Dricus du Plessis nickname: Why is the South African middleweight known as 'Stillknocks?'

Dricus du Plessis is set to challenge Sean Strickland for the middleweight title at UFC 297 this weekend. The No.2-ranked middleweight is riding an eight-fight win streak that predates his time in the UFC. Since making his promotional debut in 2020, he has won all six of his bouts, picking up five finishes.

Du Plessis goes by the nickname 'Stillknocks,' given to him by one of his brothers ahead of his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2013. The nickname stems from the drug Stilnox, which is another name for the sleeping pill commonly known as Ambien in the United States. The middleweight title challenger had 30 knockouts in 33 amateur K-1 kickboxing bouts, leading to the moniker.

Du Plessis' knockout power has translated to mixed martial arts, as he has a professional record of 20 wins and two losses. He has won nine fights via knockout, 10 fights via submission, and just one fight via decision.

While Dricus du Plessis has never lost via decision, he has been knocked out once and submitted once. He will look to keep his winning streak alive by capturing the middleweight title at UFC 297. If 'Stillknocks' is able to do so, he will become the first UFC champion to hail from South Africa.

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Dricus du Plessis calls Sean Strickland out for 'hypocrisy'

Sean Strickland has made it clear that he was not happy with Dricus du Plessis referencing the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father as a child. The No.2-ranked middleweight recently called out his upcoming opponent for what he labeled as hypocrisy, referencing his comments on Khalil Rountree crying and Ian Garry's wife before adding:

"That's the one thing in this whole situation where I feel, Sean, whatever he says, it doesn't matter because - he's a funny character, I actually quite enjoy him - the hypocrisy is the one area where people could lose respect for Sean Strickland. He's always unapologetically himself, but as soon as he got his own medicine, as soon as he was on the receiving end for the very first time when I got on that mic, we saw him back pedal and try to play the sympathy card."

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments on Sean Strickland below:

Du Plessis alleged that Strickland became a victim when he was on the receiving end of insults, labeling it as hypocritical. He further claimed that Strickland's history of trash talk prevents him from deciding what crosses the line.