Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title at UFC 305 by defeating Israel Adesanya in the fourth round with a submission.
While the outcome might not be a shock considering the fighting styles of both competitors, it doesn’t quite capture the full story of the fight.
Du Plessis, also known as “Stillknocks,” secured the victory by initially hurting Adesanya on the feet, then swiftly transitioning to his back and applying a chokehold. Adesanya admitted that the submission was a result of a simple mistake he made in defending against it.
With 20 out of his 22 professional wins coming by way of stoppage, Du Plessis has always demonstrated his proficiency in finishing fights. However, what truly impressed experts was his ability to defy conventional Jiu-Jitsu principles and still threaten with submissions.
Firas Zahabi Discusses How Dricus Du Plessis Defies Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals in Finishing Fights
In a recent video on the Tristar Gym YouTube channel, Firas Zahabi shared his insights on the main event, highlighting a unique aspect of Du Plessis’ fighting style that often goes unnoticed.
The renowned coach of Georges St-Pierre pointed out that in Jiu-Jitsu, the fundamental rule is to prioritize position over submission. This is even more crucial in MMA where strikes can change the dynamics of a fight. However, Du Plessis disregards this principle entirely.
Instead of establishing control over Adesanya first, Du Plessis went straight for the submission, catching his opponent off guard and preventing him from recovering effectively.
Zahabi observed this unconventional approach after witnessing Du Plessis successfully defend his title.
“He choked him and I realized something about Du Plessis. When Du Plessis gets somebody down, he jumps immediately on the choke, he doesn’t solidify position you know and in Jiu-Jitsu, we’re always taught, the old school mentality was like position, position, position, and then submission. It was like always burnt into our minds. You take the guy down, you stabilize him, you stabilize him, you stabilize him and then you submit him. Well Du Plessis doesn’t do that, he flies in the face of everything everybody ever told us.”
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