UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has thanked fans for their support.

Summary

In a heartfelt press conference, the first South African UFC champion expresses gratitude towards supporters for their presence, emphasizing the significance of community support in his historic victory. The champion recounts the nerve-wracking moments during the judges' decision, humorously reflecting on the impact of his green shorts on the outcome. He acknowledges the step up to winning the world title and hints at aspirations for conquering another weight division, underscoring his determination to defend his title and prove his prowess. The conversation also touches on the champion's inspiration from the Springboks' spirit, embodying the resilience and perseverance characteristic of South Africans. The event concludes with the champion addressing future plans, the importance of his support team, and his role in opening opportunities for South African fighters in UFC.

Takeaways

• 😊 Dros is thankful for the support from South Africans in attending his UFC fight
• 👊 Dros felt he did enough to win the close split decision UFC fight
• 💪 Dros sees the UFC title as just the beginning, with plans to move up weight classes
• 🇿🇦 Dros credits the South African spirit for pushing him through adversity to win
• 🥊 The UFC title win was like the Springboks' Rugby World Cup win - with one point
• 🔜 Dros plans to defend his UFC title 2-3 times before moving up a weight class
• 🥇 Dros has envisioned winning the UFC title since he was 15-16 years old
• 👨‍🏫 Dros credits his coaches for 11+ years of work to achieve this win
• 🌍 The UFC win opens opportunities for more South African fighters to join UFC
• ❤️ Dros thanks the fans, without them there is no sport at all

Q & A

What was going through Dras' mind when the judges were calling out the scores?

Dras thought he had done enough to win the fight but was still nervous because he knew it could go either way when it goes to the judges. He said he had never prayed so hard in his life while waiting for the decision.

How does Dras plan to prove he is the undisputed middleweight champion?

Dras plans to defend his title 2-3 times to prove undoubtedly that he is the best middleweight on the planet before considering moving up a weight class.

How did the Springboks inspire Dras' perseverance in the fight?

Dras says the Springboks and himself personify what South Africans are capable of - persevering through the hardest times and still emerging victorious, just as the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup by one point.

What are Dras' plans for hosting a UFC title fight in South Africa?

Dras called out Israel Adesanya and said UFC 300 would be the perfect event to host that fight in South Africa, if his body recovers from his injuries sustained in this last fight.

What motivates Dras to keep moving forward and take hits during a fight?

Dras says having the South African flag behind him and representing the country is a huge motivator to persevere through pain and keep advancing during a fight.

How did Dras envision this moment of becoming a UFC champion?

Dras says he envisioned becoming UFC champion since he was 15-16 years old. He always believed 100% it would happen one day.

Has Dras heard anything from Sean Strickland after their fight?

Dras said his inbox has been flooded so he hasn't checked recent messages, but will follow up if he hears anything from Strickland regarding their confrontation.

Who are some of the unsung heroes behind Dras' success?

Dras credits his longtime coach Mornay Fy, his teammates, and other coaches like Neil Ellis who don't get the spotlight but have put in many hours of work to help him achieve this.

When will Dras start training again after this fight?

Dras said he will take about a week off to rest and enjoy the fruits of his labor before resuming training. He believes it's important to recover mentally and physically between fights.

How does having the South African flag behind him influence Dras' performance?

Dras says the flag motivates him tremendously because he's not just fighting for himself, but representing an entire nation and continent. It gives him added perseverance and pride.

Outlines

00:00

😊 Thanking supporters for attending UFC event

Dras thanks and shows appreciation to all his supporters and fans for taking time out to attend the UFC event and support him in his historic achievement of becoming the first South African UFC champion. He gets emotional seeing the huge turnout and support.

05:00

😤 Explaining emotions and thoughts during fight result

Dras explains what was going through his mind when the judges were announcing the decision at the end of the close fight. He was praying hard for the right decision to be made and was extremely anxious during the announcement.

10:28

🥊 Discussing future plans to defend title and move up weight class

Dras states this is just the beginning and he plans to defend his title multiple times to prove he's the undisputed best. He then wants to move up a weight class and capture another title.

15:58

🇿🇦 Connecting his victory to the Springboks' Rugby World Cup win

Dras draws parallels between his intense UFC title fight won by a slim margin to the Springboks' emotional World Cup victory. He credits the South African spirit and perseverance for both successes.

Keywords

💡UFC

UFC stands for Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is the largest MMA promotion company in the world. It hosts MMA fights in different weight classes. Dras won the UFC middleweight championship, which is a huge accomplishment as the first South African to become a UFC champion. This shows that South Africans can compete at the highest levels of MMA.

💡middleweight

The middleweight division in UFC refers to fighters who weigh between 156 and 185 pounds. By winning the UFC middleweight title, Dras proved he is the best in the world at this weight class after defeating Sean Strickland.

💡champion

A champion in UFC holds the championship belt in their weight class, meaning they are the best fighter in that division. Dras reached his dream of becoming a UFC champion, showing that with hard work and perseverance, you can accomplish great things like he did as the first South African champion.

💡perseverance

Perseverance means persisting through challenges and never giving up. Dras displayed incredible perseverance in his journey to become a UFC champion. He trained relentlessly and never lost sight of his dream, even when the odds were against him as a South African in a new sport for the country.

💡sacrifice

Becoming a UFC champion requires huge sacrifice. Dras had to sacrifice normal life activities for years, dedicating almost all his time to intense training. His sacrifice paid off with the championship, but it was not easy.

💡hard work

Hard work was essential to Dras achieving his dream. For 11 years he worked tirelessly with his coach to reach the highest levels of MMA. Dras embodies the spirit of working hard towards your goals no matter how difficult the path.

💡team

While MMA fighting seems like an individual sport, Dras notes he could not have become a champion without his team. His coaches, teammates and fans all supported him on his journey. Their hard work behind the scenes helped enable his success.

💡inspiration

By becoming the first South African UFC champion, Dras provides inspiration to youth in South Africa and Africa who want to achieve greatness in sports. He shows that even coming from humble beginnings, you can reach the pinnacle of your sport through dedication.

💡unity

Dras notes that sports have unified South Africans, bringing people together despite differences. His championship reignites that spirit of unity, with South Africans of all backgrounds celebrating his accomplishment.

💡pride

South Africans have immense pride in Dras's championship. He talks about the pride he feels representing South Africa in UFC fights. His victory instills national pride and shows the talent, courage and determination of South Africans.

Highlights

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Transcripts

abely amazing firstly you know all of

this wouldn't make it wouldn't be worth

it if it wasn't for all you guys that

are here today every single person that

came out I know people are working I

know you know there's so much happening

in in everybody's lives that taking this

time out to come out and and show love

and support to a fellow South African

who chased his dream and um you know

made history being the first South

African UFC

champion you know it U it almost gets me

emotional when I just walked out here

thank you s again thank you to each and

every single person that was here today

it's it's incredible going to ask you

before I open up to the media when the

judges were calling out those scores

what was going through your mind there

because it was close at the end of the

day it was a fantastic fight um but the

right decision was made at the end of

the day how are you feeling yeah I

thought um I honestly thought we did

enough to win the fight going into

decision but you know when you go to a

judge's decision it always it's always a

5050 I guess but when they started

announcing that split decision I've

never prayed so hard in my life you know

because now it comes down to one judge's

opinion maybe he doesn't like green

shorts and I fting green shorts you know

so I was literally standing there and

praying and saying please let the right

let the right guy win this fight if I

didn't deserve this win I didn't deserve

to win but I honestly felt I did enough

to win that fight but it was the most

intense moment of my life um before and

the word and and has never felt so long

before Bruce Buffer said I knew but yeah

it was absolutely incredible thank you

drus all right let's open it up to the

media can I just get a show of hands for

questions any questions

ask okay yes please everyone everyone in

the back please could you just keep

quiet um it is a press conference are

live so please if we could just keep

some the Corum uh questions any

questions gentlemen over there please

can we get a mic there

please and then we'll come to he all

right name and your media publication

please over here thank you very much for

giving us the opportunity to come and

interview ahead of the fight we've seen

you training we've seen you we spoke to

you you gave us that chance but I asked

you this question before you left was

this a step up how faruck can drous go

somebody said when somebody put 100 on

the table you put 200 when they put 500

is this the ultimate step up for for

dras how far are you going my brother

yeah this was a big step up I mean uh

fighting for the world title is as as

big in in most cases as it's going to

get but there's been other people that

became world champion in two weight

divisions and if somebody else could do

it that means I can do it so as big as

this is as U massive as as a

um as this is for me for South Africa

for every single person here this is not

the end of the road this is not as high

as I'm going to go there's no way this

is just the beginning of of the

championship rign and the Trias DC era

tras by the way this is Ben from

BGN one question last question are you

moving the way

to yeah I mean for me uh right now I

have to defend my title and I want to

prove undoubtedly that I'm the best mwe

on the planet and um yeah and after this

I want go up in weight Division and and

fight for another title but that's going

to take some time that's going to take

me to make a case where it's undoubtedly

that I am the best middleweight on the

planet so I need to defend this belt

maybe two maybe three times before

moving up in weight division don't

forget about the fun meters thank you

very much 100% all right so we have a

question in front

you actually for the sake of time I'll

just do this thanks um by um just

um D is one of the interesting um themes

to emerge from your Victory a lot of

people are talking about how you sort of

like invoked the spring box Spirit who

you have a quite a close bond with SE

and iben and those guys um just in terms

of work ethic perseverance you know spe

specifically the fight you showed in

your B um I was just wondering how much

of the Springbok you know spirit that

you learned from them last year you you

summoned along with all your training

and all your um all your tactics and

everything you know during that fight

yeah I mean I don't think it's the the

spring box specifically or me

specifically that um that is the that is

The Benchmark it's South Africans that's

the Benchmark is how we do what we do

it's the springbox and myself we are

just a personification of what we are as

a country how we can persevere and push

through the hardest of times and still

get out the victors at the end of the

day now I won this world title with one

point just like they won the World Cup

with one point and uh at the end of the

day that speaks to the spirits of us as

South Africans and that we will never

give up no matter

what excuse me fun ladies and gentlemen

they won't unfortunately be one-on on

afterwards due to D's schedule so please

get your questions in now but you can go

ahead uh you've um you've called out um

um

Israel um have you spoken to T white um

about bringing that fight to South

Africa

yeah um it's nothing is surgeon yet but

that is what we want to do you know UFC

300 is a big possibility if my body

allows it I took some punishment

obviously uh with some small injuries

I'm not 100% sure what the gravity of of

those injuries are um we I'm going to

the doctor after this and making sure

concussion tests are are done making

sure we do the scans to make sure that

there's nothing serious injured then uh

UFC 300 is a big big possibility but

I have to be honest with you if um UFC

Africa is going to happen it's you're

going to look far very far beyond to

find a more perfect fight than me versus

isna and that's a fight I want r on

homes well where he said he wants to

make it happen baby

oh better than it did on Sunday morning

I must say we have a gentleman there in

that row if there's a microphone

please and then I'll to you

please you can ask Africans to please go

ahead fromc news two questions firstly

tell us about the journey as a as a as a

fighter when you own Alone um there is

no crowd there is no fans you going

through those motions and you're going

through your your your your your

practices and and routines because

you're going to meet that jab coming

through from Strickland and you still

need to go forward in the fight and

secondly talk talk to us about the

currency of the flag behind you um you

and France last year um when the spring

box woned the the protest have been to

the semi-final World Cup um now you are

world champion but fun of example in the

last 16 talk to us about the ever

improving currency of the flag behind

you absolutely and I think for us uh um

the first answer your question to go

forward to have a flag behind you means

that it's not about me getting hurt or

about me not wanting to go forward it's

about a whole country it's about so much

more this was history for South Africa

this was history for Africa too so it's

much much bigger than me it's much

bigger than my pain or my perseverance

this is a perseverance that was

installed in me for being South African

and going out there and representing

this flag that's what I went out there

to do and I did it not magnificently I

just did it because that's the way we

represent our flag when we are on the

sports field like you said with all

those sports teams when we go out there

we are we take we take a lot of pride in

wearing this flag and I know I do so

that was that was a big big motivator

for me it's going out there and you know

when I came back and I saw all these

people and I know each and every one of

them was in front of their TV you know

this was full South Africa and it means

all world to me to bring this P back

home

is it

for

could

for please go

[Music]

ahead

what

for

got a question over there blue shirts

and another far away blue shirts and

other blue shirt over

there we've beening you since you

started your career and well done on

your achievement because just question

when do you restart your training again

and when when do get back on the um when

do I start my training again I don't

know right now I'm winning down in

competitions but um that's uh that's

only for for a week or so um yeah right

now there's there's there's a time to

sit back and and enjoy the hard work the

fruits of your of your labor it's also a

very very important part you can't just

go keep on going keep on going you need

to um always I always do this after

fights whether it was a big fight a

small fight is I ask um I ask God to

help me through every fight I pray and I

ask give me the power give me the

strength to to get through this to get

through a fight Camp without getting

injured to go out there and fight the

best fight that I possibly can to get

that strength from somewhere and then

afterwards I give my body chance to rest

I give um I give my I give my mind the

rest as well to enjoy the the hard work

that I put in and right now I'm South

Africa I'm with my people and I want to

enjoy this title up until the next one

and then we get back to work all right

just a few more questions yes please go

ahead hi from mus

Africa um just um from the start of your

journey uh growing up in the country

like South Africa where most of the

youth start U picking playing uh ball

playing sports rather uh this where most

of the attention goes did you ever

Envision this moment where you be

sitting front table with that Bel you

are center of attention how does that

make you feel right now having gone

against the odds in a difference War Cod

conquered and now the tension is on you

just like the spring said is now it's on

you yeah I mean I envisioned this from

the age of 15 16 years old I've always

had this moment in my mind not just that

I think it might happen I I believe that

100% that this will happen and here we

are today but you can Envision and

visualize this as much you want but it

just doesn't get you the real feeling

sitting here it's the proudest moment of

my life sitting here right now and it

means the absolute

world all right last few questions any

take is here we got two see we get a

microphone

just and then after that there'll be two

more questions and then we'll have a

photo opportunity with Rus and the belt

and F here okay hi R fromet report first

of all massive

congratulations um I'd like to find out

after your previous brawl in the crowd

with Sean you got a few DMS from him

afterwards um I want to find out after

this right now have you heard anything

from him again um maybe perhaps about

the the claimed headbut Etc um obviously

he has put up a few tweets and Instagram

post which he also replied on have you

heard anything from him person have to

say my inbox is looking absolutely crazy

right now so if anybody was inboxing me

I'm sorry but yeah it's a little bit

ridiculous right now so I'll have to go

and check that out but yeah I guess not

but I have to go and check that out but

I would let you know as soon as I

know

yeah

is

for

will

man

and Umi you got the last question and

then uh we will wrap it up I just saying

if you can repeat that answer you gave

from the from the L first question about

him spending by what said

[Laughter]

with Google translate sorry so um to say

uh which standing by with your comments

and oh oh yeah I'm standing by with with

my comments because um yeah I don't know

I

mean this it's going to be hard to um

just go ahead and say that it's not the

fact but we as South Africans we don't

get put down by by the negativity of of

uh whatever the case may be whether it's

corruption whether it's government

whether it's you know murders no it

doesn't matter we focus on the on the

good things and uh we rise above all of

these things as South Africa because

look outside look the amount of people

that are here look at South Africa

uniting look at the spring box uniting

South Africa look at bafana bafana

uniting South Africa look at the Pria

doing that and look at me as one person

with a brand new sport in South Africa

and that is what makes us so special and

that is what makes this the greatest

country in the world lastly from my side

D there's a lot of unsung heroes behind

the scenes I think of an Ian REO who's

put in the great yards and Mark Hume

coach M maybe just touch on the

influence that they've had to get here

to your UFC Bel yeah 100% I think I I

really think that people um

misunderstand this sport for uh as a

lonely sport in terms of it's only me

when I step in there to fight and that

that is true but behind the scenes I

have a team just like everybody else my

coach head coach mon FY he's been my

coach for 11 years he's the only coach

I've ever had in this Sport and my

teammates my teammates we have teammates

that's going to be going to the UFC very

very soon especially now that we have

somebody that's

been that's proven to the world that we

in South Africa have the abilities we

have the coaches we have the teams and

we have the fighters to compete with the

best in the world and not only compete

but win

and that this opens the gates this opens

the the stream for so many young

Fighters um to go to the UFC to get

signed to the UFC because it's really

hard to get signed to the UFC especially

if you are from a country that that's

not really recognized as a big fight

country so that that's amazing and of

course my coaches as well neiler all

these guys that they don't get the

Limelight they don't get any of that but

they put in the work just as much as I

do every single day and um yeah just

like all the fans without them without

them there wouldn't be a sport at all

all right ladies and gentlemen thank you

very much that conclud