Highlights: MMA: in South Africa, the whole country behind Dricus Du Plessis. The rising star of mixed martial arts (MMA), who has just celebrated his thirtieth birthday, is preparing to challenge the American UFC middleweight champion this Sunday morning. Despite controversial remarks, “DDP” enjoys great popularity within the Rainbow Nation. “He is well prepared physically, in very good physical shape and he has a relentless approach, he knows how to overwhelm his opponents, ” said Obakeng Mahura, trainer and amateur fighter.

The rising star of mixed martial arts (MMA), who has just celebrated his thirtieth birthday, is preparing to challenge the American UFC middleweight champion this Sunday morning to try to take his belt away from him.…

MMA: in South Africa, the whole country behind Dricus Du Plessis

Despite controversial remarks, “DDP” enjoys great popularity within the Rainbow Nation.

The South African Dricus Du Plessis (D) will face the American Sean Strickland (L) on the night of Saturday to Sunday January 20 (at 3 a.m. UT) at the Scotiabank Arena in the Canadian city of Toronto, in the occasion of UFC 297 (the American Ultimate Fighting Championship, the most important league in this sport).

AP - Cole Burston

By: Claire Bargelès Follow

from our correspondent in South Africa

In a photo that he keeps carefully, Kagiso, wearing sunglasses and a big smile, poses alongside his star, Dricus Du Plessis, with his fist clenched.

A photo taken during a tournament organized in the country, and which will perhaps soon be worth gold for this fan since the athlete could become the first South African to be crowned UFC champion if he wins his fight this week-end.

“

In my opinion, on paper, he is better than his opponent in all areas: power, striking, wrestling techniques, grappling... It would be a historic turning point and a dream for us, to reach such a peak within the international MMA community,

” enthuses this enthusiast, who has been following the evolution of the sport in his country for almost twenty years.

Dricus Du Plessis is due to face Sean Strickland on the night of Saturday to Sunday (3 a.m. UT) at the Scotiabank Arena in the Canadian city of Toronto, for UFC 297 (the

American

Ultimate Fighting Championship

, the most important league in this sport).

A fight that promises to be tough, since the American defends his middleweight belt for the first time.

But Kagiso will not be the only one to encourage the South African when he enters the octagon, because the athlete now has many supporters at home, and even the world champion rugby players of the Springboks have split a video to encourage him.

Read alsoMMA: South African du Plessis fights in the public with Strickland, his future opponent

Controversial comments

Within the various clubs in the country, such as Quan Wessels north of Johannesburg, we also want to believe in this victory.

“

He is well prepared physically, in very good physical shape and he has a relentless approach, he knows how to overwhelm his opponents,

” said Obakeng Mahura, trainer and amateur fighter.

“

I'm sure he will win,

” adds Thimna Mhlauli, who is preparing to fight his first professional fight, “

probably around the 4th round, by technical knockout.

» Even the former champion of this category of less than 84 kilos, the New Zealander of Nigerian origin

Israel Adesanya

, made his comment, giving “DDP” victorious against his opponent.

It must be said that the South African has shined in the UFC since his entry in 2020, having accumulated six victories in six fights, the last against the Australian Robert Whittaker.

But the character is not without controversy.

Usually, it is his rival, Sean Strickland, who plays the role of the anti-hero: emerging from the neo-Nazi movement thanks to MMA, he is known for his madness on the microphone and his explosive character.

However, this time, it was Du Plessis who created the controversy by promising, at a press conference, to bring back memories of the American's battered childhood during the fight.

“

It's part of the show, the fans want to see that, two fighters who have a conflict, then go into the cage to resolve it, and we have a winner!

» reacts Thimna Mhlauli.

His colleague Obakeng is less convinced: “

I think there is a limit, in MMA, in terms of provocative remarks, and in my opinion he has exceeded it a little.
In my opinion, it's not very good for the sport, when it becomes too personal.

» The atmosphere is in any case already electric, since during UFC 296 in mid-December, the two opponents began to fight in the public.

African identity

Du Plessis was also fined for leaving the cage last July to greet former President Donald Trump who was in the audience.

But the white South African really hit the headlines last year, declaring that it was he "

the African UFC fighter

", and not Israel Adesanya,

Francis Ngannou

or even

Kamaru Usman

, who built their career outside the continent.

For JT Botha, his training partner, “

he didn't say that in a malicious way

” but wanted to underline his pride in “

having stayed in Africa, to train, to build his career and to fight.

» The former champion of EFC (

Extreme Fighting Championship,

the South African league) continues to evolve within the CIT club in Pretoria, which also brought out UFC fighter Cameron Saaiman.

If he will not start as a favorite in front of the crowd gathered in Canada, “DDP” is in any case still very admired in his country, which believes in his dreams when he claims to be “

here to become the best in the world.”

Read alsoMMA: Adesanya, Usman, Du Plessis... contrasting year for African UFC stars

MMA: in South Africa, the whole country behind Dricus Du Plessis

MMA: in South Africa, the whole country behind Dricus Du Plessis

Controversial comments

African identity

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