Dricus du Plessis is desperate to headline the first UFC event in Africa. If the South African could defend his middleweight belt in his home nation, it could spark a major movement in the sport on the continent.

Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) dethroned Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) by split decision to become middleweight champion at UFC 297 in January. Since then, Strickland rebounded with a win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302, and Du Plessis retained his title with a submission of Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.

There’s no doubt that UFC boss Dana White is a man of his word; he typically follows through on his promises, no matter how challenging the task. However, he’s hit a snag by failing to deliver on his long-awaited commitment to host a fight in Africa for Dricus Du Plessis’ title defense.

Dustin Poirier recently suggested a mind-blowing BMF tournament idea that UFC CEO Dana White “loves.” While it seemed silly at […]