With all the talk of the UFC expanding into England, Mexico, Canada, Japan and other nations across the globe, it's good to see that the promotion hasn't lost sight of new markets here in the United States.
According to The Oregonian, the UFC would like to stage an event in the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, in Portland, Oregon — an area that apparently UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner, oft calls home.
Here's a snip from the Rat:
"My goal is to bring the UFC to Portland someday. Of course, we'd have to work around the Blazers' schedule. I would love to bring it to the Northwest. We're not worried about selling tickets. We're selling everywhere right now. For the first UFC event in Houston, we sold 7,000 tickets in three hours. We've sold 15,000 in Columbus, Ohio, and we're still five weeks away."
Don't get too fired up just yet, Oregonians. The article goes on to say that "a Portland or Seattle date still may be years away."
Regardless, the thinking is there and the fans are there. It's seems to be only a matter of time.