The aftermath of UFC 293 saw a seismic shift in the middleweight division, as Sean Strickland claimed the title from Israel Adesanya in a thrilling main event held in Sydney, Australia. However, one notable absence from the event was South African contender Dricus Du Plessis, who didn’t attend the fight despite receiving calls from Adesanya and Chael Sonnen to be present cageside.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Du Plessis shed light on why he was absent from the event and took the opportunity to highlight the complexities of obtaining an Australian visa for a South African citizen.
Du Plessis explained, “Although I wanted to be there cageside at UFC 293, it simply wasn’t viable due to the challenging process of acquiring a visa for Australia as a South African. That’s one thing I want to tell Izzy. Listen, if you knew anything about living in Africa, you would realize what it takes to get a visa to Australia being a South African. It doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t get a visa in two or three weeks. You just don’t. You don’t even get a visa in four weeks. It’s extremely hard.”
He continued, “And what would have happened? I would have got there and saw him lose. No, it doesn’t work like that. People are like, ‘Just go! Just go to Australia!’ Do you know how hard it is for a South African to get a visa for Australia? It’s extremely hard… I would have loved to be there, definitely.”
The feud between Du Plessis and Adesanya had intensified in the lead-up to UFC 293, with Du Plessis seemingly next in line for a title shot after his impressive victory over Robert Whittaker. The two fighters had engaged in a heated rivalry, fueled in part by geographical differences.
However, with Adesanya losing the title to Strickland, Du Plessis has now shifted his focus to the new champion. “Stillknocks” remains determined to claim the middleweight throne and will undoubtedly continue to be a key player in the division’s evolving landscape.
As the middleweight division continues to evolve, fans and fighters alike will be watching closely to see how Du Plessis’ journey unfolds and whether he can secure a title shot in the near future.
Makes no difference to me, the belt is coming home ??
— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) September 10, 2023
