Dricus Du Plessis vs Kamaru Usman: The story behind Dricus' rise

The South African has become a global star through his relentless pressure, knockout power and unwavering self-belief, climbing to the top of the UFC middleweight division and helping put African MMA firmly in the spotlight.

But before the UFC, before championship fights and sold-out arenas, du Plessis built his reputation much closer to home. Long before the rest of the world knew his name, he was making history in Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), the promotion that has become the proving ground for many of Africa's top MMA talents.

Where Dricus du Plessis' MMA journey began

Born in Pretoria, South Africa, du Plessis developed a background in judo before expanding into wrestling and kickboxing.

(UFC)

After making the transition to professional MMA in 2013, it quickly became clear he possessed the complete skill set to compete at the highest level. His aggressive striking, physical strength and willingness to push the pace made him one of the continent's most exciting young prospects.

That rise soon led him to EFC, Africa's leading mixed martial arts promotion.

Becoming a two-division EFC champion

EFC gave du Plessis the stage to develop against the best competition available across Africa.

He first captured the EFC welterweight championship before moving up to middleweight and winning a second world title, becoming one of the promotion's rare two-division champions.

Those title-winning performances showcased the qualities that would later define his UFC career. Du Plessis overwhelmed opponents with constant pressure, mixed powerful striking with strong grappling and displayed the durability that has become one of his trademarks.

By the time he left EFC, he had established himself as one of the greatest champions in the promotion's history.

From Africa to the UFC

After conquering EFC, du Plessis moved to Poland's KSW, where he captured another world title before signing with the UFC in 2020.

The jump to the sport's biggest organisation only accelerated his rise.

Victories over some of the middleweight division's biggest names earned him a title shot, and he went on to become the first South African to win a UFC championship.

2024 Getty Images

Now, with another huge fight against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, du Plessis once again carries the hopes of a nation whenever he steps into the cage.

Following in Dricus du Plessis' footsteps

While du Plessis has become a UFC superstar, his journey remains a blueprint for the next generation of African fighters.

Today's athletes continue to use EFC as a launching pad towards the world's biggest MMA organisations, chasing the same dream that began for du Plessis inside the promotion's cage.

How to watch the best of African MMA live and for free on DAZN

All EFC events will be broadcast live and FREE worldwide* on DAZN. If you already have a DAZN subscription or free account then Extreme Fighting Championship is already available to you.

If you have yet to sign up for a DAZN FREE account, then all you need to do is enter an email address and away you go. 

With the DAZN app, you can watch on almost any device, including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, streaming devices like Fire Sticks, games consoles like PlayStations, and laptops / PCs / Macs.

To get the DAZN App, just follow these instructions....

Download the free DAZN App from your normal App store on your TV, phone, tablet, or streaming device
On a laptop or PC, visit www.DAZN.com/home
Select 'Get started' or 'log in'
Enter your email address, or sign up via the Apple, Google or Facebook options
You then have access to all of DAZN's free content, including the Matchroom boxing channel and FIFA+
Then find the  EFC page to start watching

*excluding Sub-Saharan Africa and Poland