New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood is the reigning X-Fighters World Tour champion. Image: Red Bull.

Australia won’t be part of the X-Fighters World Tour in 2013, following just two years at Cockatoo Island in Sydney.

Instead, the series will enter Asia with a round in Osaka, Japan, as well as host a round in Pretoria, South Africa.

Those locations will be added to the traditional events in Dubai, Glen Helen and Madrid. Returning to the tour next year will be Mexico for the first time since 2010.

The soaring popularity of the sport in eastern Asia and Africa has prompted the expansion of the World Tour to Japan and South Africa while the traditional locations on Dubai’s sandy beaches, in Madrid’s Las Ventas bullfighting arena and on Glen Helen, California’s cavernous track will be back on the calendar as well.

New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood will be looking to defend his Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour championship title in an expanded 2013 tour after prevailing against Thomas Pages of France in the most riveting battle in the 12-year history of the world’s most prestigious and challenging freestyle motocross competition.

2013 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour Schedule:
Rd1 – 9 March – Mexico City, Mexico
Rd2 – 12 April – Dubai, UAE
Rd3 – 11 May – Glen Helen, USA
Rd4 – 1 June – Osaka, Japan
Rd5 – 19 July – Madrid, Spain
Rd6 – 31 August – Pretoria, South Africa