Dricus Du Plessis’ exploits in the Octagon in 2024 have made him one of South Africa’s most high-profile sportsmen – no small feat in a country renowned for producing some of the world’s best athletes.
Indeed, having been crowned UFC Middleweight Champion after defeating Sean Strickland in January and successfully defending his title against Israel Adesanya in August, the 30-year-old has now joined an exclusive and rarefied group of South African athletes who have also tamed the world’s best.
The company Du Plessis now keeps was evident in his latest Instagram post, which was taken in the upmarket seaside town of Umhlanga Rocks on South Africa’s breathtaking east coast.
Posing in front of three Mercedes vehicles while standing next to South African double Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi and World Rugby Player of the Year nominee Eben Etzebeth, Du Plessis does not look out of place.
It’s an extraordinary statement when you consider that this Springboks team is widely regarded as the greatest rugby side of all time and is the favourite to secure a historic hat-trick of World Cups in 2027 – a feat never achieved.
Yet, this is Du Plessis’ reality: where standing next to giants looks natural.
Dricus du Plessis walks out with Siya Kolisi and Eben etsebeth to the national anthem 🇿🇦
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) August 18, 2024
Dricus Du Plessis (South Africa) vs Israel Adesanya (Nigeria) #dricusduplessis pic.twitter.com/7tgFvuWg0T
In short, Du Plessis’ remarkable achievements in the UFC’s middleweight division have afforded him this honour and given him eternal recognition in a land where praise is hard-earned.
To that end, it’s not just Du Plessis' accomplishments in the metal cage that have made him a hero in the Rainbow Nation; it’s also the way he has carried a nation on his back, which resonates deeply with his fellow countrymen.
This commitment to uplifting those who follow his journey back home also serves as potential evidence as to why “Still Knocks” might enjoy an extended reign at the summit of the middleweight division as this is a man who takes the burden of responsibility incredibly seriously.
Du Plessis’ efforts on the international sporting stage mirror those of the aforementioned Springboks, in that both feel it is their duty to succeed in order to bring hope to a nation too often starved of good news.
Congratulations, Dricus Du Plessis, on retaining your UFC middleweight world championship with a submission in #UFC305.
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) August 18, 2024
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… pic.twitter.com/oxwTsAEF5Q
To get a better understanding of Du Plessis' mindset when preparing for an Octagon battle, perhaps we can reflect on the words of Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus who lays bare what is at stake: “A rugby match will always be personal for us. Why it’s personal is because we are representing South Africa. If somebody wants to challenge South Africa in a rugby match, it is our job to protect South Africa in that sense.”
Du Plessis embodies that same ethos in the Octagon, and it’s this “in-your-face, over-my-dead-body” approach that has driven him to become a world champion even when the odds are against him as they were against Sean Strickland at UFC 297.
Keep in mind that the South African entered the main event priced at 7/5 to beat “Tarzan” who was given much shorter odds of 2/5 to win.
Contrast that with the latest sports betting odds for Du Plessis v Strickland 2 where the South African is now the favourite at a price of 8/11 to win the rematch, and you can see just how effectively “Still Knocks” turned the tables on that fateful night.
Ultimately, Du Plessis took great umbrage at being classified as the underdog in their first match and baulked at the idea of Strickland ruining his story. The rest, as they say, is history.
Taking a sporting contest so personally is part of the reason why South African sports stars like Du Plessis are admired rather than adulated but being unliked isn’t something that keeps the 30-year-old awake at night.
Indeed, popularity is the price of conviction and Du Plessis feels that like the Springboks, he too has a greater calling; to make those less fortunate believe that they are also capable of rising to such extraordinary heights regardless of their backgrounds.
This sense of purpose has undoubtedly made Du Plessis believe that he is a man of the people, ready to carry the flag for those less privileged.
As touched on, this motivation and tunnel vision ruffles feathers as was the case when “Still Knocks” declared that he was ‘Africa’s champion’ in the UFC.
At the time, it was a statement that caused consternation among the ranks with Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya taking particular exception to it.
Both fighters are Nigerian born, but Usman has lived in America for 29 years, while Adesanya has resided in New Zealand for 25 years. On the contrary, Du Plessis has lived on the African continent his whole life.
Admittedly, the build-up to any fight is filled with smoke-and-mirror claims designed to generate interest and boost pay-per-view numbers.
However, Du Plessis’ assertion as Africa’s legitimate champion ahead of his title defence against Adesanya was one he believed wholeheartedly. That it rattled his opponent to such an extent was simply a bonus, and even took the South African by surprise.
As always, the talking stops when two fighters square up in the Octagon, and it’s time for one of them to put their money where their mouth is.
Du Plessis was able to do this in round four while administering a vice-like face crank that Adesanya could not handle. A desperate tap on the right knee of “Still Knocks” made Du Plessis’ claim as Africa’s champion an indisputable one.
What followed during Du Plessis’ victory speech, however, was a softer side where the South African apologised for any disrespect he might have caused by his comments that were designed to elevate those on the continent of Africa and not weaken anyone’s claim to a certain heritage.
Du Plessis’ apology was so earnest and sincere that a battered and bruised Adesanya walked over and warmly embraced him mid-interview. While Du Plessis might tone down the rhetoric on statements like that in the future, he won’t waver in his mission to remain a beacon of hope. That is likely to spell bad news for those who are next in line to try to take the 30-year-old’s middleweight championship.
As initially alluded to, Du Plessis will fight Strickland again on February 8th at UFC 312 where he will attempt to defend his title for the second time.
Looking back, Du Plessis recorded a split decision over Strickland at UFC 297 in January but not everyone watching the events unfold in Toronto felt the same way as the judges, which is why a rematch was always going to be a likely prospect.
Subsequently, Strickland’s split decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 saw calls for a second instalment with Du Plessis grow even louder.
Dana White had previously said that a rematch with Strickland was the most pressing fight to make, so it's no surprise that “Still Knocks” will go head-to-head with "Tarzan" in the New Year.
There is, however, another subplot brewing in the background that might point to a blockbuster Octagon clash after UFC 312 which might be the biggest threat to Du Plessis' hopes of a long reign at the summit of the division.
This threat comes in the shape of Khamzat Chimaev who is intent on fighting Du Plessis in 2025 with the Russian middleweight taking to social media to regularly call out the South African.
Notably, Du Plessis recently responded to the Russian's taunts by posting a picture of himself sparring with a Chimaev look-alike in training. Du Plessis’ apparent willingness to fight Chimaev might be seen by many observers as playing with fire, as the Russian is yet to lose in 14 career fights.
Additionally, Chimaev has managed to win eight of his 14 fights in the first round and does not rely solely on one method of victory to beat his opponent. Ominously, the Russian has as many wins by knockout - six, as he does by submission.
With such a formidable record, Du Plessis should be applauded for being open to the idea of going toe to toe with Chimaev who, judging by his social media posts, can smell blood in the water.
So, the question remains: how will the South African cope with the toughest test of his career should he be able to beat Strickland for the second time, and what is his motivation for putting his title in jeopardy?
While Du Plessis possesses outstanding strength and is one of the cleanest strikers in the middleweight division, it isn’t his powerful technique alone that will help him emerge victorious against Chimaev or any other fighter who seeks to dethrone him.
Instead, Du Plessis will rely on his burning drive to represent and unite a nation to give him the edge. Of course, finding that extra few per cent to triumph in a brutal back and forth in the Octagon won't be easy but Du Plessis' source of courage under fire comes from the fact that he will be defending more than a belt.
Du Plessis was born four years after Nelson Mandela’s release from Robben Island and just three months before South Africa’s first democratic election in 1994. He grew up in what was called ‘the New South Africa’ which was shaped by a rewritten constitution declaring that ‘South Africa belongs to all who live in it.’
This powerful vision gave the Rainbow Nation hope and purpose in building a brighter future. Yet, forces have often sought to destabilise and divide, making heroes desperately needed—heroes to remind South Africans that theirs is not a failed nation but one with a rightful place as a world leader.
Du Plessis has answered that call and taken it upon himself to fulfil Mandela's legacy after the former statesman said, “Sport can create hope where there was once despair.”
Today, Du Plessis carries the hopes of 60 million South Africans on his shoulders every time he enters the Octagon. With bigger rewards on Du Plessis’ mind, it's hard to imagine that anyone will take the South African’s middleweight championship anytime soon.