Breaking: Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis added to UFC 285 card on March 5, 2023

Following the biggest win of his career against Darren Till last time out, Dricus Du Plessis is looking for a quick turnaround. He has now been matched up against Derek Brunson for UFC 285 next year.

In a back-and-forth encounter, the South African came out on top and secured a submission victory against the Brit earlier this month, earning him a top 10 spot in the middleweight division. Despite being known for his heavy hands, 'Stillknocks' has 10 submission wins to his name during his nine-year MMA career thus far.

The middleweight bout between both Du Plessis and Brunson was announced on social media. The pair is set to collide in March, which can be considered one of the many title eliminator matchups being put together at 185lbs. ESPN's Brett Okamoto revealed on Twitter:

"Middleweight tilt just added to UFC 285 on March 5. Brunson vs. Du Plessis, per sources. Du Plessis also signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC. Some big fights getting booked at 185 during the first quarter of 2023."

This will be Brunson's first fight since suffering a devastating knockout at the hands of Jared Cannonier in early 2022. Prior to the loss, the grappler was on a five-fight win streak. He will be looking to recapture that form in his next bout as he makes a push toward a shot at middleweight gold.

Coincidentally, both Du Plessis and Brunson's last win came against Darren Till, with both men coming away with third-round submission victories over the fan-favourite Scouser.

Alongside this middleweight clash, Cody Garbrandt will return to bantamweight against the dangerous Julio Arce and Bo Nickal will make his long-awaited promotional debut at UFC 285.

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The lightning-quick start to Dricus Du Plessis' UFC career

Coming into the UFC as one of the hottest middleweight prospects, Dricus Du Plessis didn't take long to prove his worth in the division. He scored a nasty knockout in his debut against Markus Perez in the final quarter of 2020.

Up next was the powerful Trevin Giles, but that was no problem for the 28-year-old. He delivered the Texan his first-ever knockout loss in almost nine years of competing in the sport.

A decision victory against vet Brad Tavares followed, taking the powerhouse to 3-0 in the company. Dricus Du Plessis rounded that off with a strong display against the aforementioned Darren Till, making him a legitimate contender in the weight class.