THE triumphs of African fighters in global mixed martial arts (MMA) tournaments are not just fueling a new generation of competitors entering the rigorous sport; they are establishing a distinct presence for MMA on the continent. Dricus Du Plessis, the 30-year-old South African professional mixed martial artist who kicked and punched his way into carrying the UFC middleweight championship belt on Saturday, January 20, has become the continent's latest poster boy for the sport. “It felt like 15 years of work, of gyming, of sacrificing—everything came together in one single sentence,” the South African expressed after the fight, according to…