Dricus gets a big welcoming party in his home city

After Pretoria’s new UFC world champion, Dricus du Plessis, returned to South Africa last week, he had to maintain a very busy schedule, trying to fit in all his obligations to sponsors and the media.

However, the popular MMA world champion has not forgotten about his millions of supporters and that is why his management, in collaboration with some of his sponsors, organized a short “Belt Tour” in Cape Town and Pretoria last week.

The tour was concluded on Saturday afternoon at the Menlyn Maine complex in Pretoria and even Du Plessis and his entourage were surprised by the large numbers in which his supporters flocked to the event.

Due to the unusually large interest that the public showed in advance for this opportunity to meet their hero, it was decided to host the welcome party as an open-air event in the park area in Aramist Ave opposite the Time Square Casino in the Menlyn Maine complex.

Excited supporters, young and old and from all possible communities of South African society, gathered around the stage that has been set up for the ceremony.

Du Plessis arrived in high spirits with his championship belt draped over his right shoulder and his popularity was again emphasized by the spirit of excitement among all the supporters, many of whom were seeing their hero for the first time in the flesh as he headed to the stage.

After a short speech, in which he reaffirmed that he dedicates the success of his title fight to all his countrymen, Du Plessis patiently answered questions from the crowd.

During this session he emphasized again that he would like to get into the Octagon with former champion Israel Adesanya in his first title-defence fight, while he also reaffirmed that he dreams of doing it in front of his own people in South Africa.

After the formalities had been completed, Du Plessis took on the tiring task of trying to fit in a marathon photo session, during which the fans had to wait patiently in a long queue to each get an opportunity with the champion.

To save time, pre-signed posters with a photo of Du Plessis and his championship belt were distributed among the supporters.

In the end, after Du Plessis had to patiently pose for photos and shake supporters’ hands for more than an hour, there were just too many people and too little time to give everyone an opportunity with the champion and some had to watch disappointedly as Du Plessis and his management left the site again in a convoy of cars under protection of a private security group.

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