South Africa’s UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will have Springbok power by his side when he battles bitter rival Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth on Sunday.
Du Plessis will be accompanied to the octagon by Springboks captain Siya Kolisi and lock Eben Etzebeth ahead of the much-anticipated fight in the western Australian city.
The Springboks take on the Wallabies in a Rugby Championship match the day before the fight on Saturday at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Most of the squad will attend the fight on Sunday.
Kolisi will not be involved in Saturday’s Test, as he will be rested for the match, while No 4 enforcer Etzebeth has been selected on the bench.
Dricus Du Plessis’ coach has been tasing him and his teammates for this training camp. 😭
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“We are trying to get Eben and Siya to walk out with me and it looks like it’s a done deal. They won’t be sitting in my corner, but will walk out with me to the octagon,” Du Plessis revealed on the KFM Mornings Breakfast show with Darren Simpson.
“I can’t say what song I’m going to walk out to ... that is a surprise!”
The main fight card starts at 4am SA time, but Du Plessis said his bout against Adesanya will be after 12 noon on Sunday.
It will be Du Plessis’ first UFC title defence after becoming the first South African world champion at UFC 297 when he beat Sean Strickland in Toronto in January.
Strickland and Du Plessis went the full five rounds, and the South African was adjudged the winner by a single point to dethrone the then champion.
“This works out perfectly for me. I’ll be fighting in Perth between 12noon and 1pm in the afternoon. So it’s perfect for South Africans,” Du Plessis said.
“Because Perth is so far ahead, I’m fighting on Sunday and the Springboks are playing on Saturday. All of them are going to be at the fight, and it’s going to be awesome.
ONE WEEK AWAY 👀
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Who do you got? #UFC305 pic.twitter.com/NBRYTi5zBf
“The Boks are playing, they are pride of the South Africa and then I’m fighting, all on the same weekend. Talk about stars aligning.
“Once I put that South African flag around my shoulders, there is nothing in the world that can stop me. He can knock me down, but he won’t knock me out and he won’t keep me down.”
The last time Adesanya stepped into the octagon in the UFC was in September when he lost the middleweight belt to Strickland at UFC 293.
Adesanya has twice regained the title in the past, and it’s why Du Plessis is expecting a massive challenge from the Nigerian-New Zealander despite his long absence from the sport.
Today our new minister of sports @GaytonMcK visited myself and team CIT.
I am humbled and so proud, this is a massive step in the right direction for the change we needed for a better SA. Thank you Sir for leading by example,you are a true inspiration#proudtobesouthafrican🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦 pic.twitter.com/AsEGk8r9Un
“He has been out for almost a year. It all depends on what he’s been doing this year ... has he been training or just taking a break. Sometimes a break is good,” said Du Plessis.
“I’m expecting the best version of him. That is what we are preparing for, even better than the version we have seen before. That’s the one I’m ready for.”
IOL Sport