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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Dricus du Plessis has a date with destiny early on Sunday morning (South African time) when he faces the US’s Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, for the middleweight title. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis is undefeated since he stepped into the octagon for the first time at the UFC in October 2020. He now has a deserved title shot against Strickland, who will be defending the middleweight title for the first time since knocking out former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September last year. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At around the same time, the Springboks were defending their Rugby World Cup title in France. They recaptured it against the All Blacks on 28 October, winning 12-11, and Du Plessis was in attendance, cheering fervently for his home nation. </span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more in Daily Maverick:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-12-dricus-du-plessiss-fight-to-bring-the-belt-back-home/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dricus du Plessis’s fight to bring the belt back home</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis was also the flag-bearer for the Springboks’ Rugby Championship clash against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on 13 August 2022 — which the home side lost 23-35. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2016057\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TL_1901450.jpg\" alt=\"Dricus du Plessis, Springboks\" width=\"720\" height=\"498\" /> <em>Dricus du Plessis (left) as the South African flag bearer during The Rugby Championship match between South Africa and New Zealand at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on 13 August, 2022. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Springboks have now returned the support for the 30-year-old mixed martial arts star. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Dricus my ‘</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chom</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’ [friend], all the best for the [fight] against Strickland,” Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said to </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SuperSport</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I know the country’s going to get behind you. You have all our support, as South Africa. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The way you supported us during the Rugby World Cup was amazing. I am looking forward to seeing the fight on SuperSport, where we’re going to have it for the first time in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa commentary.” </span>\r\n<h4><b>Fighter’s famous phrase</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis earned his shot at the UFC middleweight title by defeating Australia’s Robert Whittaker in a second-round knockout in July last year. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the bout, with a mic in hand, he looked directly at the camera and spoke his now famous phrase: “</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie.</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” (They don’t know what we know.) </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The phrase was echoed by Springbok players throughout the World Cup celebrations. </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-12-dricus-du-plessiss-fight-to-bring-the-belt-back-home/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis explained to </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span></i></a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at the end of last year that the phrase is about South African athletes constantly beating the odds. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“No matter how much of an underdog we are, like we were in the [Rugby] World Cup … we don’t care, we do not care,” he said. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“If you look at a guy like Chad le Clos, who beat Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian ever, that was exactly the same situation. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“You look at a guy like [sprinter] Wayde van Niekerk … just all of the South Africans all over the world [who have] made history. It’s something that’s in our nature as South Africans; we do not care about odds.” </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2016060\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1448251939.jpg\" alt=\"Dricus Du Plessis\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts after defeating Darren Till of England. (Photo: Sean M Haffey / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis has gone into every one of his six UFC fights as an underdog and come out with his arms raised aloft. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Everyone, support the man and scream for the man. It’s a big title fight and we are here and behind you and the whole nation is behind you. We back you all the way, the way that you backed us,” Springbok fullback Willie le Roux said on X (formerly Twitter). </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ox Nche, whose impressive scrummaging power made him a recognisable household name during the Rugby World Cup also backed the MMA fighter on the same platform. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Please don’t miss the chance to catch [Du Plessis] out as he aims for UFC glory. All the best, Dricus. We are all behind you,” Nche said. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Dricus du Plessis has a date with destiny early on Sunday morning (South African time) when he faces the US’s Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, for the middleweight title. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis is undefeated since he stepped into the octagon for the first time at the UFC in October 2020. He now has a deserved title shot against Strickland, who will be defending the middleweight title for the first time since knocking out former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September last year. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At around the same time, the Springboks were defending their Rugby World Cup title in France. They recaptured it against the All Blacks on 28 October, winning 12-11, and Du Plessis was in attendance, cheering fervently for his home nation. </span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more in Daily Maverick:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-12-dricus-du-plessiss-fight-to-bring-the-belt-back-home/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dricus du Plessis’s fight to bring the belt back home</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis was also the flag-bearer for the Springboks’ Rugby Championship clash against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on 13 August 2022 — which the home side lost 23-35. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2016057\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2016057\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TL_1901450.jpg\" alt=\"Dricus du Plessis, Springboks\" width=\"720\" height=\"498\" /> <em>Dricus du Plessis (left) as the South African flag bearer during The Rugby Championship match between South Africa and New Zealand at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on 13 August, 2022. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Springboks have now returned the support for the 30-year-old mixed martial arts star. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Dricus my ‘</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chom</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’ [friend], all the best for the [fight] against Strickland,” Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said to </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SuperSport</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I know the country’s going to get behind you. You have all our support, as South Africa. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The way you supported us during the Rugby World Cup was amazing. I am looking forward to seeing the fight on SuperSport, where we’re going to have it for the first time in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa commentary.” </span>\r\n<h4><b>Fighter’s famous phrase</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis earned his shot at the UFC middleweight title by defeating Australia’s Robert Whittaker in a second-round knockout in July last year. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the bout, with a mic in hand, he looked directly at the camera and spoke his now famous phrase: “</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie.</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” (They don’t know what we know.) </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The phrase was echoed by Springbok players throughout the World Cup celebrations. </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-12-dricus-du-plessiss-fight-to-bring-the-belt-back-home/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis explained to </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span></i></a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at the end of last year that the phrase is about South African athletes constantly beating the odds. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“No matter how much of an underdog we are, like we were in the [Rugby] World Cup … we don’t care, we do not care,” he said. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“If you look at a guy like Chad le Clos, who beat Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian ever, that was exactly the same situation. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“You look at a guy like [sprinter] Wayde van Niekerk … just all of the South Africans all over the world [who have] made history. It’s something that’s in our nature as South Africans; we do not care about odds.” </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2016060\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2016060\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1448251939.jpg\" alt=\"Dricus Du Plessis\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts after defeating Darren Till of England. (Photo: Sean M Haffey / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis has gone into every one of his six UFC fights as an underdog and come out with his arms raised aloft. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Everyone, support the man and scream for the man. It’s a big title fight and we are here and behind you and the whole nation is behind you. We back you all the way, the way that you backed us,” Springbok fullback Willie le Roux said on X (formerly Twitter). </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ox Nche, whose impressive scrummaging power made him a recognisable household name during the Rugby World Cup also backed the MMA fighter on the same platform. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Please don’t miss the chance to catch [Du Plessis] out as he aims for UFC glory. All the best, Dricus. We are all behind you,” Nche said. </span><b>DM</b>",
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Dricus du Plessis (left) as the South African flag bearer during The Rugby Championship match between South Africa and New Zealand at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on 13 August, 2022. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)
Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts after defeating Darren Till of England. (Photo: Sean M Haffey / Getty Images)