UFC Likely Headed to Chicago in 2008
On Monday Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signed a bill that allows mixed martial arts to be sanctioned in the state according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The law was the final step in bringing the UFC to Chicago sometime next year.
Though MMA events have taken place in the state the sport was not regulated by a state commission and the UFC held out until one was put in place. This bill will allow the state to fully regulate MMA events including judges, referees, rules, and drug testing.
According to the report the bill will not become law until July of next year with the first event taking place several months later though the UFC is reportedly working on moving this timetable up to allow for a spring 2008 event.
The United Center and Allstate Arena are rumored venues for the event.
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Happy for the people of Chicago but New York needs to get regulated. Imagine chuck vs. wand in Madison Square Garden. Awesome
Its about time!! I will be living back in Illinois in a few months…… I hope they get Matt Hughes there. I am actually moving to the Quad Cities……and that is where the Militech camp is. Tim Sylvia used to be a bouncer at the club I used to go to…when I used to go to them haha. I bet they make the first Chicago card a stacked one!
Arlovski has got to be a headliner for the event in Chicago or a co-headliner by fighting Couture for the belt. Kris, any insight on who Arlovski might fight next?
It’s really up in the air at this point as to who he will face next. I would speculate that if Brandon Vera loses to Tim Sylvia then an Arlovski-Vera bout is not out of the picture nor is a fight against Mirko Cro Cop or Cheick Kongo.
Thanks for the heads up Kris. I remember Arlovski saying he might fight Vera a little while ago, but this is before the Vera vs. Sylvia announcement. If his contract extension takes longer than expected, maybe Gonzaga heels up and we see Arlovski fight Gonzaga.