MMA fans ready for UFC Dublin
Thursday, 9 October 2008
MIXED martial arts fans in Antrim will be fighting each other for the hottest tickets in town as the world's top cagefighters hit Dublin in January.
The world's most exciting sport returns to the Emerald Isle as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) organisation opens up 2009 with a star-studded card at the O2 Arena in Dublin, January 17 and, if rumours are anything to go by, local enthusiasts of the sport could be cheering on a couple of home-grown talents.
Although the preliminary card has yet to be confirmed by the promotion, whisperings suggest two local fighters maybe making the trip across the border to fight in front of millions broadcast around the world.
Rarely do fight fans in Antrim, where the sport is hugely popular compared to other parts of the Province, get an opportunity to watch the fighting elite do battle on home soil with the majority of shows held in Las Vegas - the fighting capital of the world - or scattered throughout North America.
The UFC last graced Irish soil, however, in 2007 when a sold out Odyssey Arena in Belfast smashed all box office records.
This is the first foray for the promotion into the Republic of Ireland where a newly renovated 02 Dublin, holding around 10,000 seated fans, is expected to sell out.
Antrim MMA coach of the Elite Fighting Revolution team, David Patterson, explained how fans across the Borough and beyond will be clambering for tickets.
“Dublin is just down the road for us, it's basically local so hopefully there should be plenty of tickets available," he said.
“The standard of fights also seem to be better compared to last time when it came to Belfast, but even then the Odyssey Arena sold out."
The local benefits reaped when the UFC storms into a town nearby are also obvious to the local coach.
“The UFC always brings an added local interest to the sport, which is good for its growth. We get an influx of guys coming to the gym but usually only for a couple of weeks until they realise the amount of training involved.
“The UFC coming always creates a bit of hype and there is a real buzz about the gyms. I'm sure it wont be the last time it comes to Ireland either."
On the Dublin fight card, billed as UFC 93, in the light heavyweight main event, former two-division world champion Dan Henderson will collide with former UFC middleweight king Rich Franklin in three-round war that will set the tone for the 205lbs division in 2009.
Then in a co-main event, 2005 Pride (a former Japanese MMA promotion) Grand Prix Champion Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua returns to the Octagon to throw down with UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman in a rematch MMA fans thought they would never see.
The pair last met in Japan in 2006, with the legendary Coleman pulling off a stunning upset by breaking Rua's arm in the first round.
“Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson is a battle between two great former champions who are both looking to get another chance to wear a world title around their waist," said Dana White, UFC President. "These are two fan favourites with a lot of pride on the line as they want to show that they are still among the very best fighters in the world."
UFC UK Division President, Marshall Zelaznik said: "We are delighted to be returning to the Emerald Isle again, especially with such blockbuster main and co-main events.
“The O2-Dublin is a fantastic venue that will create a memorable UFC experience. After smashing box office records in Belfast in June 2007, we promised our Irish fans we would be coming to Dublin, and now on January 17 the world's most exciting live sports experience travels across the Irish Sea - we know this will be a great night for our fans."
