Dricus du Plessis lost his UFC belt but earned a massive R61 million at UFC 319. South Africa’s MMA star proves defeat can still pay big.
Dricus du Plessis lost his UFC belt but earned a massive R61 million at UFC 319. South Africa’s MMA star proves defeat can still pay big . South Africa’s own Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis may have walked out of Chicago without his UFC middleweight belt, but he certainly didn’t leave empty-handed. The Pretoria-born fighter pocketed an eye-watering R61 million from his UFC 319 showdown with Khamzat Chimaev—proving once again that in the brutal business of combat sports, sometimes defeat can still come with a payday worth celebrating. The clash, billed as one of the biggest middleweight battles in recent UFC history, ended in disappointment for Du Plessis inside the octagon. Yet, behind the scenes, his bank account told a different story. According to reports, the South African earned $1 million (R18 million) as a base purse for entering the cage as defending champion. Add to that the lucrative Pay-Per-View shares, performance bonuses, and promotional incentives, and his total ballooned...