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South Africans had something to celebrate early this morning when Dricus ‘Stillknocks’ du Plessis won the UFC Middleweight Championship from Sean Strickland at UFC 297, making history.

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He beat Sean Strickland in the highly anticipated middleweight title fight at UFC 297 after judges scored the bout 48-47 in his favour 

The South African entered his first five-round fight to compete for his first UFC title, and emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle.

Speaking in Afrikaans in his post-match interview, Du Plessis exclaimed, “The world now knows what we know.”

The victory capped a 6-0 start to his UFC career and a swift rise to the title. It is only been slightly more than three years since the South African made his debut with the organisation. Now he is at the top of his division.
For Strickland, this is a significant setback. After a stunning upset against Israel Adesanya to win the belt, he fell short in his attempt to defend it and solidify his status as champion.

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The fight got off to a rough start. Du Plessis is a traditional fast starter, but he took a more conservative approach early in the fight, allowing Strickland to establish his trademark jab.

Tarzan’s defensive wrestling was crucial in the early stages. Du Plessis was able to land a few takedowns, but Strickland quickly got back to his feet.

After three rounds, the fight was close to call, with Du Plessis landing a few heavy shots, including one that opened up a cut on Strickland’s eye. However, Strickland’s constant pressure and volume caused DDP’s eye to swell.

The damage was just one of the indicators of a close title fight. The DDP had a strong fourth round, but the remaining rounds were closely contested, with differing scorecards circulating on social media.

After putting it all on the line in a gruelling slugfest, the two fighters received a huge cheer from the crowd.

Du Plessis’ rise to the championship has been impressive, to say the least. The South African made his UFC debut in October 2020, and he only needed six fights to show he was ready for the opportunity.

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Dricus ‘Stillknocks’ du Plessis eyes South Africa’s first UFC win

Picture: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa/ Getty Images

 

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