It looks like the UFC will be a frequent visitor to Europe in 2014. After UFC Fight Night 26 in Boston on Saturday night Dana White confirmed to the media that the UFC would return to Ireland in the third quarter of next year. This was thought to be, in large part, because of the sudden emergence of Dublin’s own Conor McGregor.
But Ireland appears to be one of numerous European countries that the UFC plans on hosting events at in 2014. According to Gary Cook, the UFC’s Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Europe, speaking at EA Gamescom in Cologne, Germany on Tuesday, the Octagon will visit everywhere from the British isles to several ports in mainland Europe.
“You know, the UFC is the world’s fastest growing sport,’ he said. “We have athletes representing 37 countries. We broadcast our events in over 28 languages. And we’ve established major broadcast partnerships in 145 countries around the world. And it 2014, UFC more live events—England, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, Turkey and most importantly, we will be back in Germany in 2014.”
The last time the UFC visited Germany was at UFC 122 in 2010 in Oberhausen, when Nate Marquardt headlined against Yushin Okami.
An electronic board behind Cook highlighted each country that the UFC intends to visit in the next year. One that he didn’t mention—but that was still highlighted—was Scotland. Though the UFC has flirted with the idea of Scotland in the past, the promotion has never visited that far north in the United Kingdom before.
And if Zuffa follows through on all these events, it’ll mark the first time that UFC events will be held in Turkey and Poland, as well.