UFC 305: du Plessis responds to wild fight week drinking claim, teases ‘special’ Springboks walkout
Even Dricus du Plessis had to laugh when he saw that wild viral video showing him reportedly drinking last weekend, plus what does he have planned with the Springboks?
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Dricus du Plessis has hit back at reports he was drinking just a week out from his UFC 305 fight with bitter rival Israel Adesanya in Perth this weekend.
The middleweight champion also hinted at “something special” for his walkout involving some of his Springboks mates who are in town to play the Wallabies on Saturday.
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The man known as “Still Knocks” is a passionate rugby fan who enjoys a beer, but clapped back at a viral social media video purportedly showing him drinking while watching South Africa beat the Wallabies in the first Rugby Championship Test last weekend.
“No, no, no, that was after the Robert Whittaker fight over a year ago,” a relaxed DDP told this masthead at the fighter hotel this week. “I actually saw that going around, but, no that was back in South Africa, in Cape Town celebrating after the Whittaker fight.”
Du Plessis has been in Australia for a week already and revealed he was at a Springboks watch along event on Saturday afternoon. The support he received there confirms his belief that he’ll be the crowd favourite against his longtime rival Adesanya.
“This has been my favourite crowd, and I haven’t even fought in front of them yet,” he said, before tucking into a lunch of salmon and veggies.
“I did a meet and greet on Saturday when the Springboks played the Wallabies, and there was a ‘Bok Town’ here in Perth.
“Man, there were 2000 people there, it was insane. I was supposed to do an hour meet and greet after the game, but with the amount of people there, it took three hours.”
He says the buzz will just keep growing as the fight gets closer.
“I have a hundred people that I know personally that flew in just for the fights and the rugby,” he said. “It’s gonna be special.
“The whole team’s going to be at my fight as well, and we have a little surprise for the world on fight night too.”
Du Plessis remained tight-lipped on what that surprise might be, but he says his own stardom is approaching that of his home country’s beloved Boks.
“I’m good mates with the whole team, and when they went to the World Cup last year, I went to see them off at the airport and had lunch with the great Siya Kolisi,” he said. “Then I won the world title and I walked them out at Loftus Versfeld when they played Ireland in the first Test of the year – I was the flag bearer.
“When it comes to the values of representing the South African flag, we share that, and I have a number of friends in the team that I’ve known for many years.”
Meanwhile, the rugby themed fight week continued for the Aussies on Wednesday, with flyweight star Steve Erceg, former union prodigy Jack della Maddalena and heavyweight Tai Tuivasa having a training session with some Wallabies stars.
The fighters and footy players shared tips and insights as high level athletes, with della Maddalena teaching Wallabies captain Allan Ala’alatoa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Hunter Paisami and Tom Wright how to throw a left hook to the liver.
“I asked what they reckoned for this weekend and they said, ‘Throw an overhand, come through with an uppercut and keep the jab ready,” Salakaia-Loto joked. “It’s something I’ll keep in the back pocket if I need it.”
Erceg, who takes on New Zealand’s Kai Kara-France
in a high-stakes flyweight co-main event on Sunday, said even picking up a few tips from the Wallabies could be huge help.
“If you can take the way they warm up or some kind of pre-game ritual or their mentality going into a game, pick their brains, you can take something out of every athlete,” he said ahead of his first UFC fight in front of his hometown fans.
“Kai’s a very good fighter. He’s got good takedown defence, he hits hard and he sets up his shots well.
“It’s not an easy fight, but I’m not here for easy fights. I’m here to fight the best in the world and I think I have more skills than he does. I’m better in more places.”
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