UFC destinations are always a thing of contention. They are slowly but surely branching out to new, exciting areas, but we haven’t ticked off all of our derived venues just yet. The UFC recently announced their return to Mexico for UFC 320, this time heading to Guadalajara. On top of this, they are returning to Canada for UFC 315 and making their debut in Azerbaijan, marking the 31st country they will be touching down in.
With that being said, we provide you with five new UFC destinations to visit in the near future, all of which have booming MMA markets to offer.
5 New UFC Destinations
1: Spain
If only the UFC had a megastar who fights out of Spain, who is a huge celebrity in the country, and whose next fight is captivating, despite the opposition. Oh… Ilia Topuria. The former featherweight champion and budding lightweight contender is a huge star in Spain and, without a doubt, would sell out arenas. He recently gained Spanish citizenship and had a documentary released, bringing huge celebrities to the red carpet to see his story. He’s the perfect person to sell a UFC Spain card.
Joel Alvarez, Daniel Bare and Ilia’s brother, Aleksandre Topuria are all potential stars that could feature on the card, as well as a whole host of other European talent. It’s an exciting prospect, get it done.
2: Georgia
Similar to Spain, Georgia’s MMA game is booming at the moment. Topuria moved to Georgia at seven years old, but more than that, they also have the bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili. The 135lbs king was born and raised in Georgia until 21 and proudly represents the nation in the UFC.
The likes of Giga Chikadze and Roman Dolidze are ranked Georgians in the UFC, so it isn’t just the champions who could make a splash. If The Machine can hold onto his belt at UFC 316, there’s no reason why the UFC shouldn’t grace a new country.
3: South Africa
There’s a theme here. New countries that lay claim to the nationality of UFC champions, this time, South Africa. Middleweight king, Dricus du Plessis, proudly hails from and trains out of South Africa and has a huge following not just in his homeland, but the world over.
Stillknocks is still just 31 years old and has had a stella career thusfar, fighting in KSW as well as headlinging three UFC PPVs. The brash South African has a fan friendly style that sees him go to war each and every time he steps in the octagon and with legitimate finishing ability, fans always tune in.
He’s gone into enemy territory on a number of occasions, but now, it’s time to treat him with a home match-up.
4: Wales
The UFC has touched down in England on multiple occasions, whether it be London, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham or elsewhere, they aren’t opposed to visiting the United Kingdom. They’ve ticked off Scotland, however, they are yet to visit Wales.
Welsh MMA is at a good point. Oban Elliott is making waves, Mason Jones is set to return against Jeremy Stephens and although there have been more Welsh fighters in the UFC in previous years, there is still a rich sea of talent out there.
Book it for an arena in either Cardiff or Swansea. Get Elliott and Jones on the card, sign undefeated Welsh prospect Josh O’Connor, who’s currently 9-0. Levi Batchelor has only recently turned professional; however, he has a strong amateur background.
Give it time and Welsh MMA will be booming.
5: Tokyo – Japan
Granted, the UFC have been to Tokyo before, so it isn’t a new UFC destination. Throw it back to November 1999 in the Tokyo Bay NK Hall where one Kevin Randleman won the vacant heavyweight title. Whilst the UFC do go to Japan fairly often, it’s time they returned.
This is the perfect time to return. Tatsuro Taira is a huge prospect and, despite coming off a loss, is still one of the most exciting fighters at 125lbs. The UFC recently signed Kai Asakura and threw him straight into a title shot, which he wasn’t ready for just yet. Kyoji Horiguchi is set to return to the UFC octagon for the first time in nine years at the UFC’s debut in Azerbaijan. These three men are the perfect three to drag the UFC back to Japan. The UFC could raid Deep Jewels’ roster, focusing on star 20-year-old Moeri Suda, whose 13-6 record is surprising for someone so young.
It’s time for the UFC’s return to Japan, make it happen!
