Isihlabani saseNingizimu Afrika esingumpetha womhlaba we-UFC kwi-middleweight, uDricus du Plessis, sinejoka lokunqoba kumnyama kubomvu ku-Israel Adesanya uma sizimisele ngokuba nesandla ekuletheni lo mdlalo e-Afrika okokuqala emlandweni.
UDu Plessis okuvela ukuthi uzobe eholwa ukaputeni wamaBhokobhoko, uSiya Kolisi, nephini lakhe, u-Eben Etzebeth, uma eseyongena eringini, ubhekene no-Adesanya wase-Australia ngo-4 ezintatha ngeSonto, e-The RAC Arena, e-Perth.
Laba bazobe bebanga ibhande eliphethwe uDu Plessis le-middleweight.
Le mpi ilindelwe ngabomvu eNingizimu Afrika kulandela isasasa le-UFC ngokunqoba kuka-Du Plessis kuShaun Strickland ngoJanuwari. Izokhonjiswa bukhoma kwiSuperSport.
Umsebenzi ohlalele u-Du Plessis ngokunqoba le mpi, uphinde waqganyiswa yinkulumo yakamuva yesikhulu esiphezulu se-UFC, uDana White.
UWhite obekhuluma esithangamini nabezindaba se-UFC e-London ngeledlule, uveze ukuthi bahlose ukuyisa lo mdlalo okokuqala e-Afrika selokhu baqala ukuwumaketha.
“Kukhulu okusemahlombe kaDu Plessis ngenxa yale mpi ngoba uma enqoba uzobe evula indlela yethu yokuyisa umdlalo e-Afrika okokuqala emlandweni,” kusho uWhite kulesi sithangami ebesikhonjwa kwiYouTube.
“Akalweli ukuvikela ibhande lakhe nokuqhuba umgqigqo wakhe wokungehlulwa kuphela kepha kuningi okuxhumeke kule mpi.
“Ngiyaqonda ukuthi ukuzifaka emlandweni we-UFC kukhona emqondweni ka-Du Plessis kodwa okusemahlombe akhe ukuqinisekisa ukuthi uyanqoba uma ezimisele ngokubalwa njengowokuqala owaletha i-UFC e-Afrika.
“Ngokwezizathu zabantu ezahlukene iNingizimu Afrika abayiboni njenge-Afrika kodwa mina nginombono ohlukile ngalokho.
“Uma u-Du Plessis enqoba, nakanjani i-UFC izobonakala e-Afrika okokuqala ngqa emlandweni,” kuthembisa lesi sikhulu.
Akungatshazwa ukuthi le mpi ngeke ishode ngezigigaba kwazise u-Du Plessis no-Adesanya sebekhombise kaningi ukuthi bayafunana.
UDu Plessis wake wacashunwa ethi uyena owokuqala owase-Afrika ukunqoba ibhande, ethi u-Adesanya (owake waliphatha leli bhande) odabuka eNigeria kodwa osezinze e-Australia, akasiyena um’Afrika wangempela ngoba akazinzile kuleli lizwekazi.
Bobabili bakhombisa ukuzethemba okumangalisayo ngaphambi kwempi okwenza abalandeli bayibheke ngabomvu.