The world of mixed martial arts has yet to step onto African soil to host an event. Needless to say, UFC has the to be the first MMA promotion to debut in Africa. However, there are a few hurdles that the authorities need to tackle before planning a retreat in the African continent. Consequently, things are already moving, as the fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis is on the verge of getting a date. 

During the post-fight press conference for DWCS season 8 week 9, a reporter asked the UFC head honcho to clarify the venue for ‘Stillknocks’s next title defense. Would he fight ‘Tarzan’ in Australia or South Africa? Well, the UFC CEO has pretty strong desires to bring the UFC to Africa. However, there were a few hurdles that he first needed to cross. 

Dana White said, “Yeah, so you know how bad I want this. I’ve been trying to get this thing done. The arena situation there is tough. It’s tough to pull off. So, that’s been the challenge with Africa as a whole, so we’re trying to figure it out.”

And the problem with it was that it was an outdoor arena. No wonder, the UFC boss was unhappy with it. He continued, “I’ve been trying to figure out that whether the one of the big things that I’ve been hearing there is wind is a big problem. We’ve done it a couple times, but anything that can affect the outcome of the fight makes me not even want to try. So, you know, and it’s anything from wind, rain, bugs. I mean, too much humidity. A lot of things can interfere with the fight.”

While Dana White would certainly like to host DDP’s next title defense in his homeland, the middleweight champion’s coaches claim that he would fight in Sydney, Australia. This has left the MMA realm in great confusion regarding the venue of Du Plessis’ next fight. 

The Africa-Australia dilemma! Sydney for the next fight?

While the world of mixed martial arts was wondering about Du Plessis’ return, Coach Morne Visser confirmed that it would be sometime around February 2025. And the venue, according to him, would be Sydney. During his interview with Submission Radio 4 days before White’s confirmation, Visser said, “I had a conversation actually yesterday with Dricus. I said to him, ‘There’s only one thing for certain at this stage, only one thing, and that’s that we’ve got to be ready to fight in Sydney in February.’” 

On the other hand, the coach even claimed that the next probable opponent for the ‘African King’ was none other than Robert Whittaker. He believed that Strickland was simply over-selling the bout. After all, the former middleweight champ has fought only once following his defeat against Du Plessis. As far as Whittaker was concerned, he had two wins under his belt within the same period. Nevertheless, the UFC head honcho will keep his word and let Strickland fight for the MW championship title. 

But all that needs confirmation now, is the venue. Do you think Dana White will land the UFC in South Africa safely? Or will Du Plessis have to fight Strickland in Sydney? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.