(“We may even have Justin Bieber at the show as a special guest.”)
Just a friendly reminder that the UFC is holding an impromptu press conference today in Calgary, Alberta to announce its next Canadian show and that we’ll have the live stream starting at 2:00 p.m. ET. On hand for the open event will be UFC president Dana White, director of Canadian operations Tom Wright and Alberta-based fighters Mitch Clarke, Jason MacDonald and Nick Ring.
It’s expected that the main event for the July 21 show, which will be announced as UFC 149, will be a featherweight championship bout between 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo (21-1) and former TKO, Shooto and Sengoku champ Hatsu Hioki (26-4-2), however an announcement will likely not happen at today’s presser.
In related news, a Canadian senator introduced a bill into Parliament yesterday that would see MMA legalized nationwide. Section 83 of the Canadian Criminal Code as it currently stands deems prizefighting illegal, which is why some provinces and territories have been reluctant to allow events in their jurisdiction in spite of the fact that others have amended the rules due to different interpretations of the archaic law.
Check out the UFC web player after the jump.
(“We may even have Justin Bieber at the show as a special guest.”)
Just a friendly reminder that the UFC is holding an impromptu press conference today in Calgary, Alberta to announce its next Canadian show and that we’ll have the live stream starting at 2:00 p.m. ET. On hand for the open event will be UFC president Dana White, director of Canadian operations Tom Wright and Alberta-based fighters Mitch Clarke, Jason MacDonald and Nick Ring.
It’s expected that the main event for the July 21 show, which will be announced as UFC 149, will be a featherweight championship bout between 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo (21-1) and former TKO, Shooto and Sengoku champ Hatsu Hioki (26-4-2), however an announcement will likely not happen at today’s presser.
In related news, a Canadian senator introduced a bill into Parliament yesterday that would see MMA legalized nationwide. Section 83 of the Canadian Criminal Code as it currently stands deems prizefighting illegal, which is why some provinces and territories have been reluctant to allow events in their jurisdiction in spite of the fact that others have amended the rules due to different interpretations of the archaic law.
CagePotato.com has learned that the Chicago-based promotion has secured May 4 for its second Ontario event of 2012 and that the show will take place at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario. As we announced last week, BFC will also be holding an April 6 event in Windsor.
The May show will be the third held at the native-run casino. Both Bellator 47 and 57 took place at the venue.
(Bellator: Now with twice as much maple syrup and back bacon.)
CagePotato.com has learned that the Chicago-based promotion has secured May 4 for its second Ontario event of 2012 and that the show will take place at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario. As we announced last week, BFC will also be holding an April 6 event in Windsor.
The May show will be the third held at the native-run casino. Both Bellator 47 and 57 took place at the venue.
Known for giving local fighters a shot at competing on a bigger stage, it’s likely that Bellator will include several up-and-coming mixed martial artists from the Greater Toronto Area and its surrounding municipalities to the card, which will no doubt feature some of its other contracted Canadian talent like Cory MacDonald, Ryan Ford and Nordine Taleb. The event will be rounded out by match-ups from the season 6 bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight tournaments which get underway March 9 at Bellator 60.
We’ll have more news on the fight card as it becomes available.
Windsor, Ontario MMA fans will likely only have to wait a few more months for their next live fight fix.
CagePotato.com has learned that Bellator Fighting Championships have penciled in an event for April 6 in Windsor, Ontario and that the event is likely to take place at Caesar’s Windsor Casino, just across the Ambassador bridge from Detroit.
Windsor, Ontario MMA fans will likely only have to wait a few more months for their next live fight fix.
CagePotato.com has learned that Bellator Fighting Championships have penciled in an event for April 6 in Windsor, Ontario and that the event is likely to take place at Caesar’s Windsor Casino, just across the Ambassador bridge from Detroit.
The Chicago-based promotion had originally planned on holding a show on April 27 back at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, north of Toronto, but were unable to secure the date as the commission is already slated to oversee another event in Belleville, Ontario that night.
Although no bouts have been announced for the card, it’s likely that Bellator will use a number of its contracted fighters from Great Fight North including Ryan Ford, Cory MacDonald and Nordine Taleb. Chris Horodecki is another likely candidate for the card, having fought for Bellator on one of its two other Ontario cards, as is Ali Mokdad, an up-and-coming Windsor-based Lebanon-born lightweight who we have learned is in talks with the Viacom-owned promotion.
The event will be the second one hosted by Caesar’s Windsor. MFC 29 took place at the casino on April 8, 2011 — almost a year to the day of the yet-to-be-named Bellator event.
We’ll have more on the card and the event details as they become available.
(Hey amigo, don’t forget to bag the stool. I’ll be making salad as a side tonight.)
One minute it’s an emergency NSAC meeting, and now this. Don’t worry folks, the charges facing former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will not affect his December 30th battle with Alistair Overeem at UFC 141, but Lesnar is now a fugitive in a country where sodomy is legal nonetheless. The charges aimed at Brock stem from a recent hunting trip he took to Alberta; I’ll let CJCYFM.com explain:
A recent hunting trip to Alberta has landed former WWE and Ultimate Fighting Champion Brock Lesnar in some trouble.
Fish and Wildlife officers confirmed the international celebrity has been charged with three counts in contravention to the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Act. The charges came before Medicine Hat Provincial Court Thursday morning and include improper affixation of tags, spoilage of skin and edible flesh and possession of a controlled animal.
Neither Lesnar, nor his co-accused Chad Stryker, appeared in person in court. Their matter has been put over until January 19th.
Phew. At first, the charges don’t sound that bad. That is, until you consider the fact that the controlled animal in question was a Garthok.
(Hey amigo, don’t forget to bag the stool. I’ll be making salad as a side tonight.)
One minute it’s an emergency NSAC meeting, and now this. Don’t worry folks, the charges facing former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will not affect his December 30th battle with Alistair Overeem at UFC 141, but Lesnar is now a fugitive in a country where sodomy is legal nonetheless. The charges aimed at Brock stem from a recent hunting trip he took to Alberta; I’ll let CJCYFM.com explain:
A recent hunting trip to Alberta has landed former WWE and Ultimate Fighting Champion Brock Lesnar in some trouble.
Fish and Wildlife officers confirmed the international celebrity has been charged with three counts in contravention to the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Act. The charges came before Medicine Hat Provincial Court Thursday morning and include improper affixation of tags, spoilage of skin and edible flesh and possession of a controlled animal.
Neither Lesnar, nor his co-accused Chad Stryker, appeared in person in court. Their matter has been put over until January 19th.
Phew. At first, the charges don’t sound that bad. That is, until you consider the fact that the controlled animal in question was a Garthok. And did you say Chad Stryker…with a y? Does Brock only befriend people with 1980′s action hero names like his own?
We here at CP have yet to learn the seriousness of these charges, but if Quinton Jackson can go on a literal rampage across Southern California and come away clean, then it’s hard to imagine Lesnar can be in any real trouble here. In fact, according to our Canadian law expert, the worst punishment Lesnar could face would be forced participation in the annual Burn’s Day supper, as is tradition.
But let’s get to the real story here; this is clearly a shallow attempt by our northerly neighbors to spoil our New Years festivities, likely because they blame us for GSP’s injury. And like it’s our fault that he trusts our surgeons more. All I’m saying is, the Baldwin brothers better watch their backs.
Just eight months after 55,000 fight fans filled the Rogers Centre for the mixed martial arts company’s first ever Ontario show, Toronto will host UFC 140 on Saturday night. The fanfare for the event has paled in comparison to last April’s spectacle when the city had been buzzing for months about UFC 129, which was headlined by Canada’s own Georges St. Pierre. But this time around, it is being held at the much smaller Air Canada Centre…Despite the great line-up, there’s been little hoopla over the city’s second ever UFC event, which still has tickets available.
What the hell happened, Toronto? How did you go from a record-destroying immediate sellout in April to a “Good seats still available!” situation in December? On the surface, it doesn’t make much sense. So let’s throw some excuses around…
Just eight months after 55,000 fight fans filled the Rogers Centre for the mixed martial arts company’s first ever Ontario show, Toronto will host UFC 140 on Saturday night. The fanfare for the event has paled in comparison to last April’s spectacle when the city had been buzzing for months about UFC 129, which was headlined by Canada’s own Georges St. Pierre. But this time around, it is being held at the much smaller Air Canada Centre…Despite the great line-up, there’s been little hoopla over the city’s second ever UFC event, which still has tickets available.
What the hell happened, Toronto? How did you go from a record-destroying immediate sellout in April to a “Good seats still available!” situation in December? On the surface, it doesn’t make much sense. So let’s throw some excuses around…
— Canada’s interest in MMA is about 90% dependent on Georges St. Pierre. Make no mistake, Canadians are rabid MMA fans when GSP is on the card. When he’s not, only the hardcore fans show up. In that sense, Canada is no different than any other country in the world. When an athlete from your part of the globe is dominating a high-profile international sporting competition, you pay attention. Think about how apeshit Filipinos go for Manny Pacquiao. Would they be known as a nation of boxing fans without him? And do you really think I would have watched one minute of women’s soccer this year if not for Hope Solo?
— UFC 129 had novelty factor. UFC 140 does not. The April show marked the UFC’s first visit to Toronto after the sport was Ontario legalized the sport in 2010, and the crowd was packed with locals who just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Well, they saw it, and now they don’t have to see it again.
— The card’s just weaker this time. If you’re Canadian, you could certainly make this argument. UFC 129 didn’t just feature GSP vs. Jake Shields, but also another Canadian (Mark Hominick) challenging for the UFC featherweight title, plus Canadian fighters battling American fighters in the first eight fights on the card, and Randy Couture’s farewell appearance. By comparison, UFC 140 doesn’t have a single Canadian on the poster. The biggest native stars on Saturday night will be Hominick and Claude Patrick, who will be leading off the main card in bouts against Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ebersole, respectively. Good matchups? Sure. Good enough to convince 16,000+ people to pay for seats? Apparently not.
— The UFC can’t promote every card like it’s a blockbuster. In a way, UFC 129 was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and it’s unfair to compare “Jones vs. Machida” to “St-Pierre vs. Shields.” But this conspicuous lack of local excitement might be part of a larger trend. As the promotion loads its schedule to ever-busier levels, breaks into new markets (or back into old markets), and juggles live broadcasts on pay-per-view, FOX, FX, and FUEL, they will no longer be able to spend a lot of time promoting each individual show. UFC 140 might be a victim of the UFC’s success, or at least its current state of frantic forward motion. Plus, Dana and the gang are still hung over from their holiday party with Snoop Dogg. Did you really expect anything to get done this week?
It is interesting times in the world of your local MMA media pit. The press conference for UFC 140 this past week in Toronto saw an emerging trend peaking in a melting pot of media, as the usual internet representatives on hand were now mixing wit…
It is interesting times in the world of your local MMA media pit. The press conference for UFC 140 this past week in Toronto saw an emerging trend peaking in a melting pot of media, as the usual internet representatives on hand were now mixing with the mainstream writers and personalities that have been in the […]
