UFC champ Dricus du Plessis given a hero's welcome by South African crowd upon triumphant return to country

Upon landing in South Africa, Dricus du Plessis received a hero's welcome for becoming the country's first-ever UFC champion following his title-winning exploits at UFC 297. 'Stillknocks' and Sean Strickland went to hell and back in an action-packed brawl that ended with du Plessis winning via split decision.

Upon his arrival at the airport, the new middleweight champion was greeted by legions of his South African faithful, who drowned him in a chorus of cheers. He subsequently engaged the crowd, hugging several South African fans as he took in the moment and adulation.

Check out Dricus du Plessis' celebrated arrival in South Africa:

Now, he awaits the next step of his UFC title reign, which he hopes will be a grudge match with his career rival Israel Adesanya, who he may or may not face at UFC 300. The pair have a heated rivalry due to du Plessis' past assertion that he is a better representative of African MMA than him, which infuriated Adesanya.

However, the history between both men runs even deeper, as they trained together years ago. Whether the UFC moves forward with the rumored du Plessis vs. Adesanya matchup, which even 'The Last Stylebender' is open to, despite being on a sabbatical, remains to be seen.

What many don't expect to happen is an immediate title rematch with Strickland, who is adamant that he had done enough to win the fight, a sentiment shared by UFC CEO Dana White. For now, however, 'Stillknocks' will recover from the grueling war with Strickland and embark on a victory lap around South Africa.

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How many UFC champions have Dricus du Plessis beaten?

Dricus du Plessis has seven wins in the UFC, and during his run in the promotion, he has faced two titleholders. At UFC 297, he took on Sean Strickland for middleweight gold, beating him via split decision. However, Strickland isn't the only UFC champion he has faced.

Prior to his title fight, 'Stillknocks' crossed swords with former middleweight kingpin Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. Ahead of the pair's bout, many predicted a one-sided loss for du Plessis. Instead, the South African star completely bulldozed 'The Reaper,' scoring a dominant second-round TKO.