It wasn’t just Dricus Du Plessis who was in celebration mode after clinching a victory at UFC 305. His whole country rallied as South African president Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated ‘Stillknocks’ after the victory.
Du Plessis negated the claims that his title-winning performance at UFC 297 was a fluke as he cemented his championship by submitting former champion Israel Adesanya in the fourth round at UFC 305.
The South African won the much-anticipated title fight along with the hearts of his fans and countrymen. Ramaphosa took to X:
“Congratulations, Dricus Du Plessis, on retaining your UFC middleweight world championship with a submission in #UFC305. As a bonus, you kept our Flag flying hours after the Springboks scored an historic a 2-0 series win in Perth as well. We couldn’t wish for a better day in the office.”
In a fight that was as much about territorial dominance as it was about legacy, the 30-year-old ostensibly brought honor to the MMA fans of South Africa.
Dricus Du Plessis buries the hatchet with Israel Adesanya after UFC 305 victory
Dricus Du Plessis bears no malice against ‘The Last Stylebender’ after submitting the latter in the main event of UFC 305.
At the post-fight press conference, the South African cleared the air on how his persistent inquiry into the Nigerian-born Kiwi’s ancestry and his familial condition might have irked some fans:
“Let me tell you this. Like I said, at the end of the day, what I said was never to challenge Israel [Adesanya] or any other African fighter on being the first African fighter. It wasn’t that. It was the first residing and that is still the fact. Nothing can change that. I know at the presser, when he got super emotional, that was within him.”
‘Stillknocks’ explained how he never intended to disrespect the 35-year-old’s parents in the build-up to the fight:
“I never went after his family, so I just wanted to make sure that… I have parents too, and I respect anybody’s parents, so I just went over to him after the fight, ‘If it sounded like I was saying anything bad about your parents, that was not the case. Yeah, what I’m saying to you, harden up, and if you want to cry about that, so be it. I will never disrespect your parents.’ And he said, ‘No, no, no.’ He understands that.”
