where the cartilage that separates the nostrils is deviated, causing one nasal air passage to be narrower than the other.

This condition is associated with various problems, the most common being difficulty in breathing, which undoubtedly would have inhibited ‘DDP’s athletic output. Along with this, other related problems such as sleep apnea, snoring, increased chances of a sinus infection, headaches, and facial pain may result from the condition. While it is a condition that a person may be born with or get as a result of injury or trauma to the nose, it is unclear which category Du Plessis falls into.

However, given that his coach, Morne Visser, has indicated that he has been suffering from the condition for the past three years, it is most likely ‘DDP’ was not born with a deviated septum, but because of the damage he must have taken while sparring or fighting. And as such, he’d later get surgery for it.

Dricus du Plessis undergoes surgery

Dricus du Plessis’ coach revealed in an Instagram post that the condition had seriously impaired his breathing, and he was able to get “only 8% oxygen” intake through his nostrils over the past three years. Du Plessis’s coach also revealed that the surgery was supposed to take place three years ago, but it kept getting postponed. But when du Plessis got it done, the surgery made an immediate difference in the quality of life for the South African star.

And the difference the surgery made was apparent for everyone to see. In his first fight after the surgery. The 31-year-old knocked out the dangerous veteran Robert Whittaker in the second round of their UFC 290 encounter last year. Talking to reporters after the fight, Du Plessis credited the surgery for making a huge difference in his performance.

“This made such a difference; I felt incredible out there tonight. I didn’t feel a little bit tired, I felt great, and the pace wasn’t low. It was a great pace. I could see my opponents slowing down when I was just starting to get going. I could see in his eyes, in his body language, I just felt invincible in there, and it felt great. It made all the difference in the world,” he said in the UFC 290 post-fight press conference. It is for the best that Du Plessis underwent a corrective procedure and can now perform at an optimal level. 

Well, unlike his last two opponents, Dricus du Plessis has been cordial with Khamzat Chimaev on the UFC’s Embedded: Vlog Series videos. It’s a far cry from his having a verbal war. It will be interesting to see how things unfold inside the cage when the duo lock horns. Drop your predictions in the comments section.