Dricus Du Plessis defends his UFC middleweight championship against Sean Strickland on Sunday morning. Photo: AFP
South Africans had mixed reactions, mostly negative though, towards UFC Champion Dircus du Plessis’s choice of clothes at a media event on Wednesday.
Du Plessis rocked up to a press conference in Sydney ahead of his title match with Sean Strickland, wearing a t-shirt that read "Trump prefers champions”.
This, amid tensions between the two nations over comments made by newly elected US President Donald Trump regarding the Land Expropriation bill. The bill caused a stir between the two nations, with American tech billionaire Elon Musk getting involved as well.
IOL News' post of the utterances on Facebook had over 600 comments on Thursday morning, as South Africans weighed in on the debate.
“Talk about tone deaf. Wow,” Douglas Hollis wrote.
“Birds of a feather flock together,” said Ashraf Ayoob.
“What a disappointing statement,” Connie Ross said.
“We are all disappointed considering the support we gave this guy,” Andrew Kgasago.
“The champ is more of a politician than an athlete … He will feel it soon when South Africans attack him. It's not only him who’s a known white athlete but others they know that represent SA even if they don’t agree with what’s happening here” said Rudy Nkuthalo.
“Its not the first time he said the South African government was killing white farmers… I hope Strickland dog walks him,” wrote Thulani Mabuza.
“How about just leaving people to have their own political views. I don’t know who’s worse, the left or the right. Maybe use some intuition here as opposed to an emotional response.
“He’s giving a shoutout to Musk because he is South African and Trump because the UFC as everyone knows, would not exist if it wasn’t for him. And it is the only sport organisation where you are FREE to express your views without being canceled,” wrote Hanno Loubser.
Paulo Fernandes wrote: “Or maybe people are reading too much into the shirt and he is actually trolling Strickland implying that he is a loser so Trump won't support him.”