REACTIONS: South Africa erupts after Dricus’ bloody title win
“Now they know what we know...”
Mzansi’s very own Dricus du Plessis has made history in the UFC middleweight division. The finale had South African fans eagerly watching the main event unfold in the early hours of the morning.
As the jabs and kicks came to a halt, the crowd erupted into celebration for the middleweight champion. Dricus shouts: “Coach, coach! I want my flag. I want my flag! This is history! Suid-Afrika, nou weet hulle wat ons weet! (South Africa, now they know what we know!)”
Read More: SA’s Du Plessis new UFC Middleweight champion
From a high work ethic to cardiovascular endurance, 'Stillknocks' put on a stellar performance despite his left eye swelling up. His American opponent, Sean Strickland, gave him a run for his money but ultimately, Dricus came out on top.
“He was hungry. He would’ve stopped at nothing to make his country proud,” shares one social media user.
Here is a highlight of what went down:
Here are four shocking things you need to know about this main event:
- People in South Africa woke up in the early hours of the morning to watch this match
- Drake bet $700K that Strickland would win... oops
- Rumours are making the rounds from Dana White that UFC will come to South Africa
- It was another neck-and-neck final just like with the Boks!
Read More: Latest in Sport
This is a first for South Africa and we couldn’t be prouder of our own professional MMA champion. The event took place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Check out the hilarious and congratulatory social media reactions:
If Dricus wins his #UFC fight, he will be No 1 in the World and No 8 in Boksburg
— Warren Ingram (@WarrenIngram) January 20, 2024
DRICUS DU PLESSIS!!! 💥
— James Preston (@JamesPrestonZA) January 21, 2024
SOUTH AFRICA!!! 🇿🇦
WHAT A COUNTRY!!!! pic.twitter.com/iEUmMnuSE0
Dricus ons is almal vreeslik trots op jou. Danko vir wat jy beteken en doen vir 🇿🇦 Jy’s n absolute Yster & warrior. You fight a lonely sport without a lot of support but you did it! Enjoy the celebrations you deserve it. Lekka! 🇿🇦 @dricusduplessis pic.twitter.com/wZPNpJzrnd
— Rassie Erasmus (@RassieRugby) January 21, 2024
🇿🇦 Scenes in Pretoria!
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 21, 2024
The moment the fans found out that their hometown hero Dricus Du Plessis is the new UFC Middleweight Champion 🥳#UFC297 pic.twitter.com/AXC4Wyg3kk
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Mr Zizi Kodwa congratulates Dricus du Plessis on making history by becoming the first South African to win the United Fighting Championship. 👏 🥳 pic.twitter.com/PCmDUWaKFk
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) January 21, 2024
Dricus Du Plessis from South Africa defeats Sean Strickland to become the new UFC Middleweight Champion.
— African Hub (@AfricanHub_) January 21, 2024
Drake placed a $700,000 on him to lose and lost.
Your comments on this ... pic.twitter.com/WNy8x0dkVO
@ufc AAAAAAAAAAND NEEWWWWWW 🏆 #dricusduplessis #ufc #mma #champion ♬ original sound - 🎧♡
We can’t wait to see what's in store for this loud and proud title holder.
Stay tuned for more updates on this athlete. We will bring you the latest at East Coast Radio.
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Image courtesy of Instagram