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Dricus du Plessis makes history as South Africa’s first UFC middleweight champion

South Africa has their first UFC champion after a bruising performance by Dricus du Plessis over Sean Strickland on Sunday.
Dricus du Plessis makes history as South Africa’s first UFC middleweight champion Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis became the first South African Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) belt holder after beating Sean Strickland by split decision on Sunday morning to take the middleweight belt from the champion. It was a five-round bloodbath between the two big strikers but ultimately it was the burly South African who came away with the win at UFC 297’s main event in Toronto, Canada. Du Plessis is now seven wins from seven fights in the UFC, having climbed up the rankings rapidly within four years. He called out former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya after the brawl as a possible first opponent to defend his belt. DM [caption id="attachment_2021244" align="alignnone" width="720"]Dricus du Plessis Dricus du Plessis won a split-points decision against Sean Strickland to win the middleweight championship at UFC 297 event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2021243" align="alignnone" width="720"] Dricus du Plessis lands a left on Sean Strickland during their UFC middleweight championship bout. (Photo: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2021242" align="alignnone" width="720"] Dricus du Plessis punches Sean Strickland in the UFC middleweight championship bout in Toronto, Ontario, on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2021247" align="alignnone" width="720"]Dricus du Plessis Dricus du Plessis prepares to face Sean Strickland in a UFC middleweight championship bout at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)[/caption]
Keanan Hemmonsbey
By Keanan Hemmonsbey
21 Jan 2024
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Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis became the first South African Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) belt holder after beating Sean Strickland by split decision on Sunday morning to take the middleweight belt from the champion.

It was a five-round bloodbath between the two big strikers but ultimately it was the burly South African who came away with the win at UFC 297’s main event in Toronto, Canada.

Du Plessis is now seven wins from seven fights in the UFC, having climbed up the rankings rapidly within four years. He called out former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya after the brawl as a possible first opponent to defend his belt. DM

Dricus du Plessis Dricus du Plessis won a split-points decision against Sean Strickland to win the middleweight championship at UFC 297 event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)



Dricus du Plessis lands a left on Sean Strickland during their UFC middleweight championship bout. (Photo: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)



Dricus du Plessis punches Sean Strickland in the UFC middleweight championship bout in Toronto, Ontario, on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)



Dricus du Plessis Dricus du Plessis prepares to face Sean Strickland in a UFC middleweight championship bout at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Comments

Coen Gous Jan 21, 2024, 09:38 AM

Gosh, I am so happy! World Champ in the most difficult weight category, in possibly the toughest sport on this planet!

Garth Kruger Jan 21, 2024, 10:04 AM

Yster Dricus.

huysam Jan 21, 2024, 10:08 AM

Hulle het nie geweet wat ons weet nie! Congrats to a deserved winner who showed massive respect to Strickland in the immediate post-fight interview. Doing Mzansi proud! ?

gary.goldman Jan 21, 2024, 10:17 AM

WTG 'Stillknocks' I cannot wait to see your first title defense of your UFC Middleweight Title

John Holloway Jan 21, 2024, 10:21 AM

There's a time gap, of course, but shouldn't the article choose (and state) whether it's Canadian or S.A. time? The photo caption states '20th' (Canadian fight date) and the first paragraph 'Sunday' (S.A. fight day), both without qualification and therefore in apparent contradiction. Nitpicker.

stevenkelly82 Jan 21, 2024, 03:00 PM

So what, he won fair and square despite you "nitpicking". As a Nation, we should be proud of his achievement regardless of the time zone. We don't have much to cheer these days.

bforrest Jan 21, 2024, 10:47 AM

Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie !! Awesome win Dricus

chrisf.vz Jan 21, 2024, 10:49 AM

Great achievement.

Derek Jones Jan 21, 2024, 11:22 AM

Congrats Dricus on a huge win secured by your passionate passionate heart. We are proud of you.

annie.conw Jan 21, 2024, 11:29 AM

It wasn’t a bloodbath! Only Strickland was bleeding. We are the onety one-ers!!!

Petere Jan 21, 2024, 11:59 AM

Brutal game but great for SA!

Willem Annandale Jan 21, 2024, 12:10 PM

Another SA 1-point victory! Sjoe, my nerves... Dricus is a wonderful ambassador for the country, and a great role model. Vat vyf!

User Jan 21, 2024, 12:34 PM

We are immensely proud of the man. Black and white all celebrated as one just the same as when we won the world rugby Cup.

Julia D Jan 21, 2024, 12:36 PM

What a champ! Thanks for all the hard work and for flying the SA flag so proudly.

Raymond van Niekerk Jan 21, 2024, 12:38 PM

I thought Strickland was going to be hard to beat. He was. Tough tough fight. Congratulations to our boy from Pretoria.

heine Jan 21, 2024, 01:26 PM

Hello South Africa

Malcolm Dunkeld Jan 21, 2024, 02:27 PM

Pretoria rules the waves.

Ritey roo roo Jan 21, 2024, 02:58 PM

Barbaric, just shove them in the Gladiator's ring and let Caesar decide

paulzille Jan 21, 2024, 04:42 PM

He may be the champ but he is only fifth on the Boksburg pub circuit.

Chris Orr Jan 21, 2024, 04:51 PM

Good man! Great victory!

Wayne Cooke Jan 21, 2024, 08:52 PM

???

nusig Jan 21, 2024, 10:42 PM

Another great Rainbow Nation moment!! Well done to Dricus DuPlessis!! He has made us very proud!!!

Malcolm Royal Jan 22, 2024, 08:21 AM

Paul Zille, "Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie", says it all. We have four great fights lined up for The Boksburg Town Hall. Dricus has to beat them all before he can truly say he is the world champion. I think he will take them all in one night. The other guys are just posers not real fighters. Hierdie Soutie se Sterkte Dricus!

Zed Buchler Jan 22, 2024, 08:31 AM

Well done Dricus. Just a question to Daily Maverick, can you hold a poll with some questions to find out how many people actually knows anything about MMA? Seems the whole of SA is now MMA fundi's. This does not take away my admiration for Dricus by winning the belt in a very demanding sport.

User Jan 22, 2024, 11:04 AM

Dricus, Congrats. You were phenomenal. And you did it from South Africa. We need more like you!

Johan Buys Jan 22, 2024, 11:39 AM

Great achievement! Interesting that the springboks and him have been supporting each other for a while, think he carried the flag when boks walked on for one of the RWC games.

langeraa Jan 22, 2024, 11:58 AM

Well done Dricus. Not one of the sports I really follow, I prefer boxing, rugby, athletics and swimming, but, hell, its nice to have another world champion. A friend sent me a clip, which I thought was quite amusing, confirming how tough our boys are in the South. "Dricus's no 1 ranking in the world, gives a him a no 7 ranking in Boksburg" ;-)