Dana White and his team expanded their international footprint, traveling to multiple countries and hosting promotional events in places like Qatar and Azerbaijan. The UFC continues to enter new markets, but several key regions remain on its radar, including Spain and South Africa. But boxing legend Mike Tyson might beat Dana White to conduct an event in the African continent.

“I’m looking to go everywhere on this planet.” With this simple declaration, Dana White signaled the UFC’s ambition to establish a truly global presence. However, fans around the world are still waiting, as these markets remain some of the biggest in combat sports. Unlike Mike Tyson, who will reach a milestone with his upcoming bout against Floyd Mayweather, the UFC has not yet achieved this level of international expansion.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Mike Tyson scheduled in Africa before Dana Whire & Co.

Ever since the pandemic, Dana White has dreamed of hosting a UFC show on the African continent. At that time, the promotion was thriving with three African-descended champions, Francis Ngannou, Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman.  At the height of their careers, they proudly called themselves “Africa’s Three Kings,” putting UFC firmly on the map across the continent.

Dana White had promised to make a show happen, but for years, it never materialized. In the meantime, other MMA promotions like the PFL had already brought events to Africa. Now, Mike Tyson is set to make history, planning a blockbuster showdown against Floyd Mayweather on African soil.

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“It’s going to be in March, and it’s going to be in Africa. This is going to be incredible, we’re going to break all the records. It’s going to be one of the biggest events in the history of the sport,” declared Mike Tyson straight from Dublin in ‘An Experience with Mike Tyson’ Q & A in Dublin.

Since then, the trio of kings has fallen. Ngannou has parted ways with the UFC, while Adesanya and Usman have passed their prime. Yet the UFC also witnessed Dricus du Plessis rise as a South African champion in the middleweight division (Jan 2024 to Aug 2025).

During this period, Dana White promised Du Plessis at UFC 305 that if he beat Israel Adesanya, the UFC would “take the next 185‑pound title fight to Du Plessis’s home country of South Africa.” However, in that fight, the South African champ beat Adesanya, but that day never arrived.

The challenges behind UFC’s missed opportunity in South Africa

Before Khamzat Chimaev dethroned him, Dricus du Plessis carried enormous expectations from his region. But since his UFC 319 loss, there has been no update on what’s next for the South African. The promotion faced significant obstacles. Africa, while renowned for sports like football and track and field, lacks indoor stadiums and proper facilities, and Dana White has expressed his dislike for the available venues.

When asked why he was unable to follow through on his pledge to host Du Plessis’ next fight in South Africa after the champion defended his title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, White told reporters that they are trying to figure it out.

“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.”

In another interview with ESPN, Du Plessis highlighted ticket pricing as another barrier. On the Sias du Plessis Show, the UFC middleweight champion explained that ticket costs are standing in the way of the promotion’s entry into South Africa.

“Where are you going to find 14,000 people willing to pay $300-$350 for the cheapest seat in the back? That’s the biggest problem we have.”

Considering these challenges, hosting a UFC event in Africa could be difficult. The promotion might explore a visit to Spain in the future, but if these issues persist, it remains uncertain when an African event will finally take place. Stay tuned.