Old, yes I know, but nothing better than getting tempers flying on fight week. Stillknocks, the nickname makes as much sense as his love for ridiculously short shorts and his world titles, but regardless, this little boerseun has been turning heads after each performance. I had the opportunity to sit down with him over a brandy and coke to discuss a few ambiguous issues regarding his career, and after half an hour of explaining what ambiguous means, we got down to business. Snide: Dricus, no need to thank me for wasting my time talking to you, I understand your appreciation to my delegation of time to your career. Please introduce yourself; name, age, record and team. WHATSUP SNIDEY THANX FOR YOUR PRECIOUS TIME. IM DRICUS ‘STILLKNOCKS’ DU PLESSIS IM 20 YEARS OLD, MY PROFESSIONAL RECORD IS 4-0 AND I FIGHT OUT OF THE BEST TEAM IN AFRICA TEAM CIT MMA Snide: Before we discuss MMA politics, tell me what you do when youre not shooting helpless animals on your farm or skinnering about how mean FFM was to you? I TRAIN 3 x TIMES A DAY. BETWEEN MMA,STUDYING AND FARMING I REALLY DONT HAVE TIME FOR MUCH MORE. Snide: Youve amassed a rather impressive record in a short period of time, notwithstanding the fact you have fought bums like Bruno Mukulu and JC Lamprecht. If your level of opponents were any worse, theyd be losing to Wade Henderson. Tell us about your toughest fight. I FACE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK A VERY TOUGH SPARRING SESSION WITH THE TOUGHEST MMA FIGHTERS IN SA.NO FIGHT HAS EVER COME CLOSE TO WHAT I FACE WEEKLY WITH MY TEAM MATES. MY COACH IS HARDCORE WE MOER EACH OTHER PROPER !!!! HE BELIEVES TRAIN HARD FIGHT EASY Snide: your first challenge was in the form of paper champ Donavin Hawkey, whos fast hands and frivolous use of testosterone established him as one of the most feared contenders in the lightweight division... Oh no, wait, thats Wesley Hawkey. You fought his older brother, that guy who always loses. Tell us about that? DONAVIN IS A VERY VERY COMPETITIVE AND EXPERIENCE FIGHTER FOR WHOM I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT A TRUE GENTLEMAN IN AND OUT OF THE CAGE. WE KNEW THE ONLY WAY TO FIGHT HIM WAS VERY HARD AND OUT OF HIS GAME PLAN,AND IT WORKED. Snide: training at team CIT must have its challenges, challenges like being able to understand English and getting a girlfriend. Tell us something embarrassing about Michiel opperman and Leon Mynhardt? Any bad habits or sneaky deeds will do? NO NEVER THEY ARE OLD SCHOOL, THEY LOVE FIGHTING AND THEY LOVE PAIN EVEN MORE.THEY ARE VERY GOOD SPORTSMAN AND THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE SHOULD BE. RESPECT FOR THEM IS ALL I CAN SAY. Snide: you came from a K1 background, the same kind of standup background exhibited by Don Madge and Richie Quan. By this I mean its near impossible to prove your record actually exists. Where did all these bouts take place? In your head? LOL. GOT TROPHIES AND TITLES FOR ALL OF THEM BUT THEN AGAIN MY DAD COULD HAVE BOUGHT THEM FROM THE TROPHY WAREHOUSE. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW!! Snide: You recently had your jaw broken, which ironically hasnt stopped you running your mouth. After having it fully healed in a few days and signing a title fight, will your next career move being a soccer player, seeing as they have faking injuries down to an art? I AM SURE YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE TALKING SHIT.IN MY TEAM FAKING DOES NOT EXCIST. YOUVE SEEN ALL MY TEAM MATES FIGHT .NO EGO NO MOVIE-STARS AND NO FAKING ! !!!! HERE ARE SOME X-RAYS BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY AND I ALSO BELIEVE AFTER SEEING THE DARKHORSE AGAINST PITTBULL IT MAKES IT MUCH EASIER TO BELIEVE Snide: lets get to issues with more substance, you trained at fight fit militia, started your MMA career there, subsequently left and joined team CIT, which has served you well. Tell us about your experience there and your bad blood with the FFM hipsters? I WAS 16 WHEN I JOINED FFM AS A NOBODY IN MMA. I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SPORT AND TOOK IT VERY SERIOUS. I WANTED TO ADVANCE FAST AND LEARN WHICH MENT A 1 HOUR DRIVE FROM HARTEBEESPOORT TO JHB AFTER SCHOOL AND RUGBY PRACTICE TO TRAIN. SOMEDAYS I DID 4 SESSION PER DAY IN THERE GYM WITH RICHIE AND NORMAN AND SOMETIMES GARETH. ON FRIDAYS I DIDN’T GO OUT TO PARTY WITH MY FRIENDS BECAUSE SATURDAYS I WENT TO THE OPENMATT SPARRING AT FFM THERE WASN’T A LOT OF BEGINNERS AT THE SPARRING JUST BA FEW IN THESE SESSION NORMAN & GARETH USED US BEGINNERS AS PUNCHING BAGS. NORMAN AND GARETH WAS REALLY HARD ON US BUT WHEN THEY SPAR AGAINST EACHOTHER THEY FIHGT AS IF THEY ARE MADE OF GLASS, I JUST HAVE TO ADD NOT ALL OF THEM WERE LIKE THIS AND THAT’S WHY I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR BOYD ALLEN AND DEMARTE PENA, THEY ALWAYS TRIED TO HELP WHEN YOU TRAIN WITH THEM AND DIDN’T TRY TO PROVE THEIR MANHOOD AGAINST A 16 YEAR OLD AND TO THIS DAY I STILL LOOK UP TO THEM. MY WALK AROUND WEIGHT WAS IN THE 70kgs.(NORMAN THOSE DAYS WHERE OVER 110kgs & GARETH OVER 90 kgs) GOT THROWN AROUND SUBMITTED PUNCHED KICK TO PEACES ALMOST DAILY. I WAS OK WITH IT AS I WANTED TO LEARN AND BE AS GOOD AS THEY ARE ,BUT AFTER BEING THERE FOR 8 WEEKS EVERYDAY I ASKED NORMAN AND RICHIE WHEN DO YOU GUYS THINK I CAN HAVE A FIGHT. THEY BOTH LOOKED AT ME WITH VERY LITTLE INTREST AND SAID IF YOU START TRAINING WITH US AND JOIN THE TEAM WE WILL DESIDE I WAS STUNNED AS THEY HAVE FD ME UP DAILY FOR 8 WEEKS AND THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE ME. I THEN KNEW THAT I WAS 10000% AT THE WRONG PLACE. AFTER WINNING THE W.A.K.O WORLD IN K-1 I GAVE UP K-1 AND ONLY FOCUSED ON MMA THAT’S WHEN I JOINED TEAM CIT. SINCE DAY 1 I FELT LIKE PART OF THE TEAM EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE ONLY AMATEUR AT THAT TIME THEY DID BEAT ME UP AND THE TRAINING WAS A HUGE STEP UP BUT THE SAW MY HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AND MADE ME THE FIGHTER I AM TODAY AND THAT’S HOW I BELIEVE EVERY YOUNG GUY WITH A DREAM SHOULD BE TREATED. Snide: and I quote this fight is personal, Im glad I left FFM and joined team CIT, because now I get to f@*k you up. Talk me through Gary and your issues, anything you want to say to Soldierboy? cause I know he reads everything I post (actually Im not sure he knows how to read). SOLDIERBOY (WHO NEVER WAS IN THE ARMY) FOR LOOKING DOWN ON A YOUNG BOY WITH A DREAM AND TO SHOW LOTS OF OTHER YOUNGSTERS IF YOU HAVE A DREAM THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THOSE DREAM STEALERS AND THAT SHOULDN’T STOP YOU FROM GOING AFTER YOUR DREAMS, I WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM AND THAT GAVE ME EVEN MORE MOTIVATION TO PROVE THEM WRONG AND HERE I AM 3 YEARS LATER FIGHTING FOR THE EFC MIDDLE-WEIGHT TITLE SO GARRETH I AM COMING FOR MY BELT. I HAVE NEVER LOST A FIGHT AND ITS NOT IN YOU TO STOP ME.WHEN YOU FACE ME IN THE HEX LOOK UP AT ME IN AND YOU WILL REMEMBER AND SEE THE LITTLE BOY YOU TREATED LIKE NOTHING HOLDING YOUR TITLE. Snide: Do you have issues with any other members of FFM? Did Chef ever touch you inappropriately, in your naughty place? You can tell me, this is a safe space... NO. MAN THAT’S JUST WEIRD HAHA Snide: are you sure he didnt touch you? It isnt your fault. LOL NO !!!! Snide: youre studying Bcom agriculture, and when I visited your mom the other day she said you were a diligent and hard worker. How does it feel doing the easiest Bcom in the world? YOU CAN ONLY STUDY WHAT YOURE IQ ALLOWS YOU. ;) Snide: I promised one of my fans Id ask you this. do you have a girlfriend (boyfriend, I dont judge) if not, will you be willing to go out with a fan for coffee, shes buying? THAT’S A VERY NICE OFFER THANK YOU BUT I HAVE AN AWSOME GIRLFRIEND BUT I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO MEET THIS FAN OF YOURS Snide: just kidding, we both know you dont have fans, much less female ones, except perhaps Guy Lazarus, whos the nicest lady Ive come across in a while. Do you ever find yourself being stopped in the streets by fans, who ask you if you could get Leon Mynhardts or Michiel Oppermans signature for them? AL THE TIME AS I SAID TRUE TRUE WARRIORS.AND I DON’T BLAME THEM I IT IS INFACT THE IRON LION AND THE DARKHORSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE BUT I ALWAYS SNEAK MY SIGNATURE IN THERE ANYWAY JUST TO PRACTICE IT FOR ONEDAY WHEN I DO GET SOME FANS. Snide: which heavyweights do you think you could beat in a fight, and do you think you could be able to beat two bantamweights at the same time? Which ones? ONLY GARETH IF HE GOS TO HEAVY WEIGHT. AND THE BANTAMWEIGHTS NO WAY THAT’S A SCARY DEVISION MAN I MEAN GUYS LIKE DEMARTE, ZULUBOY , CHARLIE ,MATT THIS NEW GUY SAYED HAS CRAZY SKILL AND SOME OF THEM HAS THE SAME WALKAROUND WEIGHT AS I DO J Snide: who gets more girls, you or Leon? DEFINITELY LEON ;-) Snide: what are your plans for your future when you finally finish hitting puberty? I AM STILL LEARNING DAILY IN THE GYM BUT I AM SURE THAT IF I DO WHAT EFC WANTS ME TO DO THEY CAN GET ME INTO THE UFC IN GOOD TIME AND IM ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO GROWING A BEARD MAYBE IN A FEW YEARS ILL HAVE A FULL BEARD AND I CAN GROW IT AND ALSO LOOK SCARY. Snide: Dricus, weve been friends from before you had your first EFC bout, you often message me saying thinking of you or forever friends, are we BFFs? WE ARE, MEET FRIDAY AT OUR USUAL PLACE AT20:00 ;-) Snide: do your fighter thing, thank your teammates, your mom, your 301 rifle etc etc, and any last words? JUST WANT TO SAY THANX TO MOM AND DAD FOR NEVER MISSING A FIGHT AND SUPPORTING ME EVERYDAY TO FOLLOW MY DREAMS AND THEN MY TWO OLDER BROTHERS FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE AND RAISING YOUR LITTLE BRO TO BE A FIGHTER LIKE I AM TODAY THEN MY TEAM , TEAM CIT LEON,MICHIEL, THUMELO, EDRICH, IAN AND ALL THE NEW GUYS THAT JOINED OUR TEAM, A GREAT THANX TO MY COACH MORNE VISSER WITHOUT YOU THIS WOULD STILL ONLY BE A DREAM YOU PUT IN HOURS AND HOURS TO MAKE ME A BETTER FIGHTER AND BECOME THE COMPLETE MMA FIGHTER, MY K-1 COACH FRANCOIS LANDSBERG. THEN MY SPONSORS BADBOY, GNC SA , GST, KOTZE GEARBOX AND DIFF AND ORZELLA. THEN YOU GUYS THE FANS AND EFC THAT MAKE THIS ALL POSIBLE THANX FOR ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN ME AND EVEN THOSE WHO DON’T YOU ARE THE REASON WE TRAIN SO HARD , TO GIVE YOU N GOOD SHOW AND TOP QUALITY FIGHTS.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 12:34:42 +0000