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"contents": "<h4><b>Pieter-Steph du Toit</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Few sporting topics are debated as much as the question of the world’s best rugby player. When the conversation comes up, Pieter-Steph du Toit can simply point to the World Rugby Player of the Year award he received in 2024.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if that’s not enough, he can point to the one he was awarded in 2019. His double awards put him in elite company, alongside New Zealand trio Beauden Barrett (two), Richie McCaw (three) and Dan Carter (three) as the only players to have won the award more than once.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The “Malmesbury missile”, as he was affectionately dubbed by former Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber during the Springboks’ successful Rugby World Cup campaign in 2023, was instrumental in the Boks’ success this year, which included winning 11 of 13 matches. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Dricus du Plessis</b></h4>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2324412\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/12449667.jpg\" alt=\"dricus du plessis\" width=\"1818\" height=\"1133\" /> <em>Dricus du Plessis of South Africa celebrates after beating Israel Adesanya of Nigeria during their middleweight title bout at UFC 305 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on 18 August 2024. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Richard Wainwright)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dricus du Plessis stamped his authority in 2024 as the greatest South African mixed martial arts fighter.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only did Du Plessis become the first South African to claim an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title after defeating Sean Strickland in a middleweight bout in Canada at the start of the year– he also defended his belt at UFC 305 in August against arguably the greatest middleweight mixed martial arts fighter in history, Israel Adesanya.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis’ victory over Adesanya in Perth, Australia, was one of the more iconic evenings in South African sport. Walking out to the octagon at the arena, Du Plessis was accompanied by legendary Springboks Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth, who remained ringside throughout the bout.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There have been a few South African fighters competing in the UFC before, but none to the degree of success and acclaim Du Plessis reached in 2024. </span><b>DM</b><i></i>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-12-21-in-a-polarised-world-of-global-2024-turmoil-south-africas-gnu-political-miracle-was-a-doozy/dm-21122024-001-indd/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2517340\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2517340\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DM168-21122024001jhbis.jpg\" alt=\"cartoon\" width=\"1181\" height=\"1553\" /></a>",
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Dricus du Plessis of South Africa celebrates after beating Israel Adesanya of Nigeria during their middleweight title bout at UFC 305 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on 18 August 2024. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Richard Wainwright)