Yes please!
Fresh off his win in Atlanta, Kamaru Usman had a great idea for the UFC’s first event in Africa.
“After getting the welterweight belt, they [UFC] have asked and waited years for me to go up and get the middleweight belt. I will relinquish that if Dricus Du Plessis is still the champion — all-African card. Africa vs. Africa, first card in Africa. UFC is close to getting that done. South Africa vs. Nigeria — it’s a rivalry that’s been built forever,” Usman said.
“If things start to fall in line, I think we’re gonna see a pretty interesting next 18 months.”
Kamaru Usman plans to fight Dricus Du Plessis in Africa on UFC’s first Africa card — South Africa vs Nigeria 🇿🇦🇳🇬
“After getting the welterweight belt, they [UFC] have asked and waited years for me to go up and get the middleweight belt. I will relinquish that if Dricus Du… pic.twitter.com/VpNFVEM6Az
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 18, 2025
Folks, I love this idea and it would be a great match up. However, timing is everything.
Back in August of 2024, UFC Executive Vice President and Head of International and Content, David Shaw said UFC Africa would take place in 2025.
“I think we’re probably closer than we’ve been in a while (to doing an event in Africa) and there’s significant interest from a few different countries. The Dricus situation is tough, I mean he’s a champion, are we going to take a PPV there at the same timezone as the UK (PPV), we’ve just done the Manchester event so it’s absolutely possible but we also want to make a good first impression,” Shaw said at the UFC 305 post fight press conference.
If the UFC was to use this fight as it’s premier in Africa this may make Africa a 2026 thing. It’s almost July, Usman just fought and Du Plessis is scheduled to fight in August verse Chimaev.
