South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis celebrates with the middleweight title belt following his win over Sean Strickland South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis celebrates with the middleweight title belt following his win over Sean Strickland of the United States at UFC 297 in January. Photo: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images/AFP
After watching the Springboks overpowering the Wallabies in Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash in Perth, Dricus du Plessis will now turn his attention to his UFC middleweight title defence against Israel Adesanya of New Zealand in the same city.
Du Plessis vs Adesanya is the headlight fight at UFC 305, and he will walk out to the octagon supported by Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth.
Should he win and retain the belt, there’s the chance that South African could host a future UFC event, as promised by Dana White.
Dana White confirms that if Dricus du Plessis was to defend his title at UFC 305, than the UFC would hold an event in South Africa🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦
— Sidney (@NoRageSidney) August 14, 2024
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“If he [Dricus] can beat Izzy, and bring that belt back to South Africa, we will do an event there. But if Izzy can win back the belt, he can retain his legacy,” White said earlier this week.
Like his title-winning fight against Sean Strickland at UFC 297, Sunday’s bout is going to early in the morning. Despite that he felt the love, and spoke about what representing South Africa meant to him..
“They wanted me to win just as bad as I wanted myself to win. So that was incredible when I arrived there. The welcoming I got, I felt so loved. That’s our country. We’re so proud of our country and when we achieve something,” he was quoted by the UFC website.
“That’s what drives me when I get in there. I fight for something much, much bigger than myself, my own goals. It plays a role, but when I’m wearing that flag, I can’t do anything else than be exceptional, because it’s much bigger than myself.”
Defending his title on Sunday will put Du Plessis on another level, and he knows it wont be easy against Adesanya, himelf a former holder of the middleweight belt.
“His career can’t be argued,” Du Plessis said. “He’s one of the greatest fighters ever. Not in the middleweight division, not in the UFC, but in MMA, one of the best to ever do it.
“While he’s still in the organisation, I’m holding the belt, which makes it pretty evident that there’s something special [about me] and there’s something different.
“There’s definitely that extra motivation defending this title, and in a fight of this magnitude. It’s not my first headliner. My previous one I was a contender. As a champion it makes no difference. But the magnitude of this fight, myself vs Adesanya, this fight’s been in the making for almost two years.”
IOL Sport