Tag: Georgia

UFC in Georgia? Dana White Says It ‘Really Makes Sense’

UFC in Georgia? Dana White Says It ‘Really Makes Sense’Is the UFC headed to Georgia?! After spending a significant portion of the last few years running events inside…

UFC in Georgia? Dana White Says It ‘Really Makes Sense’

Is the UFC headed to Georgia?!

After spending a significant portion of the last few years running events inside the cozy confines of The APEX in Las Vegas, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is ready to stretch its legs and hit the road.

Following Thursday’s Power Slap 11 card in Riyadh, White was asked about potentially bringing the UFC to Georgia in 2025. While White couldn’t offer any specifics, he essentially confirmed that yes, an event in the transcontinental country — not the state — is in the works.

“I mean, I met some guys the other day who were pushing hard for me to bring a fight to Georgia,” White said at the post-fight press conference. “And could it make any more sense than to go to Georgia right now? No, it really does. So, the answer to your question is yes.”

Located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia, Georgia has produced some of the UFC’s biggest stars, including reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and featherweight king Ilia Topuria, though ‘El Matador’ currently calls Spain home.

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Other noteworthy names out of Georgia include 15-win veteran Giga Chikadze and three-time Performance of the Night winner Roman Dolidze.

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‘The Machine’ takes some credit for MMA’s explosion in Georgia

MMA has exploded in the country and recent years courtesy of rising stars like Dvalishvili who has captured the attention of fight fans with his never-ending gas tank inside the Octagon and his entertaining presence on social media.

“I know some fighters that started MMA because of me, and now they are professional fighters and some organizations’ champions. This means I’m old,” Dvalishvili said with a laugh while speaking with the UFC. “But I’m proud of this because I was part of the reason MMA is popular in my country, in my hometown. MMA in Georgia is only going up, and it will only get better and better.

Dvalishvili also marveled at how quickly MMA has become a fan-favorite sport in his home country.

“They know every fighter in the UFC, who fights who, when they fight, they really know MMA. It’s very, very good. It’s crazy,” he added.

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Luke Rockhold vs. Costa Philippou Booked for Main Event of Strikeforce Challengers UFC Fight Night 35


(Luke’s been training hard with his acting coach, Tim Kennedy. / Props: @lukerockhold)

Eleven days after swinging through Singapore with UFC Fight Night 34: Ellenberger vs. Saffiedine, the UFC will be hosting another completely non-essential Fight Night card in Georgia. The UFC confirmed last week that UFC Fight Night 35 will take place Wednesday, January 15th at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, GA.

Headlining the event will be a five-round middleweight bout between Luke Rockhold and Costa Philippou — both of whom are coming off losses. Rockhold became one of Vitor Belfort’s head-kick KO victims during his UFC debut in May, and then pulled out of a UFC 166 matchup with Tim Boetsch due to a knee injury. As for Philippou, the Cypriot striker just had a five-fight win streak snapped when he was dominated by Francis Carmont at UFC 165, losing by unanimous decision.

Rockhold and Philippou still rank among the better contenders in the UFC’s surging 185-pound division, but their last performances wouldn’t seem to qualify them for a UFC headlining spot, even on an irrelevant small-market Fight Night show. But hey, nobody’s forcing you to watch it, and if anything crazy happens, we’ll be sure to link to the GIF on our Facebook page. That’s the CagePotato Promise™.

Two other bouts — Cole Miller vs. Sam Sicilia and T.J. Dillashaw vs. Mike Easton — have also been reported for Fight Night 35, which marks the UFC’s first stop in Georgia since Jones vs. Evans in April 2012. The event is slated to air on FOX Sports 1.


(Luke’s been training hard with his acting coach, Tim Kennedy. / Props: @lukerockhold)

Eleven days after swinging through Singapore with UFC Fight Night 34: Ellenberger vs. Saffiedine, the UFC will be hosting another completely non-essential Fight Night card in Georgia. The UFC confirmed last week that UFC Fight Night 35 will take place Wednesday, January 15th at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, GA.

Headlining the event will be a five-round middleweight bout between Luke Rockhold and Costa Philippou — both of whom are coming off losses. Rockhold became one of Vitor Belfort’s head-kick KO victims during his UFC debut in May, and then pulled out of a UFC 166 matchup with Tim Boetsch due to a knee injury. As for Philippou, the Cypriot striker just had a five-fight win streak snapped when he was dominated by Francis Carmont at UFC 165, losing by unanimous decision.

Rockhold and Philippou still rank among the better contenders in the UFC’s surging 185-pound division, but their last performances wouldn’t seem to qualify them for a UFC headlining spot, even on an irrelevant small-market Fight Night show. But hey, nobody’s forcing you to watch it, and if anything crazy happens, we’ll be sure to link to the GIF on our Facebook page. That’s the CagePotato Promise™.

Two other bouts — Cole Miller vs. Sam Sicilia and T.J. Dillashaw vs. Mike Easton — have also been reported for Fight Night 35, which marks the UFC’s first stop in Georgia since Jones vs. Evans in April 2012. The event is slated to air on FOX Sports 1.