Senegal is the frontrunner to host Africa’s first UFC event with the Dakar Arena the most likely destination for what organisers have tagged a seminal event in history.
Lawrence Epstein, the UFC’s chief operating officer, revealed that Africa which is the only continent yet to host a UFC event, has been on the UFC’s radar for many years.
While speaking with the BBC, Epstein disclosed the criteria used in picking arenas for the event.
First on the list is the size requirements with a preference for a capacity within the 12,000 to 20,000 range (of seats).
Dakar is the leading option because they have one of the larger arenas in sub-Saharan Africa and a lot of events have already gone there with success.
The Dakar Arena which is located in Diamniadio, 19 miles outside Senegal’s capital city, Dakar, opened in August 2018 and boasts a capacity of 15,000.
As well as playing host to Senegal’s international sides, it hosted the 2019 Women’s Afrobasket and regular season conferences in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in 2022 and 2023.
With America’s NBA heavily involved in setting up the BAL, the UFC could become the second influential American sports organisation to invest in Senegal.
For the UFC to judge any event in Africa as a success it will have to provide a wealth of external entertainment to complement the fights inside the cage.
Promoters also want it to attract travelling fans.
While Senegal may currently be in pole position to host the UFC, Nigeria, home to the aforementioned Usman and Adesanya, is also high on the list – although possibly only with the help of external expertise.