WATCH: Massive African Crowd Gives Middleweight Champ Dricus du Plessis a Goosebump Worthy Ovation After UFC 297 Sean Strickland Beatdown

Dricus du Plessis finally made it to the top of the UFC’s middleweight division last weekend. After winning the 185-pound title, he was thrust into the top trends, with many people flooding social media with congratulatory messages. However, the reception Du Plessis’ win got back home in South Africa after his win was unparalleled.

After six consecutive wins since joining the UFC, Dricus du Plessis became the first South African champion in Dana White‘s promotion. It could have happened a few months ago when he was paired to fight Israel Adesanya for the title, but had to pull out due to an injury. However, du Plessis came back stronger and edged past Sean Strickland via a split decision. Calling it a colossal achievement would be an understatement, as videos on social media showed how much his win meant to the people in South Africa. Let’s have a look at that.

Fourth African and first South African Champion

‘Stillknocks’s win over Sean Strickland made him the fourth African champion after Kamaru Usman, Israel Adesanya, and Francis Ngannou. But as we mentioned earlier, he is also the first to come out of the rainbow nation of South Africa. As such, Dricus du Plessis’ middleweight championship win was a cause of celebration for people back home, which was apparent in videos of his fellow citizens’ reactions trending online.

As Bruce Buffer started announcing the score of the main event fight in Toronto, the South African people listened closely. When the voice of the UFC mentioned “and new”, the people who gathered to watch Dricus du Plessis’ fight on a big screen erupted with joy. It was a landmark occasion for the South African community to have made their mark in the fastest-growing sport in the world today. Meanwhile, du Plessis’ win has made the “real African” debate more interesting as he called out Israel Adesanya for his next fight.

‘Stillknocks’ called out Israel Adesanya

It did not take long for Dricus du Plessis to mention whom he wanted to fight next. Although not necessarily interested in fighting Israel Adesanya, he called out the former 2-time middleweight champion, claiming that the fans want to see that fight. Du Plessis said, “Right now, I have to tell you, man, I’m really enjoying this… It was another guy who tried to take my shine. He lost his shine, now I have your shine. You didn’t get into the cage tonight, but Israel Adesanya get your a** back in the UFC so we can settle the score.”

The callout didn’t go unnoticed, as Israel Adesanya quickly responded to Dricus du Plessis. He mentioned that he never took anything away from anyone and also did not lose himself after losing the title at UFC 293. Adesanya also added that his crossing paths against the South African fighter were destined.

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Dricus du Plessis is now at the apex of the middleweight division. If not Israel Adesanya, there will be more contenders waiting in line to fight him for the title. Khamzat Chimaev is also a prime candidate for a middleweight title. It remains to be seen what lies ahead for ‘Stillknocks’ after an impressive start to 2024.

Read More: Dana White’s Promise Could See Real African Debate Settling in South Africa as Dricus Du Plessis Called Out Israel Adesanya