Despite losing his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev of the United Arab Emirates over the weekend, South African mixed martial arts star Dricus du Plessis is smiling all the way to the bank.
Just for stepping into the ring at UFC 319 at the United Centre in Chicago, Stillknocks walked away with a cool $3 million – over R52 million.
Livemint.com reports that Du Plessis’ fee was made up of a base purse worth $1 million – as he was the reigning champion – and topped up by $1–1.5 million in Pay-Per-View and promotional bonuses.
Had he won, his fee would have increased by $500,000 (R8.8 million).
On top of that, Du Plessis is reported to have pocketed $3.34 million (almost R59 million) from his fight at UFC 312 against Sean Strickland, and $1.9 million (almost R21 million) for his fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.
For his first fight against Strickland at UFC 297, where he claimed the title, he is reported to have earned R7.6 million.
Over the last four UFC events, Du Plessis has earned roughly R138 million to R147 million. In his initial UFC bouts, Du Plessis earned approximately $50,000 (over R880,000) per fight, including show money and win bonuses. For instance, his fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 reportedly earned him around $250,000 (R4.5 million).
In total, it’s estimated that Du Plessis has made R160 million over the last five years.
While the loss to Chimaev may sting in the short term, Dricus du Plessis’ financial success and rising profile in the UFC show that his star is only going up.
With his skill, marketability, and growing fan base, Du Plessis has not only cemented himself as one of South Africa’s premier MMA exports but also positioned himself for even bigger paydays and opportunities on the global stage.
The future looks bright – both in the octagon and in his bank account.
IOL Sport
