Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) faced former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) in the main event of UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Du Plessis was a significant underdog going into the fight, but his hands resulted to a technical knockout win at 2:23 of the second round.
The combatants didn't waste any time getting down to business, with Whittaker quickly establishing himself as the more nimble of the two.
The former champion displayed his all-around skills by taking Du Plessis down in the midst of the round.
When Du Plessis had Whittaker in a headlock, he started hitting great combinations and eventually took him down.
He took the fight to the ground and finished the first round by crushing Whittaker with ground and pound attacks.
During the opening minutes of Round 2, Whittaker landed several strong punches and attempted a hard head kick that was partly blocked
But Du Plessis was unmoved. He rode through the first storm and held fire until he had a clear shot at his target. He waited for the ideal moment,