Dricus Du Plessis Teases Imminent Fight Announcement

UFC middleweight titleholder Dricus Du Plessis has spoken out to dismiss recent speculation suggesting he’s dealing with a serious injury that would prevent him from defending his belt.

Rumors had been circulating that Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) was being lined up to face undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at UFC 317, scheduled for June 28.

The speculation gained traction after fellow middleweight contender Caio Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) mentioned in an interview with AG Fight that he’d heard Du Plessis may have suffered a broken shinbone — an injury that would sideline him during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week.

That comment fueled a lively exchange between Borralho and Chimaev, who posted images on social media of past training sessions with the Brazilian — including one where he appeared to lock in a rear-naked choke.

With uncertainty surrounding Du Plessis’ status, both Borralho and Chimaev have expressed interest in squaring off at UFC 317, potentially with an interim championship on the line. However, Du Plessis sought to shut down the injury rumors this week via a post on his Instagram, assuring fans he remains ready to compete.

“Okey so everyone had their opinions and rumours and stories about a shin break and injuries etc”, Du Plessis wrote. “I found it all very entertaining, unfortunately none of it is true myself and @ufc already discussed a fight date and opponent, the June fight was never signed I did not pull out of any fight, I am the champion I know when I fight you as a contender just show up when we tell you to. Fight announcement coming soon stay tuned. #preparetobeamazed #stillknocks????.”

Du Plessis last competed at UFC 312 in February, where he successfully defended his middleweight crown for the second time by earning a hard-fought decision win over former titleholder Sean Strickland after five competitive rounds.

That victory came roughly a year after he first captured the championship by defeating Strickland at UFC 297. In his first title defense following that win, Du Plessis submitted another former champion, Israel Adesanya, further solidifying his reign atop the 185-pound division.

Paul Browne

Paul Browne is a professional mixed martial arts commentator, feature writer and podcaster based in Dublin, Ireland.