Dana White and the UFC heading to Cowboys Stadium in 2010
by James Kimball on Apr 2, 2010 3:56 PM EDT
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Giddyup Texan MMA fans!
Ultimate Fighting Championship is heading back to the Lone Star State.
Specifically, Dana White is bringing the world's number one mixed martial arts promotion to Cowboys Stadium located just outside of Dallas. And he intends to git 'er done by the end of this year.
Here's what he told The Dallas Morning News on his plans to bring the UFC to Jerry Jones' new palace:
"We're definitely, 100 percent going to Cowboys Stadium, no doubt about it. We just have to figure out what fight we'll take there. I want to sell it out [and] if we price the tickets right, it should. With our sport, people will fly in from all over the world."
White later added that he's aiming to accomplish this move within the next eight months, meaning of course by the end of this year.
It's an interesting change in live event strategy for the UFC, as White has gone on record several times in the past for preferring the arena experience, where a maximum of 20,000 fans could be in attendance, as opposed to a large stadium, which could hold 50,000 plus MMA fans.
But there's a reason for it. And boxing is its name.
Last month, boxing held their own version of a mega event inside Cowboys Stadium and packed the place with 50,000 people wanting to see the great Manny Pacquiao in action. Guess who was one of them?
That's right, Dana White himself was shown the light by the sport of boxing. He loved the experience so much, that his mind was immediately changed, and now has every intention on bringing his own brand of combat sport to Cowboys Stadium.
From the Sports Business Daily:
"Before I went, people were asking if I would do an event there and I said, 'No way, I've got to stay away from stadiums because I don't want to lose that UFC experience.' I went there and said, 'Holy crap, how fast can we come here?' It's that good.' I think you can do that stadium and not lose the feeling and energy. That big screen helps. I was sitting right underneath it and it was nicer looking at the screen than looking into the ring and seeing it live."
There you have it, straight from the horse's mouth. The UFC will return to Texas in grand fashion sometime this year. And if the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight, deemed The Event, is any indication, we can expect one heck of a show.
MMMAmania.com will be your source for news on the UFC's venture into Cowboys Stadium. Keep it locked.
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If the price was right and the card was stacked
I would want to travel to this. They should do the “shitty, can only see the action by looking at the screen” seats for like $25 bucks. It would no doubt sell out IMO.
@fjbar on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
Depends on parking cost too
I’m more than certain during the Paquiao fight that they were charging $50 to park. Insane!!!
@fjbar on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
Well that is insane. Imagine the number of peeps who traveled all the way to the stadium.
If you multiply that by $50, that’s insanely a huge amount of money, plus the gate too…
"...twice this fight was like about 'mega-seconds' from bein' over!"
-Mike Goldie commentating during the 4th round of the GSP-Hardy fight
Restaurants
Most of the restaurants and even shopping centers will let you park there if you eat/shop there. Usually a $40 purchase is necessary.
by Onemansyn on Apr 3, 2010 10:42 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Even Nose Bleed Can See That 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 Inch TV
by AintNoSunshine on Apr 2, 2010 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah I know
I wasnt knocking it. I’m just saying if the card is stacked they could go for that much.
@fjbar on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
The winner of Brock and lesnar vs Cain Velasquez
Lots of latinos in texas, that would do good numbers plus a couple of other good fights, But i wonder if they can do a fight there during football season? If the Cowboys play away maybe?
Just like a Champion Edition...
"...twice this fight was like about 'mega-seconds' from bein' over!"
-Mike Goldie commentating during the 4th round of the GSP-Hardy fight
Well they hardly gonna put an event on the same day as a home cowboys match :p
by tap or snap bons on Apr 2, 2010 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
no shit, but i read somwhere they might have to wait for the season to be over,
but i dont see why they can do an event when the cowboys have an away game!
probly somethin to do with the condition of the pitch,I dunno.might need more time for it to be in a playable state after ufc.
by tap or snap bons on Apr 2, 2010 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Annoyingly,any event no matter what your seats,I always catch myself watching the actions on the big screens!
I have been to 7 events and have sat in the cheap seats,the expensive seats,and the floors seats that Dana gave away via twitter,and ya just cant help but look at the screens.So I can imagine a lot of people will be glad of those screens in a big stadium.Hope they do well,sell out and put on a sick card.That will show the world where mma stands today.
by tap or snap bons on Apr 2, 2010 4:04 PM EDT reply actions
I agree tap or snap.
I went to my only live UFC at UFC77 Rich Franklin Vs. Anderson Silva 2. I was 8 rows away from the cage on floor level. I found the viewing better from the jumbo trons then watching the live action. I also only really watched when the action was in front of me. This could be a sign of the times for UFC. This is gonna become the norm before too long.
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
No way will they fill a GD football stadium
They couldnt even sell out ufc 104 at the Staples Center which holds 19k, they were giving tickets away to that event left and right, this is a long shot to say the least
if they put on the right card, and the right prices they could easily sell this out. depending on the timing of the event they could have some very big names available
"I fight because I can’t sing, I can’t dance, and it beats working all day. Now ask me a question that doesn’t sound so fucking stupid." – Phil Baroni
by keyboardwarrior on Apr 2, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Price
Did you not listen to the fact that Dana said if priced correctly it should sell out? The pricing would be different than other events like the staple center. I know if seats were 25 bucks for the top level it would be worth it for me to fly from Indiana just to be there. So you don’t think that the UFC and Dana White are smart enough to figure out how to get this done? You know the stadium has the biggest HD screen in the world. Why do people continue to be negative when you can look at the good instead.
by Darren Watkins on Apr 2, 2010 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Darren
I am from Indiana to. Hell, Fort Wayne to Dallas is an American Airlines direct flight. Cheap airfaire, cheap ticket prices and a great city to watch the fights. This is all a design by Zuffa. Think about it! Abu Dahbi, Las Vegas, New York City(soon), Toronto, London, Sydney, LA, Chicago and mark my words Macao, China. These UFC events are gonna be larger than life, in larger than life cities. Destination cities.
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
Prices
Will not be that much cheaper. The UFC will have to cover a higher expense to rent the stadium out then the (most likely) very reasonable deal they get in Vegas venues. Cheapest tickets in Vegas right now are $75, and those sell out in a heartbeat. I could see them maybe dropping tickets down to $50 a tickets but I doubt much less than that.
by xquisitewretch on Apr 2, 2010 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Prices
OK I can see your point about the cost of renting out the stadium, but if they wanted to subsidize the cost to go to the fight and not care what the gate ends up being but rather having a sell out of cowboy stadium the could get it done. The ppv numbers alone would probably support the card if the right fighters are on it. I guess the point I was trying to make is if they wanted to get a full stadium it would not be as hard or impossible as you might think if ticket prices were low enough. And if they do fill the place I could only imagine how that would look on tv and what Kind of marketing opportunity’s it would bring in.
by Darren Watkins on Apr 3, 2010 8:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I agreee,
It would make a big statement if they could fill the place up! PLus alot of people who have never seen MMa will flock to this event just because of the buzz surrounding it! IM sure it will get coverage on espn also just becuz of this fact! U know jerry jones will also try to market it on his own.
Macao???
I dunno about that. I understand you picking it because of the casinos and proximity to Hong Kong, but if Dana is looking to get the Mainland Chinese market, Macao isn’t the way to do it. Mainland Chinese can’t even visit Macao without a special gov’t permission that they can only obtain by going back to their ancestral “hometown” to apply for in person. Also, Macao broadcast media is banned from Mainland China, so it wouldn’t generate much hype. If he really wants to get the word out in China (where UFC is virtually unknown) he’ll have to do the event in Beijing or Shanghai to get any media coverage….unless he’s got enough friends at CCTV to know who to bribe. Another possible option would be ShenZhen, which is a special economic zone that is still part of mainland China yet easily accessible by train or boat from Hong Kong or Macao. HKers and Macaoans can get into China, but the Mainlanders can’t get out, so Shenzhen is the best of both worlds.
you make some great points. Thanks.
I chose Macao solely on it’s international reputation. The casino connection of Macao and Vegas is apparent, I dont know if UFC are so interested in the mainland population as much as, the wealthy upperclass. You really have a broad knowledge of China.
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
China is my second home
I used to live 10 minutes from the border to Macao and go there when I was desperate for some cheese or other American food. But my Chinese friends couldn’t come with me because they didn’t have the special pass required to visit Macao.
Macao is like the Atlantic City of Asia, but it’s a strange mix of Portuguese and Cantonese culture. Certainly no shortage of wealthy businessmen there from all over the world, but it’s a fraction of the size of Hong Kong or ShenZhen and compared to those cities, Macao is a cesspool.
very cool.
So, is Macao half the cess pool of Atlantic City or vise versa? lol
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
You realize the prices will much less?
I think UFC will be able to sell as many or more than Pac man did. The popularity of UFC is at an all time high. Plus, if UFC has Lesnar/ Carwin winner vs Cain, James Toney vs. Randy Couture and Chuck Lidell vs. Tito/Ace. UFC has the star power to do this. The only downside is, if UFC sells less seats then Pac Man did, we will never hear the end of it.
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
I think UFC will at least match what Pac Man did.
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
Read it again genius.
They will most likely not open up the upper level. However, They could, and if they did, they’d probably do just fine with the right price point. I spent $30 to watch a couple of highschool football games, just to check the place out.
DFW is a great sports city, and at this point, people will still go to just about anything at that stadium. It is an incredible venue, and I am stoked. I actually live in FL, but work in DFW, so this is sweet.
"Remember men, we are all winners in the eyes of Christ...except for the guy still bleeding on the canvass"
Match ups
Heavyweight champ vs. Velasquez
Couture vs. …..
Middleweight champ vs. ?
Any ideas?
how bout
Hardy vs. Daley! I knw they train together but that be a great fight!!
i like that but dont see it happening
I Like Cain vs Heavy weight champ, and GSP vs winner of koscheck vs daley!
then..
..who does Paulo Thiago get? Hes right up there with the big boys to.
putting people in the seats...
although I think that is a great fight, that will hardly have the the “star” power to put a ton of people in the seats….it would be a good fight on a main card though…
......
Agreed if he's trying to top out numbers, names matter more than quality fights
Brock vs Cain (brings in WWE crowd and huge local Latino crowd, regardless of who wins Lesnar/Carwin)
Randy vs Anderson (sure it’s a mismatch, but that wouldn’t stop Couture from taking it and it’d be easy to sell MMA’s most decorated champion vs it’s longest running (and the UFCs“p4p G.O.A.T.”)
Kimbo vs Toney (brings in the Youtube crowd and the boxing crowd)
Hughes vs Penn 3 for the LW title this time. (love em or hate em, these guys put butts in seats and have a score to settle).
Franklin vs Forrest (two popular ex champs)
Vitor vs Wandy II (for the hardcore historians)
Not bad
I’m digging your card except maybe for Silva VS Coutre, and I don’t think Hughes would get down to 155, but I’d like to see it.
"Remember men, we are all winners in the eyes of Christ...except for the guy still bleeding on the canvass"
Too many big names
But a great card. Don’t know about the Couture vs Silva fight either. Anderson vs a big name 205er would be great thought. If BJ came I’d be in heaven lol. I LOVE the idea of Forrest vs Franklin though. Same with Vitor vs Wand. But honestly, I think you hit the nail on the head with the Lesnar vs Cain fight. Main Event right there.
I think it would be the HW's in Texas
The slogans, everything is bigger in Texas and a Texas sized show down come to mind. I think UFC will play on the Texas swagger and Everything is bigger in Texas motto. Plus the HW division is at an all time high in talent. They could have, Mirvs Gonzaga, Lesnar/Carwin vs. Cain, Lesnar / Carwin Loser vs JDS. Plus, throw in James Toney Vs. Couture, Chuck vs Ace/Tito and it can be a big draw. Chuck being on DWTS is gonna pay off in this one. James Toney has a mouth the size of Texas. And the Heavies are as big as Texas. This all makes sense to me.
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
Shit, I forgot about Kimbo
Put him in against someone too. UFC have the star power to make this happen
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
Maybe UFC can make Kimbo Vs. Herschael Walker.
Then they have the Dallas Cowboy angle. lol I am only joking about this.
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
Kimbo vs Chuck or Couture
Street legend vs living legend
by Dball on Apr 2, 2010 6:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Slight correction
“For the first time since UFC 69 in Houston the UFC will be returning to the Lone Star State”
UFC 101 was also in Dallas at American Airlines. Pretty sure, because I was there. If I am wrong, someone let me know because those were some crazy drugs
I think it was 103 Franklin vs belfort in Dallas
by Ponch-Hoe on Apr 2, 2010 4:31 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
i was thinking the same thing!
if not send me some of what u took ok!
Yea 103
103 was in Dallas, if you were there you might have been lit up or drunk
by See What Had Happend Was !!!! on Apr 2, 2010 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions
i wanna go to this one its been a while since the ufc came to Tx.
I cant wait till they come back to Houston. Toyota Center, hell let GSP Serra III take place there. lol
YOU CANT PLEASE EVERYBODY SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL PLEASE YOU!!!!!!!
Toyota Center or Reliant Stadium
Bring that shit back DW! But I’m thinking about going to this one.
But a true champion, face to face with his darkest hour, will do whatever it takes to rise above. A man fights, and fights, and then fights some more. Because surrender is death, and death is for pussies. - Kenny Powers
James Kimball...
Did you happen to watch UFC 103? I saw it live. In the Lone Star State.
:)
my b, my b. corrected.
http://twitter.com/James_Kimball
by James Kimball on Apr 2, 2010 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm definetly flyin from Austin for this one.
by Ponch-Hoe on Apr 2, 2010 4:32 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Being at the end of the year by the sounds of it many possibilities could happen
But most likely two belts should be on the line. The winner of the LHW and HW bouts that are upcoming against Cain in the HW and against the winner of Carwin and Lesnar and the winners of Evans/Jackson vs Winner of Rua Machida. Throw in some other big name fights hell even James Toney vs Big Country? It would be awsome for sure with ticket prices being cut nearly in half I would think?
"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth - Mike Tyson
Yeah and heard the big screen is wicked even if you are sitting farther back
you still get the experience at being at a live event and get to watch it on a huge screen right above the octagon I imagine those tickets would be the cheaper tickets but the experience of being at a live event would be worth it.
"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth - Mike Tyson
That video board...
is ridiculous, the seating is great when you are close to the field, the 400 level is very bad but for the rest of the stadium, very good view of the field. I imagine if you are sitting in the 200 level and above you will be watching the big screen.
I told you not to f*ck with me.
FOCK YEAH!
I told my girl about this event and she said “Lets go, I’ll buy the tickets!”. Damn, I almost busted one in my pants when she said that. So if all goes well I will definitely be there!
But a true champion, face to face with his darkest hour, will do whatever it takes to rise above. A man fights, and fights, and then fights some more. Because surrender is death, and death is for pussies. - Kenny Powers
i live about 3 hrs south of Dallas
and the only way to keep me from this event will be outrageous ticket prices, which i completely expect if Jerry Jones has any involvement.
"6'1' 240lbs of solid steel and sex appeal...Garyyyy Goodridge!"
favorite ring intro ever!
????
What city are you in nugnuts
by See What Had Happend Was !!!! on Apr 2, 2010 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions
i am in new braunfels
about 45 mins south of austin
"6'1' 240lbs of solid steel and sex appeal...Garyyyy Goodridge!"
favorite ring intro ever!
shiznit
if it does happen it woudl crush Paquio vs Clottey at the gate. Ive been to some games at the stadium and it is fucking awesome. The screen is so Hi def that its ridiculous. When yo usee it in person you will be amazed at its size.
It can be done perfectly for the year end show. If its in December, then it can be done, it all depends on The Cowboys (my team) pistioning for the playoff and if they have any home games. I think it is all going to depend on the Cowboys schdule when it comes out.
As for the even, i liek when someonethrew in the whole “its bigger in texaz” slogan. UFc does have the firepower to do this thing BIG. Maybe the biggest card of all time to date, even better than UFC 100.
Cain vs Carwin/Lesnar HW title
Rampage/Rashad vs Shogun LHW title (yeah i did)
Couture vs Toney
Tito vs Lil Nog
Kimbo vs Chuck
crazy gate and crazy numbers
still won't outsell PRIDE
they regularly sold out the TokyoDome and Saitama SuperArena with their Grand Prix events.
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HELL YEAH!!!!!
I’m 20 min from the stadium! I’m soooo there! Lol y’all can park on my lawn… ;p
by Onemansyn on Apr 2, 2010 8:47 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Thank you sir.
I will take that offer.
But a true champion, face to face with his darkest hour, will do whatever it takes to rise above. A man fights, and fights, and then fights some more. Because surrender is death, and death is for pussies. - Kenny Powers
Where are you? I’m maybe 10-15minutes from JerryWorld.
The weather is here, I wish you were beautiful
I was joking
But abso-freaking-lutely you’re welcome. Mi lawn-a es su lawn-a.
by Onemansyn on Apr 2, 2010 9:29 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Don't Underestimate Dana
Dudes, all Dana has to do is stack the card with 3 (THREE!) title fights, get Jerry to do some local promotiing, and it’s sold out. The awareness and draw to the sport are growing so fast, all they really have to do in my opinion is announce it early so people can make travel reservations, ride the wave of TUF 11 and the overall growth, and I TOTALLY agree with #1Piggy’s comment above, put Velasquez on the card, the guy is HUGE in the latin community. Hell, 50% of San Antonio is hispanic, that’s 600,000 folks right there …
The World
With Dana talking about bringing people from all over the world, it’ll be more of an international show. I’m thinking Cro Cop on the card. Hardy or some Brit on the card. Couple of Canadians. Still thinking the Cain vs Brock/Shane winner. Couple of Brazilians.
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