Dricus du Plessis’ brother Niel du Plessis, is an MMA fighter, having previously competed in EFC. The UFC fighter, Dricus, is the youngest among three brothers.
The two brothers always had a sibling rivalry going on since their childhood. There was a time when Niel would be the one to bully his brother, but soon it changed after Dricus began training to become a professional fighter.
In many sibling sports stories, we hear about the older brother pushing the younger brother to play that sport. But in the case of Du Plessis, it’s quite the opposite.
It was after looking at his younger brother Niel wanted to join the MMA world. But he also has to maintain his career as an attorney.
Having made his UFC debut in 2020, Dricus is unbeaten in his five starts, with his latest victory coming against Derek Brunson in March 2023.
We will see the South African UFC star enter the octagon ring on July 8. This time around, he is ready to knock out Robert Whittaker.
Dricus du Plessis Brother, Niel du Plessis
Dricus du Plessis’s older brother, Niel du Plessis, began his EFC journey in 2016. But Niel isn’t only limited to the octagon ring.
Four years older than Dricus, Niel is the middle child of the du Plessis family. He stands at 6ft and has fought against five fighters to date.
Niel has amassed three wins and two losses in his career and continues to train at his hometown in Pretoria, South Africa. Along with being an EFC fighter, Niel is also an attorney.
After graduating from the University of Pretoria in 2013, Niel focused on his MMA career for a few years before becoming director of Modiba du Plessis Attorneys.
He is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa with the right of appearance in the High Court. du Plessis has family, employment, and corporate and commercial law expertise.
He also serves on the panel of mediators for the South African Association of Mediators.
The Sibling Bond Between Dricus And Niel du Plessis
In a short video uploaded on YouTube in 2020, Dricus talked about his sibling rivalry with his older brother.
Niel and Dricus aren’t the only two kids in the du Plessis household. They have an older brother who goes by the name WC du Plessis on Facebook.
In the interview, Dricus said Niel only started showing interest in MMA once he became a professional. Up until he was 16, Dricus was the one who would get bullied by Niel, but the UFC fighter said once he started to get into kickboxing, the table began to turn.
Though there isn’t bad blood between the two brothers, it doesn’t stop them from being competitive in the gym.
Dricus also recounted one occasion when the two brothers took their competition up a notch resulting in them getting injured.
The UFC fighter ended the video by saying it meant a lot to have his brother by his side during his fights. He also considers Niel to be his biggest supporter and said there are times when Niel believes in his ability more than he does.
Dricus du Plessis Parents, Japie, And Gerda du Plessis
Dricus du Plessis’ parents, Japie, and Gerda du Plessis have kept themselves out of the public spotlight.
Despite having highly successful kids in various fields, Japie and Gerda are rarely seen in front of the cameras. The retired couple seems to enjoy spending their time back in their homeland South Africa.
Dricus, in the past, has shared appreciation posts for his parents. Last year on Mother’s Day, the South African UFC fighter shared a series of pictures to celebrate their occasion.
Gerda is available on Facebook and has shared tons of family photos. The mother of three kids, it certainly looks like now Gerda loves her grandkids more than her sons.
