Dricus du Plessis details why South Africa won't host the UFC anytime soon
UFC Africa—you want it, I want it, and Dricus du Plessis wants it.
Like Formula One, South Africa has been persistent in its desire to host one of the world's most daring sporting spectacles, and who better to lead Africa's inaugural UFC event than the Middleweight Champion himself?
Africa has had its fair share of mixed martial arts (MMA) champions, from Cameroonian Francis Ngannou to Nigerian Kamaru Usman and Du Plessis, who is the latest regional fighter to take the crown.
And of all three origins, South Africa, ripe with modern sporting infrastructure, is the likeliest destination to host a UFC event. So, why not now?
The biggest obstacles blocking UFC Africa from materialising are income-per-capita and an indoor arena capable of hosting stadium-like numbers, the latter due to Dana White's dislike of outdoor events.
'The biggest problem that I see is that a UFC ticket in the T-Mobile Arena – I think the cheapest seat in that arena is $300. So that's R6000. The ringside seat, where the fighters walk out, is $45 000. That's R900 000,' Du Plessis explained on the Sias du Plessis Show.
'So let's say we get an arena, we have a 14 000 seater, we definitely have that. But the prices are going to be… we don't have that kind of money,' the UFC champion continued. 'Where are you going to get 14 000 people where the cheapest seat in the back is probably R10 000? That's the biggest problem we have, and that's why they need to make it big.'
'[Hosting UFC Africa] is my dream, it's South Africa's dream, but the UFC's dream is making money. They're a business. They want to make it happen; they just need to find out how it's viable.'
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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