UFC Steps Up Canadian Presence in 2014 with Five Events, Starting with TUF Finale in April
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Wednesday announced its Canadian schedule for 2014. For the first time in the promotion’s history, it will operate five live events in the Great White North.
Tom Wright, UFC Managing Director, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; and UFC fighters Patrick Côté, Sarah Kaufman, Sam Stout, TJ Grant, and Alex Garcia unveiled the news during a press conference in Quebec City.
“Last year was a banner year for the UFC, but Canada is set to break new ground in 2014 as we’re literally going from coast to coast with events stretching between Nova Scotia and British Columbia,” said Wright. “After hosting 14 events through our first six years since coming to Canada, we’re excited to bring our fans five live UFC events north of the border in 2014.”
The first event on the Canadian docket is the The Ultimate Fighter: Nations Finale, which features coaches Patrick Cote vs. Kyle Noke at Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City on April 16. Other announced bouts include Sam Stout vs. KJ Noons and Mitch Gagnon vs. Tim Gorman.
UFC 174 will then bring the promotion back to Rogers Arena in Vancouver on June 14. Sarah Kaufman helped to introduce the event, since it will take place in her backyard. No bouts were announced, however, so it remains to be seen if she will be fighting on the card, as she hopes.
The UFC then packs in the events for the latter half of the year with UFC 178 on Sept. 27 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto; a UFC Fight Night on Oct. 4 at the Metro Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia; and finishes the year with UFC 181 on Dec. 6 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Write said that, since 2008, the UFC has hosted 14 events in Canada, totaling nearly 300,000 fans in attendance, for a cumulative gross gate of close to $60 million.
