The DHL Stormers welcomed South Africa’s UFC history-maker Dricus du Plessis to their training ground on Friday, as the newly-crowned champion continues his belt tour.
Also read: UFC champion, Dricus du Plessis, is bringing the gold to Cape Town
Du Plessis, South Africa’s first UFC champion, arrived in Cape Town on Friday as part of his belt tour, celebrating his historic middleweight title win against the USA’s Sean Strickland.
The DHL Stormers were delighted to welcome Du Plessis to their high-performance centre in Bellville, sharing a photo on social media of the fighter in the famous blue-and-white hoops, together with Ruhan Nel, Ali Vermaark, Evan Roos and Deon Fourie.
Great to have the champ @dricusduplessis at our HPC today with his belt. #iamastormer #dhldelivers #nouweethulle pic.twitter.com/zEZGWfoNzQ
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) February 2, 2024
Next, Dricus took to the V&A Waterfront where fans stormed to meet the champ between 3:30pm and 5:30pm.
Following his stop in Cape Town, it’s Pretoria’s turn as du Plessis stops by Menlyn Maine Mall from 3:30 to 5:30pm today.
The new middleweight champion vowed to bring a UFC title back to South Africa, and he accomplished that goal by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297, returning home to a hero’s welcome.
The 30-year-old is the first UFC champion from South Africa and the fourth born on the African continent, after Israel Adesanya (Nigeria), Francis Ngannou (Cameroon) and Kamaru Usman (Nigeria).
Du Plessis now seeks a grudge match with Adesanya, which could take place as early as UFC 300 on 13 April, depending on du Plessis’ health and Adesanya’s decision to return from a self-imposed hiatus.
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Cape Town Stadium could be ideal venue for Africa’s first UFC event
Picture: @THESTORMERS / X
Words: SA Rugby Magazine