WATCH: Emotional Dricus du Plessis on UFC win: 'Nou weet hulle wat ons weet'
Dricus du Plessis narrowly defeated Sean Strickland to claim the UFC middleweight title.
Dricus du Plessis is the new UFC middleweight champion. Photo: YouTube/UFC (screenshot)
Dricus ‘Stillknocks’ du Plessis became the first South African UFC Champion on Sunday when he narrowly defeated Sean Strickland from the USA to claim the middleweight title.
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“Suid Afrika, nou weet hulle wat ons sweet! (South Africa, now they know what we know!)" an elated Du Plessis exclaimed after the historic fight.
Always displaying immense pride in South Africa, he praised his compatriots, joking they they could probably hear Mzansi cheering from outside the arena.
“That country is amazing! Thank you, South Africa! They are going crazy; this is history.”
The newly crowned champion says throughout the fight, he could feel it was going to be a close one.
“I honestly thought, with the takedowns… I could feel that it was a close fight. I definitely gave him the first round, I tried to get that takedown to try and level the playing field… I felt those first few rounds were give and take, but the last two rounds I knew.”
- Dricus du Plessis, UFC (middleweight) World Champion
“[Strickland] you are one hell of a man, thank you for bringing the best out of me.”
- Dricus du Plessis, UFC (middleweight) World Champion
Watch the full interview below: