UFC In Nottingham on Sept 29th Discussion Thread

[David]

This isn't really a proper event discussion thread as yet, but with the UFC announcing that Nottingham was next on the agenda as far as the UK goes I thought a thread to discuss the prices & release dates of tickets, accomodation, travel and all that good stuff would be useful. It can obviously be converted into a proper event thread when the card is fully announced and the event draws closer.

 

Dan Hardy vs TBA

Paul Sass vs TBA

Andy Ogle vs TBA

 

Keeping with its once-a-year fall event, the UFC is returning to the U.K. on Sept. 29.

 

Officials announced this past weekend that Nottingham's 10,000-seat Capital FM Arena is set to play host to the yet-unnamed event.

 

Broadcast plans aren't official, but an official told MMAjunkie.com the event could air live stateside as a UFC on FUEL TV event on Saturday afternoon.

 

No matchups have been announced, though UFC president Dana White recently mentioned UFC 146 winners Dan Hardy (24-10 MMA, 5-4 UFC) and Paul Sass (13-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), as well as "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" injured cast member Andy Ogle (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), as possible participants. All are U.K. fighters.

 

The UFC's most recent trip to the U.K. came this past November when UFC 138 touched down at Birmingham's LG Arena. Despite complaints of a fight card light on stars, it set an arena record when it drew a reported 10,823 attendees for a live gate of $1.5 million. The event's main card aired in the U.S. via tape delay on Spike TV, and prelims streamed on Facebook.

 

With the UFC's move to the FOX family of channels earlier this year, international events now air live on cable partners FX and FUEL TV.

 

In October 2010, the promotion visited London's O2 Arena for UFC 120. That event reportedly set a then-attendance record in Europe with 17,133 spectators and $2.56 million live gate.

 

As previously reported, a new TV deal in the U.K. could bring more events to the country. The UFC currently is partnered with ESPN UK to air events in the country, though White has hinted at a possible move to Sky when the deal expires in August. Sky is the British counterpart to FOX.

 

"We would love to be with FOX [in] the U.K.," UFC president Dana White said this past September. "I think that once our deals expire, we will figure it out, and we'll get that whole U.K./Ireland piece of this thing fixed."

 

Lately, though, White hasn't been as optimistic as he used to be about seamless transition between broadcast partners.

 

"The television deal we want hasn't been as easy to acquire as we thought it would be," he said in April. "We thought we could get that thing done. If you'd have asked many years ago and said, 'Do you think you'll be on FOX before you secure a big deal over here in the U.K.?' I would have said, 'There's no way in hell. We'll probably get the U.K. deal done first.'

 

"But it hasn't happened. We're still invested in that whole market out there, and we will get it done. We're not going to give up on it."

 

And U.K. fans aren't likely to let him forget.

 

"Every time I get on Twitter or whatever, I see the U.K. fans (saying), 'They don't care about us; they don't care about this market,'" he said. "Same thing with Ireland. But of course we do."

With the CapitalFM Arena holding around the 10,000 mark, is this the smallest venue that the UFC have visited in the UK yet? I'd imagine that tickets will sell out extremely quickly for this show, especially if we get Dan Hardy headlining.

 

Anyone planning on going?

[KingOfMetal]

Price pending, I'd be up for going as a friend of mine lives not too far away. Saying that, its only 90 minutes drive from Hull.

Capital FM Arena is a good venue, but definately smaller than normal. I predict a Fight Night show.

 

Looks like Scotland will never get a UFC show at this rate

[EdgarTheSlouch]

I'm well up for this

[jimufctna24]

I will be going as well.

 

Cannot wait to see Hardy.

[lambyUK]

Think I will be making the trip which will make this my first ever UFC event! I'm hoping a potential new TV deal will give Dana the incentive to putting on a reasonable looking card with a couple of decent stars.

 

Hardy hasn't done enough to headline but due to it being in his home town then a co-main should be do-able.

 

As mentioned in the first article, I'm quite up for an early start to the card if it guarantees a better line-up.

[Wild Pegasus]

Just booked my hotel for that night -

[tiger_rick]

Use that general MMA thread for this stuff please.