South African UFC fighter explained traditional roots behind Dricus Du Plessis kissing his coach

Following Dricus Du Plessis’ victory against Robert Whittaker, his gesture took the internet by storm when he did something unusual with his coach Morne Visser. His actions drew reactions from the whole MMA community.

Reigning champion Sean Strickland took a dig at Du Plessis, which started the feud between the two. Now DDP is set to face Sean for the middleweight title and to put an end to this verbal spat. The South African rugby team has also extended their support to Dricus for the title fight.

South African fighter explained reason behind Dricus Du Plessis kissing his coach

Following his triumph against Robert Whittaker in the previous year, Dricus Du Plessis expressed his gratitude to coach Morne Visser with a heartfelt gesture. Videos of the incident quickly became widely popular. Cameron Saimann, a bantamweight in the UFC, was also spotted engaging in a comparable celebration.

The fighter gave an explanation for the unusual celebratory style. Saaiman said that it is a part of their culture where they share a friendly kiss with their coach. Saaiman said, “In African culture, we were brought up to greet our father or grandfather with a kiss, and a hug was considered a normal thing.”

He agreed on the fact that it might be weird for UFC fans all around the world as they haven’t grown up in a similar setting and said that it is understandable for people to get confused with these celebrations. He said, “I can imagine people watching the fight like knockout and then kissing your coach like what?”

Dricus Du Plessis garners support from South African national rugby team

With the video going viral, Sean Strickland quickly assembled all the ammunition he had and fired towards Dricus. With Strickland questioning Dricus’s preferences, Du Plessis responded by raising questions over Strickland’s relationship with his father.

As the verbal spat continued, the feud between the two got bitter, they engaged in a brawl during UFC 296 in the audience, which only added to the hype of the fight. As Dricus Du Plessis is set to fight Sean Strickland for the UFC middleweight title this weekend, the South African rugby team extended their support for Dricus.

Dricus will square off against Strickland on January 21 under the UFC 297 card. The fight will take place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This will be the first PPV of the year and is expected to generate a massive amount of revenue, given their rivalry.