Dricus du Plessis in the Ultimate Fighting Championship became South Africa’s first ever champion when he beat American Sean Strickland courtesy of a split decision at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, Sunday morning.
Du Plessis took the belt from Strickland who had shocked the world when he beat Israel Adesanya in September, 2023.
The American had success with his jab in the early rounds and landed more strikes than Du Plessis, but the South African cut Strickland’s eye in the fourth.
Strickland however finished strongly and the fight went to the judges’ scorecards.
Two judges scored it 48-47, 48-47 for Du Plessis with one calling it 47-48 in favour of Strickland.
It was Du Plessis seventh straight UFC victory.
In the co-main event, American Raquel Pennington won her first UFC title after she defeated Mayra Bueno Silva by unanimous decision to clinch the bantamweight belt.
The American finally got her hands on a belt, almost six years after she lost to Amanda Nunes in her first UFC title fight.
Bueno Silva of Brazil started strongly and threatened with a choke hold, but 35-year-old Pennington started to dominate and as her opponent faded she won with scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 49-45 to take the vacant title and her sixth straight victory.