Earlier than changing into a UFC champion, Dricus Du Plessis taught himself combined martial arts by way of previous problems with Fighters Solely journal.

On Saturday, February 8, ‘Stillknocks’ will return to the Octagon set to defend his middleweight title for the second time when he meets the person he took the gold from a bit of greater than a yr in the past, Sean Strickland. The 2 will headline UFC 312 when the promotion heads again to Sydney, Australia for its second pay-per-view occasion of 2025.

Du Plessis goes into his first combat of the yr boasting an ideal 8-0 report underneath the UFC banner, together with wins over Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya, and naturally, Sean Strickland. The primary time round, ‘DDP’ defeated Strickland through a considerably controversial cut up resolution to say his first UFC title. This time, he’ll should fend off ‘Tarzan’ who heads to The Land Down Beneath hellbent on reclaiming the crown he misplaced at UFC 297.

Du Plessis used his brothers to coach MMA strikes he present in magazines

However lengthy earlier than he’d made a reputation for himself on MMA’s largest stage, Du Plessis was only a younger aspiring fighter utilizing his brothers to coach strikes he’d seen in magazines.

“I used to be from a small city. No one knew MMA, proper? I went in, and the combat began,” Du Plessis instructed talkSPORT. “Clearly, being a kickboxer, the very first thing I did—I had seen these methods in Fighters Solely journal, they at all times had this stuff—so I might prepare them with my brother.

“I might ask him to assist me. He was older, and each of them had been Judo champions, so that they understood what was happening. You realize, the web and YouTube weren’t like they’re now. Social media wasn’t a factor, in order that wasn’t a risk.”

With a 22-2 total report and a 91% end charge, clearly learning these magazines paid off.

Will ‘Stillknocks’ hold the prepare working and go two-up on Sean Strickland contained in the Qudos Financial institution Enviornment this weekend, or will ‘Tarzan’ even the collection and hand ‘DDP’ the primary lack of his UFC run?