Lubhalwe nguMichael Madyira
UDricus du Plessis wakuleli uhlule owayengumpetha we-UFC middleweight uRobert Whittaker ezintathakusa zangeSonto ukuze azilungisele impi yesicoco no-Israel Adesanya ongumpetha.
UDu Plessis no-Adesanya owazalelwa e-Nigeria banikeze inkomba yalokho okufanele kulindelwe ku-UFC 293 e-Qudos Bank Arena e-Sydney, e-Australia mhlaka-10 kuMandulo kulandela ukushuba kwesimo phakathi kwabo ngesikhathi besekheshini.
Kodwa ngaphambi kwalokho, umdlali wakuleli uzinike iphuzu le-middleweight ngemuva kokuphoqa unompempe ukuthi angene futhi aqede umzuliswano wesibili ngemuva kokuthela phansi uWhittaker ku-UFC 290 e-Las Vegas.
Esebenzisa isitayela sakhe esingajwayelekile esinenhlanganisela enhle ekuhlaseleni nasekuzivikeleni, uDu Plessis unconywe uzakwabo wase-Ireland ohamba phambili uConor McGregor.
“Sihalalisela i-MMA yaseNingizimu Afrika kanye nezwe lonkana! Lokhu kuyinto emangalisayo kubo ikakhulukazi ngaphakathi ku-Octagon ye-UFC! Ngokulandelayo nangokuqinisekile sizolwela isicoco!” kusho uMcGregor ezinkundleni zokuxhumana.
Wonke amehlo asebheke ukungqubuzana okulindelwe ngabomvu phakathi kukaDu Plessis kanye no-Adesanya ngoMandulo.
Ngemuva kokumiswa kukanompempe ngeSonto, u-Adesanya ungene ku-Octagon wavakashela uDu Plessis ngesikhathi bebhekene kukheji.
“Kunjalo nje. Yimpi elula le,” kusho u-Adesanya.
“Ngaluthandezela lolu suku, bengazi ukuthi ngizoba nalesi sikhathi futhi ngiyazi ukuthi ngizonqoba.”
UDu Plessis uphendule kamuva esithangamini sabezindaba ngemuva komdlalo.
“Ngizomginqa phansi njengoba ngenze kusihlwa,” kusho uDu Plessis ngokwe-MMA Fighting.
“Ngizomginqa phansi. Ngike ngakwenza ngaphambilini futhi ngizophinda ngikwenze.”
Uphinde waphendula ebhekise ku-Adesanya ethi: “Uziphathisa okomuntu ohlekisayo lapho. Akuyona indlela umpetha aziphatha ngayo. Akuyona neze indlela indoda eziphatha ngayo. Uziphathisa okwengane. Ziphathise okwengqwele. Kunabantu ababukela kuwe.”
UDu Plessis uya empini yangoMandulo ekhuthazwa yisimo sakhe sokungahlulwa kusukela ngo-2018 kanye nokuthi ama-UFC akhe awawina amahlanu kwayisithupha amisiwe.
Esithombeni esingenhla: UDricus du Plessis
Umthombo wesithombe: Twitter-@dricusduplessis