{"id":47115,"date":"2024-02-06T13:48:10","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T11:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/dricus-we-made-history-20240205\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T22:08:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T20:08:59","slug":"dricus-we-made-history-20240205","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/dricus-we-made-history-20240205\/","title":{"rendered":"Newly crowned UFC middleweight champion warmly welcomed in Cape Town"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Excited fans gathered at the V&A Waterfront on Friday 2 February to get a glimpse of the newly crowned Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He made history when he became the country\u2019s first title holder after defeating the former champion Sean Strickland at the Scotiabank Arena in Canada late last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Du Plessis did a two-day belt tour in Cape Town and Pretoria to thank fans for their support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said it was an honour to represent the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are colours of every country that held this belt. For the first time in history South African flag colours are going to be on this belt. Right now, what\u2019s next is defending this belt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"UFC

<\/p>\n

Fans Fungai Vingwe, Nathan Murray, Admire Nyamapa and Mikey Bocco could not contain their excitement.<\/div>\n
People\u2019s Post<\/span>KAYLYNNE BANTOM<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"UFC

<\/p>\n

Thairique Knight, Ethan Fredericks and Aden Fredericks said they are big supporters of the sport.<\/div>\n
People\u2019s Post<\/span>KAYLYNNE BANTOM<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing the roaring crowd on Friday, the champion said: \u201cIt\u2019s almost as if I have forgotten what happened, but the world hasn\u2019t. When I arrived here today it felt as if I had just won the belt once again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a question-and-answer session with Du Plessis professional MMA fighter and former EFC bantamweight champion Faeez \u201cThe Troublemaker\u201c Jacobs got the opportunity to speak to Du Plessis and hold UFC belt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"UFC

<\/p>\n

Du Plessis interacted and took photos with excited fans.<\/div>\n
People\u2019s Post<\/span>KAYLYNNE BANTOM<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"UFC

<\/p>\n

Lee-Anne Engelbrecht and her son Lyndon said they would not have missed this meet-and-greet for anything. <\/div>\n
People\u2019s Post<\/span>KAYLYNNE BANTOM<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An elated Jacobs described it as one of the most surreal moments of his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDricus allowing me to hold the UFC belt. I\u2019m not often speechless, but the reflection of the most special gold belt in the world had me mute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom 16-year-old me to 29-year-old me, and just over a decade of chasing this dream, the dream we share, that very same dream that you have just accomplished, with great love and respect, thank you champ.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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crowned UFC middleweight champion warmly welcomed in Cape Town | People's Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/dricus-we-made-history-20240205\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Newly crowned UFC middleweight champion warmly welcomed in Cape Town\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Excited fans gathered at the V&A Waterfront on Friday 2 February to get a glimpse of the newly crowned Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/dricus-we-made-history-20240205\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"People's Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" 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