The world’s new UFC Middleweight champion arrived back home in South Africa on Thursday morning.
South Africans came out in large numbers to welcome the first local Ultimate Fighting Champion after he touched down at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.
With the belt in his right hand and the South African flag on the other, BGTN captured the historic moment.
WATCH: Dricus du Plessis arrives home
“This was a big step up; I mean, fighting for the World title is as big in most cases as it gets. There have been other people who became world champions in different weight divisions, if someone else can do it that means I can do it, said Du Plessis.
ALSO READ: Dricus Du Plessis’ UFC 297 win has netizens divided
“As big as this is for me and as massive as it is for South Africa, this is not the end of the road. This is not as high as I am going to go,there is no way. This is the beginning of the championship reign and the Dricus du Plesis era”.
When asked if he would move up a weight division, du Plessis, affectionately known as Stillknocks responded:
“Right now I have to defend my title and prove that I am the best middleweight champion on the planet and after this I want to go up the division and fight for another title”.
“I need to defend this title twice before moving up the weight division,” he added.
ALSO READ: BGTN Stands Behind Dricus!
Du Plessis will also be receiving additional medical treatment before going back to training.
”Right now there’s a time to sit back and enjoy the hard work, the fruits of your labour, it’s a very important part – you can’t just keep on going,” he added.
“I asked God to help me through every fight, I prayed, and I asked to give me the power, give me the strength to get through this, to get to a fight without getting injured – to go out there and fight the best fight that I possibly can, to get that strength from somewhere.”
Du Plessis will be enjoying some well deserved rest as he settles back at home.
