Dricus du Plessis is taking a stand against swirling rumors about his health and fighting future.

This week, whispers of an injury affecting the UFC middleweight champion have circulated, leading rivals Khamzat Chimaev and Caio Borralho to call him out over his supposed unavailability to defend his title. On Thursday, du Plessis took to social media to set the record straight.

"So everyone has been speculating about shin breaks and injuries, and I must say, it’s quite entertaining—but none of it is true. I’ve already discussed a fight date and opponent with the UFC. The June fight was never confirmed, and I didn’t back out of anything. I’m the champion; contenders need to show up when we say so. A fight announcement is coming soon, so stay tuned!"

While du Plessis didn’t specify when fans can expect details of his next title defense, he hinted at a potential fight in 2025.

The South African fighter is fresh off a victory where he defended his title against Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in February, winning by unanimous decision. This triumph marked du Plessis's second consecutive title defense, following a fourth-round submission of Israel Adesanya.

With an impressive record of 23-2, du Plessis remains undefeated in all nine of his UFC fights. Now, it seems likely that his next challenger will either be the formidable Chimaev, who holds a perfect 14-0 record with finishes in all but one match, or Borralho, who is on a 17-fight unbeaten streak and boasts a 7-0 UFC record.