South Africans love three things: rugby, a good braai, and backing our own when they’re making history.
Enter Dricus du Plessis – the man who punches like a Springbok forward on steroids, has the stamina of a Johannesburg taxi during peak hour, and takes more hits than Eskom’s power grid.
Listen, I know absolutely nothing about UFC, but like any proud South African, I am here to support the broer! Dricus has done what no one else from Mzansi has managed to do – he became a UFC champion.
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, we finally have a South African in the octagon who isn’t just there to collect free punches; he’s there to klap manne into the afterlife and take championship belts home.
Now, let’s talk about his career so far. This man’s record is so good, even Kaizer Chiefs fans would be proud. He has a background in kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, and whatever magical training makes him eat punches for breakfast.
When he steps into the cage, it’s like watching a lion fight a confused American tourist at the Kruger National Park – except this lion has hands and a game plan. His fight against Sean Strickland for the UFC Middleweight Championship in January 2024 had South Africans glued to their screens like it was the final episode of Generations back in the day.
And when his hand was raised in victory? Yoh! The whole country erupted. Strangers were hugging in the streets, people were shouting “Viva Dricus, Viva!” and some guy in Pretoria even named his newborn son after him.
And let’s not forget, Dricus doesn’t just fight; he fights with the spirit of every uncle who ever got too passionate about a rugby game. He takes punches like they’re personal insults, and he delivers knockouts like he’s delivering bad news to an overconfident opponent.
His endurance is legendary – this man doesn’t get tired, he just shifts into a higher gear. He moves forward like a boer on a mission, and once he starts throwing punches, it’s lights out. If fists had a BEE score, his would be 100% effective.
But here’s what makes him truly South African: he's humble, he’s funny, and he can take a joke just as well as he can take a punch. After one of his fights, he admitted that even his own parents had doubts about whether he’d ever become a champion. Imagine that! Your own mother watching your fights like, “Ja, my seun, maar miskien moet jy ’n ordentlike werk kry?” Fast forward to today, and now their boy is walking around with a UFC belt, proving every doubter wrong – including his own family.
If there’s one thing South Africans love, it’s an underdog story, and this one has more plot twists than a Johannesburg taxi route.
Speaking of taxis, Dricus fights like one. He doesn’t stop, he doesn’t take shortcuts, and if you get in his way, you’re getting knocked over. He fights like a man who just found out Load Shedding Stage 10 is coming and wants to take his frustration out on someone.
Every punch he throws is a personal vendetta against crime, bad traffic, and people who put pineapple on pizza. And when he’s not fighting? He’s smiling, shaking hands, and reminding the world that he’s proudly South African – a proper ou with a good heart and heavy hands.
Now, before we wrap up, let’s find the perfect Afrikaans saying to describe this legend. “’n Boer maak ‘n plan.” And my goodness, Dricus has made a plan! He planned to become a champion, and now he is one. He planned to put South Africa on the UFC map, and now he has. And I can guarantee you that this is only the beginning.
If you didn’t know who he was before, now is the time to start paying attention. Because if there’s one thing we can be sure of, it’s that our broer is just getting started!
So, whether you’re a die-hard UFC fan or just here for the South African pride, raise a glass to Dricus du Plessis – the man who’s proving that South Africans don’t just survive, we dominate!
Hou bene styf, mense, our broer is taking over!
Danko Dricus!!!!
