Dricus du Plessis Net Worth 2026: How the UFC Champion Built Millions Through Fight
- Dricus Du Plessis has established himself as one of South Africa’s highest-earning MMA fighters, building substantial wealth
- Major victories over top contenders such as Sean Strickland, along with his title reign and clashes with elite opponents like Khamzat Chimaev
- His earnings are driven by a combination of fight purses, pay-per-view participation, and sponsorship agreements
Former UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis is one of the richest sporting figures from South Africa. Despite having lost the title to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025, the Welkom-born MMA fighter still has the big bucks and has built millions of rands through fights and endorsement deals.
Source: Getty Images
His past victories have also seen him earn rich pickings, and his time at the top as the champion made him a great attraction to many brands in South Africa and beyond, hence more sponsorship and endorsement deals in his name.
Dricus Du Plessis UFC earnings and payouts
In 2025, before his defeat to Chimaev, he defeated Sean Strickland in one of his biggest fights in February and raked in millions of dollars. When he successfully defended his title against Strickland, he took home a hefty sum, significantly higher than what his opponent earned. As the reigning champion, Du Plessis was guaranteed a base salary of $1.2 million, with an additional $400,000 from pay-per-view (PPV) revenue and $42,000 in sponsorships. His total reported earnings from the fight amounted to $2.14 million, making it his largest payday in 2025.
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In comparison, Strickland reportedly earned $1 million as his base salary, plus $32,000 from sponsorships, bringing his total payout to $1.03 million, far below Du Plessis’s earnings. The South African’s contract with the UFC, bolstered by his August 2024 fight against Israel Adesanya, had already seen a substantial increase in his guaranteed salary, setting him up for a lucrative start to 2025.
Source: Getty Images
Dricus Du Plessis net worth and deals
In the losing fight against Chimaev, he was expected to take home around $3 million, which included a $1 million base salary and an estimated $1–$1.5 million from PPV revenue and promotional bonuses. He missed out on a guaranteed $500,000 win bonus due to the loss, but his total earnings still surpassed those of his opponent.
According to the Times of India, Du Plessis has an estimated net worth of $3–$5 million, with significant pay-per-view appearances, increased base purses after his stint as the champion at middleweight, and growing endorsement deals. Unconfirmed figures regarding his endorsement and sponsorship deals suggest he rakes in about $30,000 to $50,000 per bout.
As seen in the X post below:
Dricus speaks out after defeat
Briefly News previously reported that South African UFC Middleweight fighter Dricus du Plessis reacted to his bruising defeat at the hands of the UAE’s Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago.
“Stillknocks,” who came into this fight as the underdog, put on a brave face despite the one-sided fight and vowed to bounce back.
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Source: Briefly News
