We’ve entered fight week as middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis returns to put his title on the line for a third time and square off against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. Dana White’s promotion will return to Chicago for UFC 319, as the ‘Second City’ will host its first PPV event in over six years. Meanwhile, it is du Plessis’s first time in the state of Illinois, and he recently had an experience to remember.

Dricus du Plessis hails from South Africa, where the most popular sports are soccer, cricket, and rugby. However, the middleweight champion seems to have an interest in American sports. Besides throwing the first pitch at a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, ‘Stilllknocks’ also visited the $8.8 billion worth NFL franchise, the Chicago Bears’ headquarters, Halas Hall. And by the looks of it, the South African seemed to cherish every minute of it as he watched the players engage in an intense training session. Moreover, the champion also had an opportunity to meet up with the Bears quarterbacks, Tyson Bagent and Caleb Williams, who gave him a custom jersey with his name on the back.

The middleweight champion appears to be a fan of the sport, having played video games based on the sport. Although most people would believe fighting is a much tougher sport to compete in, Dricus du Plessis believes that the football players also go through a lot to get to a prominent spot and represent the teams that they play for. This cannot be further from the truth since only eleven players take to the field.

“It’s incredible to see these guys in the training camp right now. These guys are leaders in their field. These guys had to work to get where they are, you know, playing for their jersey,” Dricus du Plessis stated in the latest UFC 319 Embedded: Vlog Series. “It’s a first for me. I know the sport. I’ve played the Xbox game, but I mean, to see it in real life and see these guys not only on the field playing, but seeing them in this competitive environment playing for that spot, playing for their jersey. It’s special.”

Well, American football shares similarities with rugby, which appears to be Dricus du Plessis’s favorite sport. He has spoken about his love of the team sport and even celebrated his country’s national team’s success in 2023. Here’s what he had to say.

Dricus du Plessis is a ‘big rugby guy’

2023 was a big year for the South African masses as their national rugby team, which is known as the ‘Springboks’, made history by winning the Rugby World Cup for a record fourth time, and second in a row. Dricus du Plessis was delighted with his country’s success, as he was seen attending the final alongside the likes of Jason Momoa, Novak Djokovic, and more. He also claimed to have some friends on the national rugby team, and some of them even trained with him. However, du Plessis claims that the passion of the South African people isn’t just limited to rugby, as he revealed his countrymen and women never fail to support any athlete who represents their country in other sports as well.

“I’ve always been a big rugby guy. Massive, massive respect for professional rugby. I know quite a few of them. I’ve trained with them at my gym. Some of them came for some wrestling exercises – great for rugby,” Dricus du Plessis told Rugby Pass TV in an interview. “Being a big Springbok supporter, winning a World Cup, back to back, it’s incredible. As South Africans, we are very, very passionate when it comes to sport. Make no mistake, when our teams don’t perform, South Africans get angry.”

Well, Dricus du Plessis can always go back and enjoy rugby and NFL matches, but for now, he needs to focus on the task at hand – his title defense this weekend. Do you think he’ll be able to keep the belt against Khamzat Chimaev? Drop your comments below.