UKUBA owokuqala eminyakeni emibili ukuvikela ibhande lomhlaba le-UFC kwi-middleweight kukaDricus du Plessis, onqobe emzuliswaneni wesine empini yebhande le-middleweight ku-Israel Adesanya, kukushiye ezandleni zabaphathi balo mdlalo ukufeza isethembiso sabo ngokubanjelwa kwawo e-Afrika okokuqala emlandweni.
Ngaphandle kokuqhuba irekhodi lakhe lokungehlulwa, uDu Plessis obephelezelwa abadlali bamaBhokobhoko ngesikhathi engena eringini, uSiya Kolisi no-Eben Etzebeth, ubenejoka lokunqoba kuqala, ngaphambi kokuthi abaphathi be-UFC bakucabange ukuletha impi elandelayo eNingizimu Afrika.
Kule mpi yayizolo ekuseni, eThe Rac Arena, ePerth, e-Australia, uDu Plessis bekubukeka sengathi ulandela emuva ngokwamaphuzu kwaze kwaba umzuliswano wesine.
Kuthe kungalindelekile uDu Plessis wajikijela odalimede ababili bezibhakela okulandelwe ukuthi adiyazele u-Adesanya. Kulapho-ke emhlale khona ngobhongwane eselele phansi waze wathi maluju.
Nakuba kungakaqinisekiswa kodwa impi uDu Plessis okufanele avikele ngayo ibhande kumele abhekane kuyona noSean Strickland, amphuce ibhande ngoJanuwari nonyaka.
UStrickland wase-USA akafihli ukuthi akayizwa eyokuyolwela eMzansi okuyizwe alichaza njengelingekho esimweni sokusingatha lolu hlobo lomdlalo.
“Leliya lizwe liyabheda. Ngalwa khona ngiseyingane. Ububha, ukucwasana ngokobuhlanga nodlame. Kuyadabukisa nje impela, ikakhulukazi ezinganeni. Ngaya esikhungweni sezingane ezinganabazali. Abazami ngisho ukuzama ukwenza okungcono,” ubhale kanje uStrickland ekhasini lakhe lika-X @SStricklandMMA. Uqhubekile wathi indlela isimo esibheda ngayo kuleli, umbhedukazwe ungaqhamuka noma yinini.
UStrickland ubhala kanjena nje, uphendula inkulumo, kaDana White, oyisikhulu esiphezulu se-UFC, ngaphambi kwempi esithangamini sezindaba, esithembise uDu Plessis ukuthi uma enqoba, uzolivikela eMzansi ibhande lakhe.
Ngemuva kwempi, kugqame ukuhloniphana phakathi kukaDu Plessis no-Adesanya yize ngaphambi kwayo bekubukeka sengathi bayazondana.
“Kungithobisile ukuba seringini nenye yezinkakha zalo mdlalo esiwuthandayo,” kusho uDu Plessis ekhuluma eseringini ebhekise ku-Adesanya.
“Angifisi ukuphinda ngibhekane naye. U-Adesanya uyiqhawe futhi ngiyaxolisa uma kukhona lapho ngiphume khona endleleni ngesikhathi sisajikijelana ngamazwi.
“Ngiyathemba ukuthi sekuzovuleka ithuba lokuthi abantu bazibonele ngawabo ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika izwe elihle kangakanani,” kuphetha uDu Plessis.
U-Adesanya ukhale ngamaphutha amancane awenzile ngomzuliswano wesine.
“Konke bekuhamba kahle ngase ngenza iphutha elimvulele intuba. Ngiyambongela. Ubengcono kunami namuhla futhi ngiyamhlonipha,” kuphetha u-Adesanya, oveze ukuthi akakazowuthatha umhlalaphansi.