Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

UFC champ du Plessis to walk out with Springboks greats before title fight

Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth of South Africa poses with the Webb Ellis Cup during the South Africa Winners Portrait shoot after the Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and South Africa at Stade de France on October 29, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Adam Pretty - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has confirmed “a done deal” plan to walk out with Springboks Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi before his title fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth on Sunday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Like many South Africans, du Plessis reportedly grew up dreaming of one day pulling on the iconic green jersey of the Springboks in the Test rugby arena. While du Plessis’s sporting career has gone in another direction, the 30-year-old remains passionate about rugby.

When fights fans from around the world stop to watch one of the most highly-anticipated middleweight bouts in recent UFC history, du Plessis will walk towards the octagon at Perth’s RAC Arena in a moment that will echo throughout South African sporting history.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

The champion fighter from Pretoria will wear custom South Africa shorts for this blockbuster against Nigerian-New Zealand fighter Adesanya, and he’ll also be joined by two of the greatest Springboks to have pulled on the jersey in the Test arena.

Two-time Rugby World Cup winners Eben Etzebeth and captain Siya Kolisi are set to join du Plessis on the walk out to the octagon. If you’re a fight fan, you’ll understand just how big of a moment this will be for everyone involved – including fans back in South Africa.

“We are trying to get Eben (Etzebeth) and Siya (Kolisi) to walk out with me and it looks like it’s a done deal,” du Plessis told KFM Mornings.

ADVERTISEMENT

“They won’t be sitting in my corner but will walk out with me to the octagon which is pretty special.”

Du Plessis will likely fight Adesanya around midway (local time) on Sunday. That title bout follows the Springboks’ second Rugby Championship clash against the Wallabies in as many weeks, with that match scheduled for Saturday evening at Optus Stadium.

The Springboks are riding a wave of confidence going into a fight of their own. They dominated the Wallabies last weekend in Brisbane as they snapped their long-lasting Suncorp Stadium hoodoo with a masterful 33-7 win.

Related

Coach Rassie Erasmus has made 10 changes to the starting side, which has led some media outlets to label this new-look XV as a ‘B team.’ Elrigh Louw basically laughed that off in an interview with RugbyPass this week as the players themselves focused on the job at hand.

ADVERTISEMENT

“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,” du Plessis explained.

“The Boks are playing, they are the pride of South Africa, and then I’m fighting, all on the same weekend – talk about stars aligning.”

Du Plessis is looking to defend his UFC middleweight belt for the first time after beating American Sean Strickland by split decision at UFC 297 in Canada earlier this year. The South African was strategic and effective during the fight and was rewarded by the judges.

But with that comes pressure. The Springboks know a thing or two about defending world titles after taking out the Rugby World Cup crown in 2019 and then again in 2023. Du Plessis will have the whole world watching but the Boks will be supporting their countryman the whole way.

“It gets me excited knowing that the whole world is watching. More people to see what we’re all about, that’s not pressure that’s excitement.

“The bigger the moment, the bigger Dricus shows up on the night. I can’t wait. This fight is by far the biggest of my career. This is my World Cup, my last one was in January in Canada and now I’m defending it.

“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.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

HSBC SVNS Vancouver | Men's Day Three Highlights

HSBC SVNS Vancouver | Women's Day Three Highlights

"I would love to play with Siya Kolisi" | HSBC Life on Tour | Vancouver

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Behind the Scenes with the Stars of the Kenya Rugby Sevens Team | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 7

O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

T
Tine wong 3 hours ago
'Statement of ambition' Ross Byrne signing announced by Gloucester

I had always been cautious about online investments, but when I came across an opportunity promising high returns, I let my guard down. The website looked professional, the testimonials seemed legitimate, and the support team assured me my money was safe. I invested a significant amount, hoping to secure my financial future. At first, everything seemed fine. My account balance grew, and I was even able to withdraw small amounts. Encouraged, I reinvested a larger sum. That’s when the problems began. Suddenly, my withdrawal requests were ignored, customer support stopped responding, and my account was locked. It hit me—I had fallen victim to a sophisticated online scam. Feeling helpless, I searched for solutions. Traditional banks couldn’t help, and law enforcement advised me to be cautious in the future but offered little hope of recovery. That’s when I stumbled upon Galaxy Ethical Tech, a company specializing in ethical financial recovery using advanced AI and blockchain tracking.I reached out to them, skeptical but desperate. Their response was swift and professional. After verifying my case, they used their AI-driven forensic tracking to analyze blockchain transactions, uncovering the fraudsters’ network. Their experts collaborated with cybersecurity teams and legal authorities, using ethical hacking to trace my funds.Weeks later, I received an email that changed everything: “We have successfully retrieved a significant portion of your lost funds.” I couldn’t believe it. Shortly after, the money was deposited back into my account.Galaxy Ethical Tech not only helped me reclaim my lost investment but also educated me on how to avoid such scams in the future. Thanks to them, I regained my financial stability—and my trust in ethical technology. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, remember: the right technology, used ethically, can turn losses into second chances.contact them via Email: galaxyethicaltech@mail.comWhatsapp: +15072712442Telegram: Galaxy_ethical_tech

1 Go to comments
T
Tine wong 5 hours ago
Italy player ratings vs France | 2025 Six Nations

I had always been cautious about online investments, but when I came across an opportunity promising high returns, I let my guard down. The website looked professional, the testimonials seemed legitimate, and the support team assured me my money was safe. I invested a significant amount, hoping to secure my financial future. At first, everything seemed fine. My account balance grew, and I was even able to withdraw small amounts. Encouraged, I reinvested a larger sum. That’s when the problems began. Suddenly, my withdrawal requests were ignored, customer support stopped responding, and my account was locked. It hit me—I had fallen victim to a sophisticated online scam. Feeling helpless, I searched for solutions. Traditional banks couldn’t help, and law enforcement advised me to be cautious in the future but offered little hope of recovery. That’s when I stumbled upon Galaxy Ethical Tech, a company specializing in ethical financial recovery using advanced AI and blockchain tracking.I reached out to them, skeptical but desperate. Their response was swift and professional. After verifying my case, they used their AI-driven forensic tracking to analyze blockchain transactions, uncovering the fraudsters’ network. Their experts collaborated with cybersecurity teams and legal authorities, using ethical hacking to trace my funds.Weeks later, I received an email that changed everything: “We have successfully retrieved a significant portion of your lost funds.” I couldn’t believe it. Shortly after, the money was deposited back into my account.Galaxy Ethical Tech not only helped me reclaim my lost investment but also educated me on how to avoid such scams in the future. Thanks to them, I regained my financial stability—and my trust in ethical technology. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, remember: the right technology, used ethically, can turn losses into second chances.contact them via Email: galaxyethicaltech@mail.comWhatsapp: +15072712442Telegram: Galaxy_ethical_tech

3 Go to comments
S
SarahStewart 6 hours ago
The wheelchair rugby team breaking barriers and changing lives

It all started when I woke up one morning to find my crypto wallet drained—every last Bitcoin I’d invested in was gone. Months of careful trading, wiped out in an instant. I’d fallen victim to a slick phishing scam that tricked me into handing over my private keys. Devastated, I thought it was over. That’s when a friend mentioned Alpha Spy Nest, a shadowy group of crypto recovery specialists who’d helped him out of a similar mess.Skeptical but desperate, I reached out. Within hours, a voice on the other end—calm, confident, and anonymous—told me they’d take the case. They called themselves “Nest operatives,” and they didn’t waste time. First, they asked for every detail I could remember: the suspicious email, the fake login page, the moment I realized I’d been had. I handed it all over, expecting nothing but a polite “we’ll try.”What I didn’t know was that Alpha Spy Nest was already on the move. Their team—part hackers, part detectives—dived into the blockchain like bloodhounds. They traced the stolen Bitcoin as it bounced through a dizzying maze of wallets, each one a little more obscure than the last. Most people would’ve given up, but not them. They had tools I’d never heard of, scraping data from dark web forums and piecing together clues like a digital jigsaw puzzle.Days later, they called me back. “We’ve got a lead,” the voice said. They’d tracked the thief to a sloppy exchange account tied to a poorly hidden IP address. The operatives didn’t stop there—they cross-referenced the wallet activity with chatter on underground crypto channels and found the culprit bragging about his haul. With that, they flipped the script. Using a mix of social engineering and what I can only assume was some next-level tech, they baited the thief into moving the funds again—right into a trap wallet Alpha Spy Nest controlled. Few days after I’d lost everything, I got a final message: “Check your account.” There it was—my Bitcoin, back where it belonged, minus a modest fee for their trouble. I never met the team, never even learned their real names. All I knew was that Alpha Spy Nest had turned my nightmare into a miracle, and I’d never click a shady link again.Contacts: Email: Alphaspynest@mail.com, WhatsApp: ‪+14159714490

0 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Jamie Joseph could lead the Highlanders to the promised land and himself to the All Blacks job Jamie Joseph could lead the Highlanders to the promised land and himself to the All Blacks job
Search