UFC Planning To Return To Columbus, Ohio in March
The UFC is likely to return to the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on March 7, 2009, according to Cleveland.com.
The event, tentatively UFC 96, would be the promotion’s fourth in the state since March 2007, including three in Columbus. UFC 82, which featured Anderson Silva’s successful title defense over Dan Henderson, took place at the arena in March and UFC 68, featuring the return of Randy Couture to defeat Tim Sylvia, took place in Columbus last March.
As has been the case for the past two years, the event coincides with the Arnold Classic, an annual sports festival in the city which features a bodybuilding competition as well as a variety of sports including boxing and martial arts.
If the date is officially confirmed you can count on MMAFrenzy.com being there!
That is great news for fans in Ohio. I live in SF, CA and from what I have watched on the PPVs, the fans out there in Ohio are great. There is a reason the UFC will be bringing events to the area over and over again. THE FANS! I just wish the same held true out west in my area of Northern California……Strikeforce doesn’t count.
I’m excited for this one because Columbus is only four hours away and it lines up with my spring break. Really looking forward to it, no matter the main event (though I hope it’s a championship fight).
KOuch let’s be honest the fights that the UFC/WEC has brought to Cali the fans have essentially completely sucked.. With the non stop booing (why would anyone boo the Torres/Maeda fight, and I was there it was horrible) plus the fights in the crowd, I just don’t get the “type” of fans that go to the large events in Cali
Its great to see the UFC can have a home away from home(Vegas) especially in Ohio, but come on get another card here in Denver. Its were the UFC fisrt took place and the last UFC event here sold out in record timing for a Ultimate fight night in the third largest arena in Denver. If they brought a title fight or even just a big name like Liddell, Franklin, etc. it could sell out the Pepsi center in a matter of days. UFC 100 would have a nice ring to it.
UFC 100 DEFINTELY WILL BE IN VEGAS… IM 99.9% SURE
I’m ready for the UFC to come to the RBC Center here in Raleigh. Any word yet on public availability of tickets to UFN at Crown?
I will be there. It’s only about 3 hrs away and will make the trip. Hell if I can go to Cleveland to see Mushroomhead, I will go to Columbus to see the UFC. From what I understand legislation is being passed to make MMA legal here in Pennsylvania. With the opening of the New arena in Pittsburgh there should be no reason the UFC cant come to my hometown.
The legislation has passed in PA and MMA is effectively legal, but the regulatory body isn’t in place yet to oversee fights. I think everything should be set by early next year though. I’m in Erie btw, which is why I’ve been following PA’s progress a little more closely than other states.
I actually heard that there won’t be public tickets available for UFC Fight Night 16 in Fayetteville, but nothing has been officially announced, that’s just the rumors I read. I know most of the crowd is going to be bussed from Fort Bragg, but I can’t imagine they’d fill the entire arena just with servicemen but we’ll see.
yes another one…this will be the second show ive gone to…hopefully some good fights…..seeing the ufc live is like no onther expierence..theres nothing like it…plus you meet fighters early…ufc # 2 here i come
hopefully maynard is on the card i want to meet my hero
Kris,
The arena will only hold 8500 people, there are a lot more servicemen at Fort Bragg than that. I have heard upwards of 40k. They will likely offer bussing, but also give out tickets. I’m still hoping that they will sell some tickets to the public.
Right, there are a lot more people at Bragg than the arena can hold but this is a voluntary thing. Of course we’d volunteer to go to a free UFC show but they’ll need 8,500 people to do so, I’m just not sure if that’s going to happen or not. I would like to see them put some tickets on sale or announce another event at the RBC Center but it’s still two months away, so I suspect we’ll know more in the next couple weeks.
Hell, I may have to swing up to Columbus, even if I don’t get tickets and buiy a beer for both Kris and gun. Keep me informed of bar plans for after the fights guys.
I think it helps Ohio that there is a pretty good group of fighters from Ohio. Franklin, Hammill, Matt Brown, Griffin has some Ohio ties… Jorge Gurgel recently opened a gym here. And that’s just the Southern Ohio group.