South Africa rallies behind Dricus du Plessis ahead of UFC title defence

Africa

Cape Town – South Africa is breathing fire ahead of what promises to be a monumental UFC showdown as middleweight champion Dricus “DDP” du Plessis prepares to defend his title against the undefeated Russian, Khamzat Chimaev, in Chicago this Sunday.

From farmers to fighters — and even the sports minister — the country is rallying behind its first-ever UFC titleholder.

The phrase “Our Dricus will bliksem that oke” has become a rallying cry among supporters, translating loosely to “our Dricus will knock that guy out”.

Among the most vocal supporters are South African farmers, who have embraced MMA through platforms like the Afrikaans series Moer ’n Boer.

@_0_danie_0_ #DDP #ANDSTILL #UFC319 ♬ Dis DDP – Jack Parow

Notably, Rose-exporting farmer Jan Hendrik Strydom admitted his newfound love for the sport, while garlic farmer Vincent “Knoffelbandiet” Powell and former rugby pro Tier Paul Schoeman also lent their enthusiastic support.

Support is coming from the top too. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie praised Du Plessis as “one of the greatest champions South Africa has ever produced”, and confidently prophesied that “Dricus is going to bliksem Khamzat, goed bliksem”.

Within the MMA community, respect and confidence resonate. Boxing coach Vusi Jokazi affirmed that Du Plessis and his team at CIT Performance Institute aren’t fazed by the hype; “our record says a lot”, he said reported The Citizen.

Meanwhile, Cameron Saaiman — co-founder of Moer ’n Boer — called Du Plessis’s rise “amazing”, describing him as “born to be a champion” and a beacon of inspiration for South African athletes.

South Africa’s enthusiasm isn’t stopping at cheers and chants. Cultural heavyweight Jack Parow just dropped a high-energy fight anthem titled “Dis DDP” to ignite national fervor ahead of the bout. Parow even plans to fly to Chicago to support Du Plessis in person.

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