UFC planning return to Brazil in 2012, possibly in Manaus at 100,000 seat venue
by Geno Mrosko on Aug 24, 2011 12:00 PM EDT
in UFC News
Email
Print
During his promotional tour for the upcoming UFC 134: "Silva vs. Okami" event going down this Sat., Aug. 27, 2011, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, UFC President Dana White has lamented his decision not to do a stadium show for the promotion's return to the country of the sports origin.
Tickets sold out in 74 minutes for the HSBC Arena, which is configured to hold 14,000 fans on fight night. However, according to White, the demand was as high as 350,000 people.
Sound like hyperbole?
Of course it does, but maybe it wasn't, at least if the UFC is to follow through with recent plans made to return to Brazil in 2012 to hold an event at the Convention Center of Manaus in Amazonas.
Known as the "Sambodromo," the gigantic outdoor venue has the capacity to hold up to and over 100,000 spectators.
At a recent press conference (via Sherdog), UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta spoke on bringing his company back to the region for another event:
"The opportunity to bring the UFC to Manaus and to the home of some of our great fighters makes us so excited. Our expectation is that Manaus will set a new attendance record, with 100,000 people watching the show."
Toronto who? Canada what?
The most attended show in UFC history to date was the landmark "St. Pierre vs. Shields" event held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario back on April 29.
55,724 screaming Canadians filled the arena that night to make it the biggest show, literally, in the history of the UFC. To get an idea of how big the Convention Center of Manaus is, they could break that record by only filling just over half the venue. They would absolutely shatter the record if it's filled to capacity.
Fastest rising sport in the world? You bet 'cha.
Names already bandied about as potential participants in the event are Jose Aldo and Ronaldo Souza, who are both from the region and would undoubtedly be welcomed home as heros, no different than Georges St. Pierre in Toronto.
Manaus is the seventh largest city in Brazil with a population of roughly 1.8 million people. Think they could convince 100,000 of them to come out for some fisticuffs from some of the best martial artists in the world?
26 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
If 350,000 seat demand wasn't hyperbole...
then the folks planning this event are lousy at their jobs. If you can’t go in and get a semi-accurate number for what amount of seats you could fill, and end up with a 14K venue when you could have possibly gotten 25x that, then you need to be fired.
"The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely what
wise men do foolishly." - Touchstone - As You Like It
100 000?
Is that excessive?
Fedor "The Can Crusher" Emeilianko IS NOT THE BEST HW EVER , in fact he sucks! he has the most padded record in the history of any combat sport, scratch that in the history of any sport. He has not changed as a fighter , he is still just as good as he was then, only difference is he isn’t fighting freaks and nobodies, I , along with many others have been duped into believing he is great, when clearly he is NOT! -I hate you the Dragon...one day
Josh Koscheck will never again have to worry about getting his eye kneed, poked or punched......................well, that is, until his eye grows back....then I guess he will have to worry. But until then!
outdoor venue?
doesnt it rain like all the time in brasil?
"I have smoked weed with alot of UFC champions" - Joe Rogan
"Você ta fudido. Se vai levar muita porrada, ta ligado?" - Anderson Silva
Haha basically any other sport can play in a rain (maybe not downpour, baseball)
Hockey, soccer, football all play in the rain sometimes. Could you imagine MMA in the rain? Talk about greasing, they would be sliding around.
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Hockey never plays in the rain
it happened in minimal amounts at an outdoor gimmick game
"with a good physique and explosiveness anybody can perform a takedown"
-RoBerto
by Lesnar's striking coach on Aug 24, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
This^
happens all the time at the local rinks here, Fuck it blizzards and we jump on the ponds man. Every ten minute break to shovel it all off again. haha. Good times.
I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. - Muhammad Ali
by Cruz Jackson on Aug 24, 2011 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Obviously its rarely played outdoors
but as everyone said below, this years winter classic is was coming down and they still played. All I’m saying lol
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
ya professionally not usually outdoors. Or minor also. The ice needs to be zamboni'd son.
I can’t speak for the KHL though. I’m sure the russians play half the games outside. haha. No. I’m kidding. I’m sure same reason as i said above about the zamboni part.
I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. - Muhammad Ali
by Cruz Jackson on Aug 24, 2011 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Lol I love watching that damn Zamboni go round and round.
I know but you can do anything in the rain lol I think we were talking more professionally.
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
I love playing fresh zamboni'd ice. Fuck one time i played Rexall(Edmonton's Arena)
it’s supposed to be like top 2 best ices in NHL. And seriously its a dream to play on for like 15 minutes hard. The ice doesn’t get choppy til right around the buzzer of a period. SOOO smooth for a solid 5 minutes of hard playing.
I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. - Muhammad Ali
by Cruz Jackson on Aug 24, 2011 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Damn dude. Im jealous.
Im not that good of a skater but you put the stick in my hand ill rip shots all day. lol Im from Jersey so the rock (Prudential Center) is my home away from home.
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Hey Canadians
Dana just called you Brazil’s bitch.
I will blind you with my Albino Mormon Rainbow Powers of Sunshiny Joy™. - Dak
Brazil is booming. But are they not still a 2nd world nation?
Canada > Brazil. In everything except soccer. I will give them soccer.
I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. - Muhammad Ali
by Cruz Jackson on Aug 24, 2011 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
ok.
I bet Brazil beats them in basketball, volleyball for sure, soccer the most relevant sport, swimming. in most summer sports i’d give Brazil the edge.
RobDeezy88 , ps3! Tito Ortiz = God !
and the reason the UFC are going to Brazil is b/c their economy is so good.
RobDeezy88 , ps3! Tito Ortiz = God !
Recently they have boomed like crazy they got the olympics too i think.
Ya Basketball i don’t think so. Steve nash. Volleyball probably. We do have good volleyball but not Beach like down there. And soccer we’re a joke. and Swimming can we even be mentioned. Maybe we have Golf. lol. women is a toss up. We have some really pretty girls here. But i heard Brazil it’s not fair just for population size. Canada has like only 33 million people or something stupid like that. JOKE! I just am being patriotic ffs! hahaha
I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. - Muhammad Ali
by Cruz Jackson on Aug 24, 2011 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Volleyball no way
Just check the last winners…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_indoor_volleyball_world_title_winners
Brasil is dominating volleyball for a long time. More so in the standard indoors than beach volleyball
If you want something that Canada beats Brasil, try economic stability, uncorrupted government, civility or winter games… =)
I'm not sure how you can call MMA the world's fastest growing sport
When the PPV buys this year are going to be dramatically lower than last year.
I hope you arent serious
"......I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious, the most ruthless champion there has ever been. No one can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No! He's no Alexander! I'm Alexander! I'm the best ever. I'm Sonny Liston. I'm Jack Dempsey....My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious......." - Mike Tyson
by AintNoSunshine on Aug 24, 2011 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
lol
wanna know why MMA, Basketball,Soccer are international sports?..they cost anything really. A Ball or your fists t o play. MMA is the fastest growing sport because so many cultures are into fighting. Now all those countries that solely practiced JJ,Judo,Sambo, Kickboxing can start using their skills
"with a good physique and explosiveness anybody can perform a takedown"
-RoBerto
by Lesnar's striking coach on Aug 24, 2011 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m serious. Recent numbers suggest that MMA, or at least the UFC, is contracting not growing. The FOX deal is big, but the UFC is and will likely remain a PPV company.
by MS_Dos_Santos on Aug 24, 2011 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Manaus, seriously?
Why so far and so much in the middle of nowhere?
Manaus is absurdly hot and wet (even for brasilians’ standards), and It does rain a lot in there.
There´s absolutely no way to reach Manaus except by plane or boat.
And you definitely cannot charge the absurd prices (US$300 is the cheapest in Rio, or roughly a month’s worth of minimum wage) they are charging nowadays.
Pure politics for sure.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on MMAmania.com
Related FanShots on MMAmania.com
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
