WATCH: Springboks stars Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth have key role in UFC title fight
Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi were at the UFC title fight.
Springboks stalwarts Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth walked out with elite UFC fighter Dricus du Plessis ahead of his middleweight title fight in Perth, Australia on Sunday.
Only hours after second-row Etzebeth had featured for his country in their Rugby Championship win over the Wallabies, he and Kolisi were in attendance for the bout.
Walking Du Plessis to the Octagon at UFC 305, the experienced Springboks forwards donned tracksuits while the fighter had a South Africa flag draped over his shoulders.
Anthem was playing
The national anthem was also playing as they walked to the ring where 30-year-old Du Plessis would face Nigeria-born Israel Adesanya who is now representing New Zealand.
Dricus du Plessis walks out with Siya Kolisi and Eben etsebeth to the national anthem 🇿🇦
Dricus Du Plessis (South Africa) vs Israel Adesanya (Nigeria) #dricusduplessis pic.twitter.com/7tgFvuWg0T
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) August 18, 2024
Etzebeth and Kolisi were stern faced for the walk-out but were unsurprisingly thrilled when Du Plessis won the fight by submission to retain his middleweight title in Perth.
The all-African fight was scheduled to serve a US audience and subsequently took place in the early hours of Sunday South African and GMT time for those viewers.
It wasn’t just Kolisi and Etzebeth in attendance for the fight as Springboks great Bryan Habana was also in Australia after being a pundit for the Wallabies meeting in Perth.
Wat n voorreg 🤩🇿🇦@dricusduplessis… jy is n LEGEND!!!! #EnoughSaid#HulleWeetNieWatOnsWeetNie pic.twitter.com/pPTAjrd8FV
— Bryan Habana (@BryanHabana) August 18, 2024
Meanwhile, Kolisi, who was rested for the Round Two Rugby Championship fixture, posted on Instagram about the UFC fight with a post-fight picture with Du Plessis.
The Rugby Championship now takes a week’s break before reconvening on Saturday, August 31 when the Springboks host the All Blacks and Pumas take on the Wallabies.
South Africa lead the standings on 10 points after the opening two rounds, with New Zealand in second place, just ahead of Argentina, while Australia prop up the table.
