Why did Dricus du Plessis undergo a nose surgery? Unpacking the nasal issues that once plagued the UFC middleweight kingpin

Dricus du Plessis will make his octagon return to defend his middleweight belt for the third time against undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319 on Aug. 16 at the United Center in Chicago.

Du Plessis, who is known for his toughness, is aiming to counter Chimaev's explosive style and hand him his first professional defeat.

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Why did Dricus du Plessis undergo a nose surgery?

Dricus du Plessis has yet to suffer defeat in the UFC. Notably, the reigning middleweight champion had to face numerous challenges before reaching the peak of the sport. He underwent nose surgery in 2023 following his spectacular second-round knockout victory over Derek Brunson at UFC 285.

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The South African was suffering from a deviated septum. The condition had severely impacted his cardio, allowing him to breathe only 8% of oxygen through his nostrils. Following the surgery, du Plessis returned stronger and faced former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290, securing another dominant second-round knockout win. Since then, 'Stilknocks' has demonstrated remarkable resilience in his fights, as evidenced by his title victory against Sean Strickland via split decision at UFC 297 last year.

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When Dricus du Plessis' coach opened up about his nasal issue

Ahead of the Robert Whittaker fight in 2023, Dricus du Plessis' MMA coach Morne Visser discussed the 31-year-old's prior problem with breathing in a social media post. Visser also fired back at then-champion Israel Adesanya's strong remarks, writing:

''Dricus has been crucified by many watching him fighting in the UFC for his gas tank. Well here are some facts never disclosed to the public or his opponents. He has just had a nose surgery which was suppose to happen 3 years ago. Total oxygen intake threw both his nostrils of about 8% for the last 3 years.''

He added:

''So Izzy you are in sh*t with your one dimensional fighting style. We are not going to wait for the UFC to come to South Africa. We will take the belt from you...JUST IMAGINE WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO TO YOU the NEW ZEALANDER with a full gas tank.''

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena