Dricus Du Plessis’ coach surprised everyone when he appeared to grab his combatant’s crotch during the bout against Robert Whittaker.
Du Plessis defeated Robert Whittaker through second-round TKO at UFC 290, putting the sceptics to rest. But it seems like Du Plessis attracted additional attention for a humorous interaction with his coach.
Following some advice from his coach, Du Plessis stood up to get ready for the upcoming round against Whittaker. However, what happened next caught many off guard. Du Plessis’ coach patted his chest and lightly squeezed his crotch, leaving spectators puzzled.
Once the video of this incident made its way to Twitter, Paulo Costa couldn’t help but express his confusion.
He commented: “What kind of coach is that?”
Despite the humorous comments, Dricus Du Plessis emerged victorious against Whittaker. With this win, Du Plessis extended his winning streak in the UFC to five matches.
Du Plessis’ teammate previously explained their odd relationship with the coach pleading cultural differences:
“Maybe it’s just not a big cultural thing in other countries, so but like and it is in Afrikans culture.”
He went on to clarify: “There’s usually transactions involved.”
With his recent triumph, Du Plessis has positioned himself as a strong contender for a middleweight title shot. Moments after having his hand raised in victory, the 29-year-old found himself face-to-face with the reigning 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya. The situation resulted in a slightly awkward exchange inside the octagon.
Dricus Du Plessis wasn’t the only South African competitor to taste success at UFC 290. During the preliminary match, Cameron Saaiman showcased his skills to secure a first-round TKO against Terrence Mitchell. He improved his record to 3-0 in the promotion.
The victories of Du Plessis and Saaiman have undoubtedly put South Africa on the MMA map. In fact, their accomplishments garnered praise even from UFC icon Conor McGregor, who took to Twitter to express his congratulations:
“Huge congrats to South African MMA and South Africa, period! That is an incredible win for them inside the UFC’s Octagon! Title fight next for sure! Let’s go S.A”
On September 8, the UFC heads to Sydney, Australia, where Israel Adesanya is set to headline UFC 293. Rumors suggest that Du Plessis will receive his well-deserved title shot on that night, assuming he remains in good health.