Bruce Buffer UFC locations wishlist has four stops

Bruce Buffer is still chasing fresh stamps.

That says something, because the UFC’s longtime Octagon announcer has already lived a travel schedule most fight people would describe as glamorous for about six months and punishing for the next 20 years. Buffer has watched the promotion push into new markets, return to old ones, and test cities that once felt unlikely on a UFC itinerary. His recent trip to Baku, Azerbaijan, was another reminder that the company no longer treats the map as a suggestion.

Asked on Just Scrap Radio for BJPENN.com where he would still like to see the UFC plant its flag, Buffer did not reach for safe North American repeat business. He pointed to Italy, the French Riviera, Hawaii and South Africa — four picks with very different problems, but all with a decent argument behind them.

Bruce Buffer UFC locations include Italy, Hawaii and South Africa

Italy is the obvious headline-grabber, mostly because Dana White has previously floated the romantic idea of Rome’s Colosseum. It sounds like a promoter’s dream: the modern cage business wrapped inside one of the most famous combat-sport backdrops in human history. It also sounds like the sort of logistical headache that can turn a fantasy into an insurance meeting before anyone starts selling tickets.

Buffer seems to understand both sides. He likes the idea of Italy getting a UFC event, but he also questioned whether the Colosseum itself could safely handle a modern fight production. That is not cynicism; it is common sense. A UFC card is not just a cage and two stools. It is lighting, broadcast infrastructure, crowd movement, emergency planning, athlete operations and a global television clock that does not care how old the stonework is.

Why Bruce Buffer’s Hawaii pick carries real MMA history

Hawaii is the sentimental choice with teeth. Buffer tied it to his old Rumble on the Rock routine, when BJ Penn’s family helped stage shows and he could surf earlier in the day before switching into formal fight-night mode. The UFC has long been linked to Hawaiian fighting culture through Penn, Max Holloway and other island-connected names, yet the promotion still has not turned that connection into the kind of destination event fans have imagined for years.

• Buffer named Italy, the French Riviera, Hawaii and South Africa.
• He recently worked a UFC event trip connected to Baku, Azerbaijan.
• Dana White has previously discussed a possible Rome Colosseum concept.
• Buffer raised safety concerns around using such an ancient venue.

UFC global expansion still has gaps worth filling

The French Riviera entry is the most personal of the four. Buffer simply likes the place, and frankly, there are worse reasons for an announcer who has spent decades in airports to lobby for a fight week. It would also fit the UFC’s broader European push, giving the promotion a glossier Mediterranean stage without needing to pretend every expansion decision is built only on rankings, title fights and market research.

South Africa may be the most important business swing on the list. The UFC has African champions and elite contenders woven into its modern history, but the continent has not been served the way its talent pool and fan base suggest it should be. A South African event would carry more than postcard value; it would signal that the company is willing to match its global branding with a harder travel commitment. The next step would be finding the right arena, broadcast window and card strength, because a first major push into that market cannot feel like a leftover Fight Night. If the UFC gets that one right, it could open a lane for recurring African shows rather than a one-off victory lap.

Buffer’s list works because it is not just a veteran announcer naming vacation spots, even if the Riviera and Hawaii clearly come with personal appeal. Italy offers spectacle, Hawaii offers history, and South Africa offers a market statement the UFC has yet to fully make. For now, they remain wishes from the voice of the Octagon, made after Buffer’s second visit to Azerbaijan.