African talent in the world of mixed martial arts has grown
recently, and athletes from the continent have had remarkable success in the
sport. No genuine African fighter, according to du Plessis, has triumphed in
the middleweight division.
The former middleweight champion Adesanya was born in
Nigeria but later immigrated to New Zealand as a young age. Du Plessis made
some intriguing remarks regarding Usman, the former welterweight champion who
was also born in Nigeria but is now American.
In a recent conference, Dricus du Plessis, a rising star in
the UFC, promised to become the first African fighter to take a UFC belt to his
homeland. “Did this belt ever go to Africa? As far as I know, it came to
America and New Zealand,” he said.
‘It Is Usman’s Turn To Be The Greatest Fighter’
He even claimed that he will be the guy to take the
middleweight belt to Africa. He pointed out that he and Cameron Saaiman who is
also South African are the only true Africans in the UFC.
“Myself and Cameron, we breathe African air. We wake up in
Africa every day, we train in Africa. We are African born, we are African
raised,” said du Plessis.
Du Plessis, who hails from Ermelo, South Africa, has a
record of 18 wins and 2 losses in his MMA career. He is a well-rounded fighter
with excellent striking and grappling skills, and he has proven himself in
various MMA promotions before signing with the UFC.
The 29-year-old is going to face Derek Brunson on March 5 at
UFC 285. Brunson is a seasoned veteran of the sport, with notable wins over
fighters like Kevin Holland and Edmen Shahbazyan.