These cities deserve a UFC Event by the end of 2023
The UFC’s reach encompasses the whole globe. They have fighters from across the world and put on events at a variety of venues in multiple different countries. The UFC has a home in Las Vegas, Nevada, where there are plenty of arenas including the UFC’s Apex Arena. Houston, Florida, and Abu Dhabi were also great cities that have hosted many events during the pandemic. However, there are plenty of other great cities that should host a fight night or pay-per-view.
These three cities have UFC venues, and they need an event soon.
1. Seoul, South Korea
This inclusion may not be necessarily fair for the UFC because they were planning on having an event in Seoul on Feb. 4. The fight night card was originally supposed to headline with Chan Sung Jung, a.k.a. The Korean Zombie, but plans changed after he got injured. Instead, Derrick Lewis vs. Sergey Spivak was booked at the Apex with a fight card filled with South Koreans. However, this does not change the fact that the UFC needs to go back to South Korea.
There is a good amount of South Korean talent as well as Asian talent in general so the UFC can put together a strong card.
The first time the UFC had a card in Seoul was in 2015 with a Jorge Masvidal vs. Benson Henderson headline. In 2019, the promotion went to Busan when the Korean Zombie headlined against Frankie Edgar. I remember staying up past 3:00 a.m. for this card to watch the last three main card fights.
The Korean crowd was amazing cheering for grappling exchanges the way Americans cheer for knockouts. I could feel the crowd’s excitement through the television. That is why I think the South Korean crowd deserves another UFC card this time in Seoul.
2. Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California, needs a UFC event by the end of the year. The city has one of the newest NBA arenas in the Golden One Center and the surrounding downtown area is continually evolving. The top-notch arena and Sacramento nightlife would offer fans a great weekend in California’s capital. Also, this would not be risky as Sacramento has already hosted two successful UFC events.
In 2016, the Golden One Center hosted VanZant-Waterson and in 2019 the stadium hosted Germaine de Randamie vs. Aspen Ladd. This card had the legendary Urijah Faber, Josh Emmett and Marvin Vettori, too. The latter two have big win streaks and they were UFC title challengers in the past years.
Sacramento is a great city for the promotion because it follows the normal start times for most events. Also, UFC fighter purses are revealed in California which is a huge benefit for fighters rallying for an increase in fighter pay.
Ultimately, one of the main draws is the talent pool in Northern California. Sacramento is home to the team Alpha Male gym that hosts names such as Josh Emmett, Cody Garbrandt, Song Yadong, Andre Fili and Maycee Barber. There are other good Sacramento-area fighters, including Max Griffin and Anthony Hernandez. I think the UFC could put on a fantastic show and the city of Sacramento would be a great background for the event.
3. Halawa, Hawaii
The last location that is deserving of a UFC event in the future is Hawaii, specifically Halawa, Hawaii, which is home to the incredible Aloha Stadium.
There are two initial problems with having an event in Hawaii, though. One, Aloha Stadium is huge so the UFC would probably struggle to completely sell out the venue and the stadium is outdoors. The UFC has had one outdoor event back in 2010 with UFC 112. It is about time the UFC gives it another shot especially after teasing the outdoor octagon in Abu Dhabi for around a year.
The UFC has not held an event in Hawaii but other promotions like Bellator have held events. I think a Hawaii UFC card can have a solid plethora of fighters from across the world. The card could boast talent from Hawaii, mainland America, Oceania and Eastern Asia. It would be a card filled with fun talent at one of the most beautiful places on earth. It would be a great venue for fighters and fans to enjoy the good weather and serene scenery.
A card in Halawa Hawaii might be a bit ambitious but it could be a huge success if done right. If the UFC put together a great card for their first time in Hawaii they could sell out and have the fight outdoors which are ingredients for an iconic card.
The UFC always puts on events in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, New York City and Jacksonville. There is nothing wrong with these venues, but we want to see the promotion go to other cities. I think these three cities would be great venues for future UFC events in 2023.
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