Is this the moment Canadian mixed martial arts fans have been waiting for?
The UFC today revealed that a "major announcement" is coming on May 25, 2010, at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, just two months after company President Dana White stormed Toronto's Eaton Centre for a public pep rally.
White expects MMA to eventually become the world's largest and most popular sport. Unfortunately, that vision of global domination has faced opposition in Ontario as Premier Dalton McGuinty recently indicated that MMA regulation was "not a priority."
Last year White was hoping to secure a show in Ontario at some point in 2010, setting his sights on Toronto's Rogers Centre in front of as many as 50,000 fans. Considering that one of the world's most popular fighters is a Canadian named Georges St. Pierre, that wasn't such an unrealistic goal.
Then again, nothing is possible unless the Ontario Athletic Commission lifts its ban on cagefighting, that while not a priority, could help generate millions of dollars for the local economy.
While McGuinty doesn't share his personal opinion of mixed martial arts as a sport, it's no secret that a majority of legislative blowhards still envision the UFC of yesteryear, when grotesquely out of shape bar room brawlers would duke it out for the chance to be submitted by Royce Gracie.
Ontario stands to make millions in profit and tax revenue should the UFC hold another Canadian mega-event in 2010, much like they did in Montreal with UFC 113 and then again in Vancouver with the upcoming UFC 115.
Like New York, Ontario may begin to feel the squeeze from its inhabitants if neighboring communities are raking in boku bucks while they cling to their holier-than-thou stance on MMA.
That may soon change for "The Empire State" and hopefully, Ontario.
Or maybe the UFC is announcing a partnership with Silly Pants to unveil a new line of cagefighting shorts for Canada's youth.
Stay tuned.
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