What is Dricus du Plessis' ethnicity? Everything about the UFC 312 headliner's background
Dricus du Plessis' ethnicity and cultural background have previously sparked controversies and were major storylines leading up to his last fight against Israel Adesanya.
Du Plessis will proudly represent South Africa as he faces Sean Strickland at UFC 312, scheduled to take place at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 9. This fight marks a rematch from their previous encounter, which du Plessis won by split decision to capture the 185-pound title.
There is no controversy about his ethnic background in his rivalry with Strickland. However, it is still important to know more about du Plessis' ethnicity as he prepares for this significant title fight.
What is Dricus du Plessis' ethnicity?
Dricus du Plessis represents South Africa and was born in Hatfield, Pretoria, where he has spent a large part of his life. The 31-year-old represents the Afrikaner community, who are an ethnic group predominantly descended from Dutch settlers, who began arriving in South Africa in the mid-17th century.
That said, du Plessis' origins, as his name suggests, can be traced back to France. Even today, his accent and manner of speaking reflect his ancestry. He has also been seen speaking Afrikaans, one of South Africa's official languages.
During his rise to UFC title contention, du Plessis, somewhat controversially, spoke on the importance of becoming the first champion to train out of Africa. He famously infuriated Israel Adesanya when he said that he wanted to be the first 'true African champion'.
The middleweight later clarified that he meant becoming a champion who was born in Africa and also lived and trained on the continent.
Dricus du Plessis reacts to being accepted into the group of African champions
Kamaru Usman, Israel Adesanya, and Francis Ngannou make up the first trio of African-born UFC champions in history, collectively known as "The Three Kings." While Dricus du Plessis also represents Africa, some viewed his comments as disrespectful to the legacy of these champions.
This controversy became a significant part of the narrative leading up to du Plessis' first middleweight title defense against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. After du Plessis secured a fourth-round submission victory, the two fighters reconciled.
Recently, Usman referred to du Plessis as part of an expanded group of African champions, dubbing them the "Four Horsemen." In response to Usman's comments during the UFC 312 media day interaction, du Plessis stated:
"Massive honor and privilege to be a part of that group. And, you know, if you look at guys like Kamaru, Francis and Israel, absolute greats in this sport. Now Dricus du Plessis era and being part of that group is a massive honor... Being part of that group means nothing to anybody else but to me, as an African born fighter, African raised, African residing champion fighter. Just like them, it means the absolute world."
Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below: