MMA LEGALIZED IN ONTARIO: Part 2

Part 2: The entertainment

So the announcement has been made and the news is sinking in. Mixed martial arts is legal in Ontario. The next question on most of our minds is: when will MMA arrive? And which top fighters and promotions will we see?

Tom Wright, newly anointed Director of Operations for UFC Canada, spoke to the media this week and I trust what he had to say. Fans’ first reaction (and mine too) was to assume the December welterweight title match between Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck would be moved to Rogers Centre in Toronto.

As Wright explained, however, there’s a lot of work to do to get Toronto and Ontario prepped for MMA. December would be too soon. It’s much more likely that we’ll see a major fight card around March of 2011.

So who would be on the card? Assuming GSP doesn’t suffer a major injury against Koscheck in December, he’ll be first in line. He publicly stated that he dearly hopes the UFC would put him on the first Toronto card. Whether or not he still has the welterweight belt, he would probably be the headliner. His opponent? Perhaps Jon Fitch or, if I had anything to say about it, the winner of Jake Shields versus Martin Kampmann.

My prediction is that Rogers Centre will sell out for its first UFC card no matter what. That means 50,000-plus fans in attendance – and I think the UFC can hit that number no problem. Since the UFC will likely prepare to shatter its own attendance record for this card, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the promotion “stack” it.

Since most of the belts have recently been on the line or will be in the next couple of months, almost any title could be up for grabs in Toronto. Mauricio Rua may be recovered from knee surgery by March; Anderson Silva’s wounds could be healed too. Even the winner of Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez’s October bout should be ready for a title defense come spring.

Dana White will also likely load the card with Canadian fighters. Ontario’s Sam Stout is a must; Patrick Cote and Rory MacDonald could appear too.

Whatever happens, there’s little doubt in my mind that the UFC will be the first major fight promotion to host an Ontario event – and that it will be one to remember.

About Grant Brothers Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts Gym: Based in North York, Grant Brothers Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts Gym offers world-class Boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Wrestling, MMA and UFC training at real-world prices.  Classes are taught by certified coaches with classes for men, women, children, adults, beginners and advanced.  Private lessons and boxercise classes are also available. Areas serviced include North York, Etobicoke, Toronto, Scarborough, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Brampton and Mississauga.

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