Where did Dricus du Plessis go to college? What degree did 'Stillknocks' pursue?

Dricus du Plessis has risen as an unlikely staple in the UFC middleweight division. The South African fighter is a former kickboxer and a former EFC middleweight and welterweight champion. Furthermore, he is also a former KSW welterweight titleholder. Du Plessis capped his list of achievements by reaching the pinnacle of mixed martial arts when he captured the UFC middleweight title at UFC 297 in January 2024.

While he initially devoted himself to kickboxing and even became a WAKO world champion, the lack of money in the sport led him to focus more on his studies.

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Where did Dricus du Plessis go to college?

Du Plessis attended the University of Pretoria in his hometown of Pretoria, where he initially pursued a degree in agricultural economics. Unfortunately, his heart wasn't in the degree and he recommitted himself to combat sports. This time, however, he embarked on an MMA career instead of returning to kickboxing.

He has since emerged as an extremely entertaining fighter inside the octagon. Additionally, his UFC run has been stellar as Dricus du Plessis currently has five consecutive wins, four of which are finishes.

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Dricus du Plessis took his first steps into MMA training through magazines

Dricus du Plessis may not have been interested in pursuing a college education, but he has become a dedicated student of martial arts. Du Plessis went above and beyond to begin his MMA training, demonstrating the determination needed to reach the top of the sport.

In a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, du Plessis discussed how he got started in MMA. He mentioned that while he was already an amateur kickboxer, he had no formal MMA training leading up to his first fight. Du Plessis further elaborated:

“I was from a small town. Nobody knew MMA, right? I went in, and the fight started. Obviously, being a kickboxer, the first thing I did—I had seen these techniques in Fighters Only magazine, they always had these things—so I would train them with my brother."

He added:

“I would ask him to help me. He was older, and both of them were Judo champions, so they understood what was going on. You know, the internet and YouTube weren’t like they are now. Social media wasn’t a thing, so that wasn’t a possibility.”

Du Plessis' learnings from the magazines paid off as he was able to secure a double leg takedown early in his first MMA fight and secured a TKO win by ground-and-pound.

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below (13:18):