Du Plessis, the UFC’s first South African champion, has been vocal about hosting a UFC event on the continent, especially after claiming the middleweight title from Sean Strickland at UFC 297, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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The momentum increased following his title defence against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. Before that fight, UFC CEO Dana White promised that if du Plessis retained his title, the promotion would bring an event to South Africa next. Du Plessis fulfilled his part by submitting Adesanya in the fourth round, but fulfilling White’s promise may be complicated.
‘You know how bad I want this,’ White told reporters after a recent episode of Contender Series. ‘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.
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‘We’re 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. We’ve done it a couple times, but anything that could affect the outcome of the fight makes me not even want to try. And it’s anything, from wind, rain, bugs, too much humidity. A lot of things can interfere with the fight,’ White explained.
White has considered a UFC Africa card for years, dating back to the ‘Three African Kings’ era when Adesanya, Francis Ngannou, and Kamaru Usman all held UFC titles, but the event has yet to happen. Now, du Plessis stands as the promotion’s only African champion. While the prospects of UFC Africa remain uncertain, one thing is clear: du Plessis’s next opponent is confirmed.
Despite a wave of new contenders in the middleweight division and an upcoming fight between former champion Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, White confirmed that a rematch with Strickland is next for du Plessis, regardless of the location.
‘Yes, [Strickland is still next],’ White said.
Du Plessis and Strickland previously fought for the middleweight title at UFC 297 in January, with du Plessis winning a close split decision. Strickland has since maintained his position in the rankings with a split decision win over Paulo Costa.
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