Being Tased Made Me Ufc World Champion - Du Plessis

This article contains descriptions of convulsive activity which could beryllium imitated

Dricus du Plessis is nonchalant but patient erstwhile asked if he has been punished pinch a Taser-like instrumentality during his training campy earlier facing Khamzat Chimaev.

"Absolutely, aggregate times," nan South African tells BBC Sport. "I get tased each conflict camp.

"That's really it is. If you make mistakes perpetually - if you many times make nan aforesaid correction - you're getting tased, and that's it."

It was revealed past twelvemonth that Du Plessis' coach Morne Visser uses nan Taser-like instrumentality connected nan fighters he trains arsenic reward for mistakes they make successful nan gym.

Footage showed Du Plessis lying look down connected his stomach, pinch Visser tasing nan soles of his feet.

It is an unorthodox and arguable training method - and perchance very vulnerable - but Du Plessis credits it pinch helping him go a UFC champion.

On Saturday, nan 31-year-old will make nan 3rd defence of his middleweight title against Russia's Chimaev astatine UFC 319 successful Chicago, Illinois.

"I ever opportunity this - I'm South African and we are built different. We do immoderate it takes to go a champion and this is my coach's method," says Du Plessis.

"Do I for illustration it? No. But that's his method and if I don't for illustration it I tin time off that gym immoderate time.

"Did it make maine a world champion? Yes, it did. You can't expect different results doing nan aforesaid point arsenic everybody else, it's not going to work."

Du Plessis gives a wry grin earlier taking a sip of his portion aft revealing what it feels for illustration to beryllium tased.

"It feels perfectly terrible," he says. "It's for illustration rubbing an electrical obstruction - you conscionable cognize it's going to beryllium terrible. But it does make that intelligence statement stick."

It is ineligible to ain and transportation a Taser successful South Africa for self-defence purposes.

In immoderate ways, Du Plessis' training methods reflector his fighting style, pinch nan South African questioned passim his UFC profession for an unconventional approach.

He is known for blitzing guardant and looping punches successful a mode which appears reckless, but 1 which useful to devastating effect.

Du Plessis is connected a nine-fight winning streak astatine middleweight - nan existent longest successful nan section - and returning to nan octagon six months aft outpointing Sean Strickland.

In his past 4 fights, he has 2 wins complete Strickland and has stopped Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker - each of whom are erstwhile UFC champions.

Du Plessis says his grounds speaks for itself.

"Since nan time I started doing this I didn't attraction astir money, I didn't attraction astir fame. I conscionable wanted to beryllium nan top that has ever done it," he explains.

"The group that do doubt, what do they cognize astir fighting? Where's their world title?"

In 31-year-old Chimaev, Du Plessis is facing 1 of nan UFC's astir breathtaking talents and agelong predicted to go a champion.

He is unbeaten, winning nan first 14 fights of his career, but his momentum successful nan UFC has been stifled complete nan past 2 years.

Chimaev fought conscionable erstwhile successful 2023 and erstwhile again successful 2024 aft unwellness and injuries led to a number of cancelled fights.

He besides suffered visa issues, owed to his ties to arguable Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, which prevented him from fighting successful nan United States.

Chimaev returns to America for nan first clip since 2022 to look Du Plessis pinch nan Russian crediting president Donald Trump for securing his visa.

But Du Plessis' assurance is unwavering arsenic he predicts a 24th triumph successful 26 bouts.

"If I spell 100%, my force has to spell 100% aliases I will decorativeness you," he says.

"Which intends we are going to a spot of who has nan biggest bosom and who is not consenting to springiness up, and that conflict I win, 10 times retired of 10."