The Ultimate Fighting Championship will expand its Canadian reach further in 2014 than ever before.
At a news conference today in Quebec City, UFC Canadian director of operations Tom Wright was joined by a host of Canadian UFC stars to announce multiple cards.
For the first time ever, the UFC will hold a total of five live events in Canada in a single calendar year. The previous record was three events, but the UFC’s constant international expansion will be a boon for Canadian UFC fans.
The first event takes place April 16 in Quebec City. The Ultimate Fighter Nations finale will take place at the Colisee Pepsi. A main event between Tim Kennedy and Michael Bisping is targeted for the event, but it is pending an eye exam for Bisping.
If the Brit is medically cleared, the middleweight bout will headline the evening. TUF Nations coaches Kyacey Uscola and Patrick Cote is also scheduled for the card, and Wright also announced a bout between Sam Stout and K.J. Noons.
The promotion then moves on to Vancouver, where UFC 174 will take place June 14 at the Rogers Arena. On September 27, they return to their yearly stop in Toronto for UFC 178 before moving on to Halifax for an Ultimate Fight Night event on October 4.
The UFC will close out its busiest Canadian year ever with a return to beautiful Montreal for UFC 181 on December 6.
No fights were announced for any of the additional pay-per-view dates.
In addition to the live dates announced above, Wright also revealed a plan to take UFC fighters to provinces and cities that will never host live events in something he called “The UFC Experience.” Sources close to the promotion told Bleacher Report that the UFC Experience is a rebranded version of the current Octagon Nation tour, which features fighter autograph signings and memorabilia.
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