Dricus du Plessis and Cam Saaiman fly SA flag high at UFC 285

Fighting in the UFC's middleweight division, du Plessis earned the biggest win of his career when he TKO'd veteran Derek Brunson in the dying embers of the second round.

Brunson, who was the fifth-ranked fighter in the division, enjoyed some success on top in the first round after a successful takedown. Later he forced du Plessis to pop out of a headlock and had him rocked with a jab. 

However, in the second round, du Plessis was able to chop at his legs and land power shots with his left, ultimately dropping Brunson. In mount and pounding away with hammer fists, Brunson's corner threw in the towel.

The seventh consecutive win for du Plessis will see him climb the UFC's middleweight rankings once more. Speaking to the press afterwards, the Pretoria native said the likes of the dangerous Paulo Costa are behind him. 

"I called him out previously because he was ranked in front of me, but right now, he can stand in line," said the 29-year-old.

"At the end of the day, it's probably going to be a number one contender fight or a title shot, I'm happy with either of those."

As he points out, if Israel Adesanya gets the belt back from Alex Pereira in their rematch, du Plessis will be the only fighter in the top five that Adesanya hasn't fought.

Meanwhile, du Plessis' Team CIT bantamweight brethren Saaiman also recorded a dominant victory. Up against the durable Mana Martinez, Saaiman showed just how well-rounded he is. Leading the dance from the first round, Saaiman threw relentless combinations, earned a takedown and landed leg kicks, outstriking Martinez by almost 2 to 1. 

Despite getting a point deducted for two kicks below the belt, Saaiman swept the scorecards to move his budding career to 8-0. 

"There's a lot of good I can take from this fight," said the 22-year-old talent, who only made his UFC debut four months ago.

"I felt much better in there, I felt more calculated, a felt more present. In the first fight, my head was all over the place, quite scrambled. This time, the whole experience was much better. I believe we'll be improving every time."