UFC Fight Night 17 heads to USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 7

Fight fans on the west coast of the "Sunshine State" will get their Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fix live when the promotion hits up Tampa, Fla., for the first time ever on February 7, 2009.

MMAmania.com can confirm that UFC Fight Night 17 will take place at the University of Southern Florida (USF) Sun Dome. The venue can seat about 10,000 fans, which is a nice size for a Spike TV event.

UFC Fight Night 17 was rumored to go off from The Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, before this latest development.

Already, the Spike TV special features several -- albeit currently "unofficial" -- 155-pound match ups. Mac Danzig is expected to take on Josh Neer, Joe Lauzon and Hermes Franca are penciled in to collide and Kurt Pellegrino and Rob Emerson will likely hook 'em up.

To check out the latest UFC Fight Night 17 fight card and rumors click here.

This is not the first event for the promotion in Florida -- Miami and Hollywood have also played host to several UFC events. It also happens to be a hotbed for the sport with several successful training camps such as American Top Team located in the state.

In addition, Florida hosts numerous events from other promotions annually. Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is a staple on the west coast and upstart Mixed Fight Alliance (MFA) is slated to pull the trigger on its debut show at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Fla., on December 13.

Put simply, MMA is big in Florida ... and tickets will more than likely not last long when the big dogs roll into town.