UFC Planning Early 2008 Event in Oregon
Oregon recently passed a bill to allow the state to regulate and oversee mixed martial arts competitions in the state according to an Associated Press article. Events previously took place in state but the new bill includes medical stipulations and drug testing to ensure fair competition and the safety of participants. The state joins Pennsylvania, several Midwest states, and the District of Colombia as states allowing MMA events.
UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner had this to say about the UFC’s intentions of bringing an event to the Northwest:
“It is my fervent goal to bring the UFC to the Northwest and to the Rose Garden either at the end of this year or early next year. It’s a hot area for the sport.”
The Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon can hold nearly 20,000 fans and will likely host a UFC PPV event in early 2008.
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So do you think this will be a Fight Night card or a PPV?
Joe, I think it will be a PPV. The UFC tends to hold the fight night events in smaller venues because they simply do not draw the size crowds of PPVs. If they do in fact plan on holding it in The Rose Garden my guess is it is a PPV event.
What is the capacity of The Rose Garden?
And I would expect a show in the pacific northwest to be stacked with Team Quest and AMC Pankration fighters.
It holds just shy of 20,000 so it would be one of the bigger venues the UFC holds events in and definitely big enough to support a PPV size audience, it is just whether there is enough fan interest to fill up a 20,000 seat arena
Well if IFL can draw around 5,000 in Portland then I don't know how UFC can't draw at least 15,000. Probably get a lot of people from Seattle and Vancouver driving down for the show.
I agree, if the IFL can draw 5,000,then the UFC should have no problem filling the arena. And I think that would be awsome for the sport, to have the events traveling all over the country, and eventually covering the nation. And being a resident of Portland, that would be CRAZY!!!!! I've allways hoped they would come here.