Fans of the extreme fighter Dricus du Plessis will be pleased to hear that the Mother City will be playing host to the Knox Legacy Series – a world-class mixed martial arts (MMA) event – early next year.
Organizers made this announcement during a special press conference.
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis was also in attendance when the City of Cape Town, Knox Hydrate and the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) on Monday formally announced the launch of the series.
The Knox Legacy Series will take place at the GrandWest Arena in Goodwood on Thursday 26 February 2026. Cape Town’s best MMA athletes will take on elite challengers from across the globe, bringing a true international showdown to one of the world’s most iconic cities, the organisers say.
Hill-Lewis expressed their support towards the event.
“We are very privileged that this is going to be hosted in Cape Town,” Hill-Lewis said.
He added: “We are always keen to bring more events down to Cape Town, especially global sporting events like this one. There is a huge fan base in Cape Town, we know there will be big support for the event in the city and we know it will be broadcasted nationally and internationally.”
Du Plessis, co-founder of Knox Hydrate and South Africa’s first UFC champion, also shared a few words at the launch.
“This is not me doing this, this is me doing this alongside the EFC that has invested in this sport since I was 14 years, or 15 years old. All of us that are here in South Africa know about this sport because the EFC gave us all that platform to make it happen. That is why we partnered with them. They started MMA on the African continent and took it to that level.”
Du Plessis added: “The other big thing for me is that finally MMA is joining with the City, joining with the government and being recognised as a sport, not as fighting, but as a sport, and this will give so many people the opportunity to see this and to follow their dreams as a career.”
Cairo Howarth, EFC president, confirmed that the Knox Legacy Series will open the EFC’s 2026 calendar. “This series is going to kick off EFC’s 2026 calendar next year in the biggest way possible. It is going to be broadcast around the world globally on different TV networks,” he said.
The five Cape Town athletes who will also compete are Luke Michael, Faeez Jacobs, Terence Balelo, Tumelo Manyamala and Adrian Sanchez. Organizers will reveal their international opponents soon
