The Ultimate Fighting Championship president, Dana White, has confirmed that the combat show will return to the UAE this year.
“We’re going back to Abu Dhabi this year,” said White during a scheduled media lunch with MMAWeekly.com. However, the UFC president didn’t provide a date or venue for the planned event.
The hard-hitting/kicking/butting tour came to Abu Dhabi in 2010 and fights took place in an open-air arena constructed specifically to hold the event.
The UFC is fast becoming one of the world’s most popular sporting and entertainment spectacles and, although details are not confirmed on time or date demand for tickets is expected to be huge among a loyal fan base in the region.
A Middle East event is part of a global expansion plan for UFC. “We’re moving into other markets. We just expanded into China. We’re on TV in China now. We just cut new deals in Europe. We just cut a new deal in the Middle East on television,” White told media in LA.
The Vegas fight promoters plans more than 50 events this year with Mexico, Turkey and Poland, as well as returns to England, Ireland, Sweden and Germany being considered.
See pictures of UFC in Abu Dhabi 2010 here.
