Dricus Du Plessis Sends Message to SA Boxer Kevin Lerena After His WBC Title Defence

• UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis joined fans in celebrating Kevin Lerena's big win over Serhiy “Kremen” Radchenko
• The South African boxer successfully retained his WBC bridgerweight title with a commanding performance against the Ukrainian opposition
• The victory in Pretoria for the Johannesburg-born fighter was another proud moment for South African combat sports community at large

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has joined others to celebrate fellow South African combat sport star Kevin Lerena after defeating Serhiy “Kremen” Radchenko to retain his WBC bridgerweight championship.

The South African boxer totally dominated the bout from start to finish at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria.

Lerena electrified the crowd with a dominant third-round stoppage over an outclassed Radchenko.

Returning after over a year out of the ring, Lerena dictated the pace from start to finish, improving his record to 31-3 (15 KOs), while Radchenko dropped to 11-8 (5 KOs).

How Lerena defeated Radchenko in Pretoria

The Johannesburg-born fighter dominated the opening round with a sharp jab, breaking through Radchenko’s high guard with well-timed power punch combinations.

Aside from a fragile left hook to the body and an occasional straight shot, Radchenko offered little resistance.

In the second round, a powerful left hook from Lerena sent Radchenko staggering into the ropes, and moments later, a resounding follow-up dropped him heavily to the canvas.

The referee might have stepped in and ended the bout, and Radchenko’s corner certainly should have, but the Ukrainian boxer returned to the ring for the third round regardless.

It didn’t last long, as a sharp combination from the Mzansi fighter sent the Ukrainian collapsing to his knees, finally prompting his corner to throw in the towel and end the disappointment.

Du Plessis sends message to Lerena after retaining his title

Du Plessis took to his Instagram story to send a message to Lerena after making South Africans proud against the Ukrainian boxer.

"Wow, what a performance, brother @kevinlerena," the South African fighter captioned the video he shared on his Instagram story.

DDP and his fiancee Vasti Spiller both attended the bout in Pretoria and had a good time watching another South African combat sport person triumph in his domain.

The UFC champion also went further to post a picture of him and Lerena at the bout venue and added a lovely caption to celebrate the boxer for his awesome performance.

"What a beautiful performance, brother @kevinlerena, you made 🇿🇦 proud! #andstill."

Du Plessis on the other hand is already preparing for his bout against Khamzat Chimaev and he stylishly sent a warning to the Russian-Emirati on social media.

The 31-year-old will get another title defence bout after retaining his belt against Sean Strickland the last time out.

Dricus du Plessis shares secret to success

Briefly News also reported that Du Plessis shared the secret to his success ahead of his potential fight against Chimaev.

The UFC middleweight fighter also shared his 'rituals' before heading into the octagon before a fight.

Source: Briefly News