Although Adesanya, Usman and Ngannou were born in Africa, Du Plessis took issue with those fighters claiming Africa while training and living abroad. Du Plessis fights out of Team CIT MMA in Pretoria near Johannsesburg, South Africa’s capital and largest city.
“Did those belts ever go to Africa?” Du Plessis asked reporters at UFC 285 media day. “As far as I know, they came to America and New Zealand. I’m going to take a belt to Africa. I’m the African fighter in the UFC. Myself and Cameron (Saaiman), we breathe African air. We wake up in Africa every day. We train in Africa, we’re African born, we’re African raised, we still reside in Africa, we train out of Africa – that’s an African champion, and that’s who I’ll be.” (...)