In his tenure with the UFC, Joe Rogan has seen it all. Knockouts, comebacks, brutal wars, and absurd weight cuts. But even he can’t seem to wrap his head around Dricus Du Plessis. The South African middleweight champ might be fighting at 185 lbs, but according to Rogan, he certainly doesn’t look like a middleweight!

As ‘Stillknocks’ prepares for a blockbuster title defense against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, Rogan has raised some big questions. So, what exactly did the UFC color commentator have to say? During the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) MMA Show no. 168 with light heavyweight star, Khalil Rountree Jr., the conversation touched upon ‘The War Horse’ being comparatively smaller than other fighters in the division.

The JRE host stated, “I think there’s an advantage that you have also as a lighter guy in that division is that you move quicker, and that was kind of evident in that fight that you’re like, you know, there’s a range of light heavyweights and you’re on the smaller range.” Standing 6’1 tall in the 205 lbs. division, Rountree Jr. might not seem “small”, but compared to fighters like Alex Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev, and Jiri Prochazka, he’s still not the biggest in the division.

But that’s when Rogan dropped the bombshell as he stated during the recent conversation, “Like there’s a lot of guys like Dricus, who’s bigger than you, who’s the middleweight champion. He’s f— huge man. It’s the opposite thing right? He’s cutting a ton of weight. I don’t know what he cuts, but every time I interview him, I’m like, how? How the f— are you 185 pounds.”

According to Rogan, Du Plessis doesn’t just look big, he fights big, as he further shared, “He looks like a heavyweight and he is a heavyweight when he fights. I mean, he’s over 205 for sure.” That’s a bold claim, but the numbers back it up! In a candid interview earlier this year, Du Plessis confirmed what many already suspected: he walks around at 224 to 231 lbs (102–105 kg) when not in camp. That’s light heavyweight territory. And it makes his drop to 185 lbs (83.9 kg) all the more insane.

In the words of the middleweight champion himself, “Around 102 -105 kgs. That’s me, like, I would say three weeks after a fight, four weeks after a fight. Then you’re training, eating whatever you didn’t eat in the last 12 weeks. You’re eating whatever you want, drinking a lot of beer and enjoying life a little for that period because you have to do that. You have to unwind and also, I love this sport more than anything. So, you also have that break.”

With Khamzat Chimaev waiting in the wings and a belt on the line, Dricus Du Plessis is about to face one of the toughest tests of his reign as champion so far. But while the MMA sphere gears up for the highly anticipated clash, one man has already made his pick, and it may surprise you!

Dricus Du Plessis receives Israel Adesanya’s backing against Khamzat Chimaev

Former middleweight king Israel Adesanya will be watching from the sidelines as the division he once ruled gets a fresh shake-up. But even after a hard-fought loss against Du Plessis at UFC 305, Adesanya isn’t bitter. In fact, he’s backing the champ to get it done again.

“Not bad, but I still think Dricus gets it. I think late finish. Yeah, late finish,” Adesanya said while reacting live to UFC 318 on his YouTube channel. The UFC 319 promo had just aired, and Adesanya didn’t hesitate to weigh in.

According to him, Chimaev’s best shot is to end things early. Otherwise? It’s Du Plessis’s chaos that will reign supreme. ‘The Last Stylebender’ explained, “I think Khamzat will, if he wins, it’s the first two rounds, or the first round. But Dricus is just chaotic. Chaotic good. Chaotic evil. That’s literally what this fight might be. Chaotic good versus chaotic evil.”

It’s a wild but fitting analogy. Dricus Du Plessis doesn’t have the cleanest style. His footwork is awkward, his strikes are unpredictable, and his pressure never fades. Chimaev, on the other hand, is the storm that tries to finish you before you can even blink.

It’s rare to see a former rival speak this candidly about the man who beat him. But Adesanya knows what it takes to survive five rounds at the elite level. With size, stamina, and sheer chaos on his side, Du Plessis enters UFC 319 with more than just a title to defend, he carries a reputation that defies the scales. The question is, will ‘Borz’ be the man to finally break through? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!