After days of silence, South African fighter Dricus Du Plessis broke his silence following his loss of the middleweight title to Hamza Chimaev at the mixed martial arts event “UFC 319” held on August 16, affirming full responsibility for his performance and pledging to come back stronger.

Du Plessis, who had a historic chance to enter the list of fighters with the most title defenses in the organization’s history, found himself powerless against Chimaev’s strength and dominance, who seized the belt and halted the former champion’s reign.

The former champion said in a statement on his Instagram account that he accepts the defeat with an open heart: “I hate losing, but it is part of life and part of our game. Without the bitter, the sweet wouldn’t be sweet. I’m not a good loser because a good loser becomes a habitual loser. But I am a passionate student of the arts and life, and I believe this experience will drive me toward greatness.”

He added, “I was defeated by a better fighter that night. No excuses. I congratulate my opponent and thank him for the honor of sharing the cage. This loss awakened a desire in me that will lead to a stronger comeback than ever before.”

Unlike his student, coach Morne Visser did not hesitate to sharply criticize Chimaev’s performance, considering that “dominance inside the cage does not mean absolute superiority.”

Visser said in radio statements, “Everyone is laughing now and saying Dricus was exposed. Yes, he lost, but we will come back quickly. This is not a wrestling match, but a real fight. We may have lost the battle, but the war is not over. One fight, and we won’t sleep until we regain the belt.”

According to media reports, Du Plessis will not get an immediate rematch for the belt due to his performance, opening the door to speculation about his next opponent.

The available options are many, most notably a potential fight against Dutch fighter Reinier de Ridder, who will face American Anthony Hernandez in October. Meanwhile, expectations indicate that Chimaev’s next opponent will be the winner of the fight between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho at the UFC event in Paris.

As for Du Plessis, his intentions have become clear: to return to the cage as soon as possible and confirm that the loss was just a temporary stop on his journey to glory.