This isn’t exactly UFC, but if you reckon you’re an excellent Street Fighter, you need to sign up for Red Bull Hit the Streets. This competition is set to separate the Street Fighter V frauds from the fanatics, with the ultimate champion getting the opportunity to compete in the South African final, which takes place on 7 November 2019 in Cape Town.

Qualifiers started on 17 August and while the first two have already taken place, there’s still more chances for players to battle it out for a spot. The next two qualifiers take place from 21 to 24 September at Comic Con Africa and 27 to 29 September at rAge Expo.

Run in a standard 'double elimination format', these qualifiers will each yield a single winner who will earn a direct seeding into the national final taking place at the precinct around the Red Bull Studios Cape Town on 7 November. Entry here is free and is walk-in only and there is no online pre-registration available. Registrations open at the venues two hours before the scheduled matches start.

There is quite the prize up for grabs for the winner of this national final – he/she will head to the Red Bull Kumite last-chance qualifier in Japan in December. Here there’s only 15 players from all over the globe, plus the winner from the last-chance qualifier, who will duke it out to be crowned the ultimate Street Fighter V gaming champion.

"South Africa is home to some incredible esports athletes across a variety of disciplines,” says Sam Wright, an international esports commentator and local Tech Girl. “A competition like Red Bull Hit the Streets allows some of the country’s less high-profile players a chance to stake a claim for higher honours”.

More information on Red Bull Hit the Streets can be found here.

Image: Luffy faces off against Nemo at the Red Bull Kumite World Final in Paris on November 11th 2018