With his success during his first two fights in the famous Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in America, Pretoria’s superstar, Drikus du Plessis, is nowadays a household name in South Africa.

Then there is Drikus’ brother, Niel du Plessis, who is also making progress in the local Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC).

Now Pretoria can boast a third Du Plessis who announced himself on the big stage as a promising MMA fighter with his sensational victory at the recent EFC 90 tournament in Johannesburg.

After five victories in his only five amateur fights, the promoters of EFC made an offer to Jaco du Plessis to make his professional debut at EFC 90.

The 25-year-old Pretorian seized the opportunity with both hands and in the second round of his fight in the middleweight division against the more experienced Robo Amamba, Du Plessis forced his opponent to surrender by using the armbar technique.

His victory impressed the organizers so much that he received a performance bonus after the tournament.

Du Plessis told Rekord that, except for a very brief flirtation with Judo as a schoolboy, he did not really have any experience in any martial arts when he joined the CIT MMA gym in Hatfield five years ago. This is of course the same gymnasium to which his namesakes, Drikus and Niel du Plessis are also connected.

As a schoolboy he excelled on the rugby field at Hoërskool Oos-Moot, where he played as a prop for the school’s first team.

“Yes, I was quite chubby as a schoolboy. It’s probably one of the reasons why I was looking for a sport after school where I could get my body in good shape,” he said with a smile.

While working in the security industry after school, he joined CIT MMA and systematically made a name for himself as a light heavyweight in the amateur ranks.

However, everything was not moonshine and roses and his professional breakthrough was probably delayed by almost two years due to troublesome injuries and the Covid-crisis. But now he’s a pro fighter with a contract for at least five more fights in his pocket and Du Plessis cannot wait to show the world what he’s still capable of.

He believes the fact that he did not have any notable martial arts experience may be to his advantage.

“I think some fighters rely too much on their so-called ‘strengths’ and then they are overwhelmed with other techniques by their opponents. It might be better to learn all the different MMA techniques from scratch and then use them as needed in fights,” he remarked.

Du Plessis hopes to secure solid sponsorships soon so that his focus can be full-time on his career as an MMA fighter.

He hopes to have his next fight as early as March 2022. Meanwhile, he and his fiancée, Leigh-Ann Fernandez, are thinking of a possible wedding date sometime next year if his program and the development around Covid allow it.

Du Plessis is one of those sportsmen who is addicted to training and he hopes to remain involved in sports full-time in some way even after his professional career as an MMA fighter.

“Maybe my own gym or something like a CrossFit centre somewhere where I can help others stay healthy and fit,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, lovers of Mixed Martial Arts should take note of Pretoria’s “other” Du Plessis in MMA ranks. This young man is focused and determined to, with everything in his power, pursue his dream of a world title on the very biggest stage of his sport.

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