Cape Town - Dricus du Plessis continues to make huge strides in the sport and entertainment world.
Not only is he well on his way to becoming one of the world’s most renowned combat sport athletes, but he’s also set to make a name for himself on the movie scene.
South Africa’s exciting Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight athlete was recently unveiled as the man to play African boxing legend, Gerrie Coetzee in a biographical movie about the former boxing champion titled “Against All Odds”.
Known as the Boksburg Bomber, Coetzee is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of his time and he drew even more global attention after being crowned as the first African heavyweight champion of the world after he beat Michael Dokes in 1983 in the vacant WBA heavyweight title bout following the retirement of the late and great Muhammad Ali.
The fight against Dokes was declared as KO Magazine’s “Upset of The Year” for 1983.
But Coetzee (33-6-1) is not only recognised for his impressive feats inside the ring.
The man is also well-respected for his stance against the old Apartheid regime and the manner in which he carried himself during those trying times standing for what is right in a twisted society. He too soldiered on through many hand injuries.
Also known as “The Bionic Hand”, his right hand gave him huge problems which saw him undergo various surgeries.
"It is a privilege for me to play (uncle) Gerrie," said Du Plessis.
"I have heard so much from my father and brothers about the great Gerrie Coetzee. He is not only great in South Africa but all over the world.”
After introducing himself on the big stage of the UFC with two incredible knockout wins in 2020 and 2021, Dricus is now aiming to earn himself a top ranking in the biggest MMA promotion on the planet.
After his last fight against 12th-ranked Andre Muniz (22-4) was called off due to the South African sustaining an injury in training camp, Dricus (16-2) confirmed that his third fight is scheduled for 9th April against 14th-ranked Chris Curtis (28-8) in his third bout on a Pay-Per-View event at UFC273 .
“It’s official! Time to climb that ladder, top 5 I’m on my way,” posted the number 21-ranked Dricus on his instagram account.
When asked how he will manage his time mixing acting with his fighting, Du Plessis responded: “I spoke to my agents about this, it’s all about planning and making sure that we schedule in good space and time.
“My fight in April is a go, the contract is signed, so it’s about balancing everything out and making sure that everything gets the attention needed. It’s not possible to be in a fight camp and play a movie role, especially if you want to do both to the best of your ability.
“So after my fight, we will make sure that there is nothing lined up while I am busy with this movie, because once we’re in recording, I am going to give “Against All Odds” my full attention. Like I am in my career, I want to be the best at this. I will devote myself to the film and do whatever it takes to make sure the film is a box office hit."
Former wife of Muhammad Ali, Dr Khalilah Camacho Ali who is also on tour in South Africa to promote the movie stated that getting this movie out is of utmost importance.
"The story of Gerrie Coetzee is long, long overdue," said Khalilah Ali.
"The world needs to know the story of Gerrie Coetzee. This man showed us what compassion is, and he did it bravely too. He defied the laws of the country because they were morally corrupt.
“This man had a good heart, and Muhammad Ali was aware of the good deeds he was doing in South Africa,” said Ali whose former husband was a good friend of Coetzee.
Ali - an American actress, martial artist, author, film producer and more, will offer significant input into the biopic.
The executive producer of the movie, Kenddrie Utuk of the American film company Hartquist Productions, is in South Africa to finalise logistics and secure venues for the production.
@juliankiewietz