When Dricus du Plessis first hit the octagon nearly five years ago, he did so having already won championships in two different weight classes and with multiple notable regional promotions around the world.

But the man who now wears UFC middleweight gold is under no illusions that he could have burst on the scene and taken over right from the jump.

“I needed the time, for sure,” du Plessis told The Post on Thursday via video call. “But I did that climb easy.”

Dricus du Plessis celebrates after his middleweight title win over Sean Strickland in January 2024. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

That’s typical of UFC newcomers, but it didn’t stop a number of excited observers from imagining what Khamzat Chimaev, the challenger to du Plessis’ throne for the UFC 319 main event on Aug. 16 in Chicago

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