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Dricus du Plessis, UFC’s first South African champion, may have secured his middleweight title after defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297, but his dream of bringing UFC to Africa seems to face more hurdles than anticipated.
Even before his championship win, du Plessis passionately advocated for hosting a UFC event in Africa. His hopes were further fueled when UFC CEO Dana White suggested that if du Plessis retained his title after UFC 305, the promotion would likely bring an event to South Africa. However, following du Plessis’s impressive fourth-round submission victory over Israel Adesanya, doubts have emerged about the feasibility of hosting such an event.
“You know how bad I want this,” White explained. “I’ve been trying to get this thing done. The arena situation there is tough... The place that we would have to do it at is outdoors, and you know how I feel about that. So I’ve been trying to figure out the weather and one of the big things that I’ve been hearing out there is that wind is a big problem.”
The UFC has considered an Africa card for years, especially during the “Three African Kings” era, where Israel Adesanya, Francis Ngannou, and Kamaru Usman all held titles. Yet, logistical issues have consistently delayed these plans. Now, with du Plessis as the sole African champion, UFC Africa is still far from reality.
However, while UFC Africa’s future remains uncertain, one thing is clear—du Plessis’s next opponent will be none other than Sean Strickland. White confirmed that a rematch between the two is on the horizon. Their last bout ended in a close split decision in favor of du Plessis, and Strickland’s recent victory over Paulo Costa solidified his position as the next contender.
With the UFC’s return to Africa still in limbo, all eyes will be on du Plessis’s rematch against Strickland to see if the South African champion can defend his title once more.
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