UFC 285, Derek Brunson vs Dricus du Plessis Prediction: Who Will Win at UFC 285?

Two exciting middleweight fighters will clash in the co-main event of the UFC 285 preliminary card. South African fighter Dricus du Plessis is set to go up against a veteran fighter in Derek Brunson. Dricus is coming off a great win against ex-UFC fighter Darren Till. However, Brunson is coming off a brutal loss to Jared Cannonier.

185.5lbs for blonde @DerekBrunson!

Bringing the action on tomorrow's STACKED #UFC285 prelims! pic.twitter.com/bOlFfyDsr9

— UFC (@ufc) March 3, 2023

Derek Brunson last fought in February 2022. His bout against Cannonier at UFC 271 was for the no. 1 contender spot. Hence, Jared Cannonier went on to challenge then-champion Israel Adesanya for the belt at UFC 276. But Brunson has taken off more than a year and is finally set to fight after a lengthy recovery process.

#UFC285 weigh-in results: Dricus Du Plessis (@DricusDuPlessis) – (185)

Full story: https://t.co/ytSqQBpXRW pic.twitter.com/Scbx4wUhmA

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 3, 2023

Dricus du Plessis, on the other hand, did not need a lengthy break at all! His last bout against Darren Till took place at UFC 282 in December last year. So, he is back after a short break of 2 months. Although he was in a spot of bother in the bout at times, du Plessis had enough left in the tank to win the fight and send the Brit out of the company.

UFC 285: Derek Brunson vs Dricus du Plessis, stats

Brunson vs du Plessis: Fight Breakdown

Since joining the UFC, Dricus du Plessis has beaten Markus Perez, Trevin Giles, Brad Tavares, and the aforementioned Darren Till. He is currently undefeated in the UFC and the fans have seen different wrinkles in his game every time he has stepped foot in the Octagon. He has 10 submissions and 7 KOs in his career so far.

However, it is hard to match the CV that Derek Brunson has built up over the years. He has wins over legendary fighters like Lyoto Machida and Chris Leben. He has been fighting in the UFC since December 2012. In his decade-old career in the promotion, Brunson has has some great performances.

One of his most memorable fights was against a rising superstar in Edmen Shahbazyan. Just like Dricus, Eden was also a prospect destined to achieve great feats. But unfortunately, Derek Brunson used his experience and derailed the hype train. So Dricus can not take Brunson lightly at all! Although he had only 4 submissions, Brunson is an NCAA wrestler with a BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie.

So this fight definitely promises to be an instant classic. However, du Plessis has a better and more polished striking game. On top of that, the inactivity may hurt Brunson at an age of 39. If his recent fights and stats (6.62 strikes per minute and 3.18 takedowns per fight as per UFC stats) are any indication, du Plessis may be on course to retain his unbeaten status in the UFC.

Prediction: Dricus du Plessis wins via decision at UFC 285