It would appear that UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis’ entire team has been reaping the benefits of his title crowning.
Du Plessis completed his rise to glory in mixed martial arts’ premier promotion as an undefeated fighter inside the Octagon this past January in Canada, where he headlined the UFC 297 pay-per-view in competition for Sean Strickland’s belt.
The pair went the distance in a competitive and back-and-forth affair, which “Stillknocks” ultimately won by way of split decision, extending his promotional record to 7-0 and ascending him to the middleweight mountaintop.
In addition to achieving his own title ambitions, Du Plessis became the first South African to bring UFC gold back to his nation. And that fact has evidently encouraged his teammates to raise their game now that they have the chance to share a gym with the 185-pound kingpin…
Du Plessis: Team CIT Has Found ‘Another Level’ After UFC Title Win
During an interview with Fox West Texas, Du Plessis spoke about how he’s been enjoying life as a champion thus far.
After noting that his crowning in Toronto earlier this year has only increased his personal drive for more success on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, “Stillknocks” pointed to the positive impact it’s also had on his team as a whole.
“It’s been great. It’s been everything that I expected, everything that I hoped for, and better,” Du Plessis said. “And training-wise, once I got that belt, I got a fire under me. A lot of people might think once you win that belt, you lose some of that hunger. I always said it, becoming UFC champion is not my end goal, not at all. … There’s a new hunger. There’s that championship hunger because now I’m defending my throne, and I’ll do anything to defend that throne.
“In training, the team, everybody’s stepped it up because now they’re going up against the world champion. Everybody wants to land a shot on the world champion,” Du Plessis continued. “If you can give the world champ a hard time, you’re not far off getting that big shot. My team’s amazing. The coaches, everybody’s stepped it up. Everybody realized, we are now world champions and we should behave as such when it comes to training, recovering. … Just another level.”
Du Plessis will look to spur Team CIT on to an even higher level by successfully defending his place on the middleweight throne at the expense of Israel Adesanya next month inside Perth’s RAC Arena, which plays host to the UFC 305 PPV.
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