UFC’s current reigning middleweight champ, Dricus Du Plessis, is a man of many talents. He is a trained judoka, a teen wrestler, and a kickboxer. He also played rugby through his formative years in school. Now comes the pleasant surprise that he can sing, as witnessed by his appearance on a South African singing show.
Given that Dricus Du Plessis is naturally athletic and can even dance in formal settings, is it even surprising? It has to be a little jarring, given that the fighter sang at South Africa’s version of The Masked Singer. A weekly televised singing competition where celebrity judges try to guess the identities of performing celebrities. Du Plessis performed under the guise of “Wildebeest.”
Dressed as that, the middleweight champion performed to One Republic’s hit single Counting Stars on Monday. Hardcore fans recognized his voice from the get-go. However, luck did not favor him, as he got eliminated in the end.
It was interesting to see Du Plessis make an impact at a national level with his singing talents. The middleweight champion has great relationships with other influential South Africans. Dricus Du Plessis avidly supports South African Rugby and maintains a healthy association with Springbok World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi.
He also maintains an active commentary with Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa, who takes pride in his efforts to bolster South African cultures. However, as celebrated as South Africa’s first-ever titleholder, he was at the forefront of a South African singing competition that was on nobody’s bucket list.
The Masked Singer SA costume designer reveals intricate details of gearing up Dricus Du Plessis
Dricus Du Plessis, 21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC, captured the 185-pound guard with a spectacular performance at UFC 297 earlier this year. According to coach Morne Visser, DDP had a breathing impairment and operates with under 10% of oxygen capacity. He even underwent surgery in April last year. Despite that, Du Plessis has been known to be a habitual singer and instrumentalist.
Heidi du Toit and Dricus Du Plessis (Source: Instagram/ sowetanlive.co.za)However, the South African out of Welkom has taken his skills to new heights. He became the fifth celebrity – “Wildebeest” on The Masked Singer SA. He followed suit of Nthati Moshesh (Springbok), Celeste Ntuli (Tortoise), Khutso Theledi (Lion), and Nonkanyiso “LaConco” Conco (Star). Here’s what Heidi du Toit, the costume designer told about Du Plessis:
Every costume we manufacture has its own challenges, …the day we met Dricus du Plessis, I was surprised by his pleasant and likeable character. [On hiding his form] His necklaces were made out of AVA foam. The shirt underneath the jacket was printed to look like a six-pack and we padded it to give a muscle look and we covered his shoes with AVA foam…There is no greater job satisfaction for us when the mask goes on stage and you see the reaction of the judges and the audience…
Heidi du Toit in “The Masked Singer SA” Behind-the-scene Featurette
The process of customizing a hybrid suit to the character and making it so detailed paid off. Du Plessis, otherwise famous as a combat sports industry staple, also has quite the South African fan following. However, it was essential not to know his identity up until the last moment. Hosts, judges, and many fans were pleasantly surprised at the spectacular reveal with a great costume.
