The Weekly Wrap: Dec 3 - Dec. 10
UFC Mania in Canada
Jack Encarnacao Dec 11, 2010
Georges St. Pierre: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com
UFC Mania in Canada
The UFC was in a decidedly Canadian state of mind, beating the drum of go-home promotion for UFC 124 on Saturday in Montreal and announcing its debut event in Toronto, which almost certainly will shatter the promotion’s attendance and gate records.
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UFC 131 will almost certainly top Saturday’s numbers, considering the pent-up demand for MMA in Toronto, which only recently sanctioned the sport. In one of the top UFC pay-per-view markets, Toronto’s Rogers Centre holds up to 70,000 people for boxing and wrestling events, though it remains unclear how many seats the UFC will open as it considers the quality of spectator experience.
UFC 124 received its share of stateside promotion, as well, as St. Pierre and Koscheck did live satellite interviews on ESPN’s Sportscenter and were rounded out as personalities in a well-produced “Countdown” special that premiered Monday on Spike TV.
All UFC 124 fighters made weight at Friday’s official weigh-in. In lieu of Spike TV coverage, preliminary fights of Dustin Hazelett vs. Mark Bocek and Joe Doerksen vs. Dan Miller will stream live at 9 p.m. ET on UFC.com.