Dricus Du Plessis has put South African MMA on the map in a major way.
Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) outlasted Sean Strickland in this past Saturday’s UFC 297 headliner to claim the middleweight title. The former two-division EFC champion became South Africa’s first UFC champion and only the fourth African champ in company history.
Check out the reception Du Plessis received when he landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park as a massive amount of fans gathered to cheer him on and chant his name (via eNCA).
[ON AIR] UFC Middleweight World Champion Dricus du Plessis returns home. He's the first South African to win a UFC world title. #DStv403 #eNCA pic.twitter.com/bUd3keu8Hn
— eNCA (@eNCA) January 25, 2024
And here’s an incredible point-of-view angle of fans greeting Du Plessis:
After beating Strickland, Du Plessis turned his attention to former champion Israel Adesanya, whom he was previously on a collision course with.
“There was another guy who tried to take my shine,” Du Plessis said in his post-fight interview in the octagon. “He lost his shine. Now, I have your shine. You didn’t get into the cage tonight, but Israel Adesanya, get your ass back in the UFC so we can settle the score.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.
