January 21, (THEWILL) – On Sunday, January 21, Dricus Du Plessis made history by becoming the first South African and first African-born in the continent to win a UFC title. After five gruelling rounds, Du Plessis was awarded the middleweight title by split decision, dethroning the controversial Sean Strickland.
The opening rounds saw Strickland utilise his reach and trademark defence to largely neutralise his opponent. However, Du Plessis dramatically turned the tide in the championship’s fourth and fifth rounds through relentless aggression. A damaging combination of strikes and takedowns left the former champion bloodied.
While Strickland rallied in the final minutes, it was too little too late, with two of the three judges scoring the bout in favour of the challenger. At 30 years old, Du Plessis improves his record to 21-2 and cements his status as an elite fighter.
The newly crowned champion called for his country’s flag to be draped over him, celebrating the significance of becoming South Africa’s first UFC titleholder. Du Plessis is now expected to defend his belt against Israel Adesanya, who he was originally scheduled to face in 2023 before injury forced his withdrawal.
Their fierce rivalry and previous altercations have built anticipation for the matchup. Du Plessis, who called out Adesanya post-fight, will now enter that expected bout confident after conquering the division’s most dominant fighter in Strickland and realising his championship ambitions after years of sacrifice.
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.
