Is Africa the next destination for UFC fights?
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the world's leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, with events held across the globe.
The UFC is one of the most valuable sports brands in the world with thousands of fans in attendance for fights and millions at home watching bloodied fighters go at each other blow for blow.
One continent that the UFC has never visited is Africa, despite having African-born champions like Kamaru Usman, Israel Adesanya and Francis Ngannou.
These fighters, dubbed "Africa's Three Kings", have boosted the profile of the UFC on the continent and sparked the interest of UFC president Dana White to bring the sport to their homeland.
Possible destinations
White expressed his desire to hold a UFC event in Africa in 2022 during a press conference following UFC 279. He told reporters that there had been discussions to host UFC fights in Africa. However, he did not reveal which country or city in Africa he was targeting to host the UFC events.
In December 2023, the questions surrounding “UFC Africa” resurfaced. In a post-fight press conference for UFC 296, White reiterated his intention to bring UFC fights to the UFC fans on the continent.
"My long-term goal is to plant some roots there like we're doing in Mexico and China. We're going to do it in other spots too... Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa are the two places that we're talking about," White said.
African contingents
Israel Adesanya, also known as "The Last Stylebender", is a renowned UFC fighter from Nigeria with a record of 24 wins and 3 losses, including 16 knockouts. He debuted in the UFC in 2018 and quickly rose to prominence to become the Undisputed Middleweight Champion of the UFC in 2019. Known for his precise striking, Adesanya has received multiple performance awards and is considered one of the world's most dangerous strikers.
While Cameroonian Francis Ngannou is no longer with the UFC, his impressive record of 17 wins and 3 losses, with a significant number of victories by knockout is no mean feat. His big moment in the UFC came when he won the UFC Heavyweight title in 2021. Ngannou also holds the world record for the hardest punch ever recorded. He recently crossed to the world of professional boxing to fight British World Boxing Council (WBC) Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury.
South African Dricus du Plessis is one of the rising names in the UFC. His fight record is an impressive 20 wins and 2 losses. He was ranked second-best fighter in the UFC Middleweight Division as of December 19, 2023.
