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Dricus du Plessis vs Israel Adesanya

One page, two careers: trophies, records, net worth and everything else that settles the argument.

Dricus du PlessisDricus du Plessis Israel AdesanyaIsrael Adesanya
UFCSportUFC
South AfricaNationalityNigeria
14 January 1994BornJuly 22, 1989
1.83 m / 6 ft 0 inHeight1.93 m / 6 ft 4 in
$5MNet worth$15M
5Major honours3
2Records0

Career Numbers

23 wins, 3 lossesMMA Record24 wins, 6 losses
9Knockouts-
11Submissions-
3Decisions-
33Amateur Kickboxing Wins-
-Kickboxing record75 wins, 5 losses
-Professional boxing record5 wins, 1 loss
-Total finishes16 by knockout in MMA

Honours Side by Side

Dricus du Plessis (5)

  • UFC Middleweight Champion
  • EFC Welterweight Champion
  • EFC Middleweight Champion
  • KSW Welterweight Champion
  • WAKO Junior World Championships Gold Medalist

Israel Adesanya (3)

  • UFC Middleweight Champion
  • Performance of the Night
  • Fight of the Night

The Case for Each

Dricus du Plessis brings the heavier trophy cabinet: 5 documented honours against 3 for Israel Adesanya. Silverware is not the whole story, but it is the first line of any ufc argument.

On records, Dricus du Plessis holds 2 documented marks to 0 for Israel Adesanya. The headline entry: First South African UFC Champion. Records show peaks; honours show sustained dominance. The two lists rarely agree on a winner, which is exactly why this debate refuses to die.

Put the raw numbers side by side and the picture sharpens. Dricus du Plessis shows 23 wins, 3 losses in mma record; Israel Adesanya answers with 24 wins, 6 losses. Context matters: different leagues, different eras and different roles all bend a stat line, so treat the gap as a conversation starter rather than a verdict.

The UFC has taken mixed martial arts from niche curiosity to global spectacle, and its champions are among the most talked-about athletes in combat sport. Every fight can end in a heartbeat, which makes its stars box office in the truest sense. Reputations are made and broken inside the octagon. That backdrop is what makes a matchup like this one resonate beyond the box scores.

Israel Adesanya is the senior figure by roughly 4 years, which frames the comparison: one career is closer to its final shape, the other still has chapters to write.

Commercially, Israel Adesanya leads with an estimated $15M net worth. Earning power tracks fame more than form, but it is part of the legacy question.

Both profiles update daily: Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya each carry full stats, honours and news on AthleteWiki.

Full profiles: Dricus du Plessis · Israel Adesanya