January 10, (THEWILL) – South African mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, Dricus du Plessis, is gearing up for a historic UFC middleweight title fight on Saturday, in Toronto, Canada. The 29-year-old from Pretoria is currently on an impressive eight-fight winning streak and is aiming to become the first South African to hold a UFC title belt.
His opponent is current middleweight champion, Sean Strickland. Du Plessis, whose six victories of his eight wins were in the UFC, is attempting to cap his meteoric rise in the sport over the last year with this title bout and cement his status as one of the hottest prospects in MMA.
UFC is growing steadily in popularity globally and Du Plessis’ success has sparked huge interest in South Africa. This mirrors the expanded viewing the championship received in Nigeria with the influence of title-bearers Kamaru Usman (Welterweight division) and Israel Adesanya (Middleweight division).
Victory for Du Plessis on January 20th would be a historic milestone for both South African sport and the fighter himself. Du Plessis is aiming to realise his childhood dream of becoming a UFC champion. For even more significance, victory over Strickland would make Du Plessis the first African-born champion in UFC history.
The stage is set for a momentous night in Toronto on January 20th. All of South Africa will be firmly behind Dricus Du Plessis as he attempts to enter the history books on different fronts.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
