Issue 114
May 2014
UFC TO VISIT GERMANY, IRELAND, SWEDEN AND TURKEY IN 2014
The UFC has announced it will return to Ireland and Sweden in 2014, as well as stage a German event for the third time in five years, and make a debut visit to Turkey.
Garry Cook, the UFC’s head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, announced the Germany event for Berlin at the end of May, while Dublin, expected to feature popular featherweight Conor McGregor, gets its second-ever show in July. The Swedish and Turkish cards are booked for October and November respectively. UFC officials also outlined plans to make a trip to Scotland in 2015.
UFC officials did not confirm bouts for any of the cards.
Of the Germany event, Cook said: “We are delighted to be returning to Germany in May and visiting Berlin for the first time. Germany is one of the leading world superpowers in sport and to be able to host a UFC Fight Night to our passionate German fans will be an honour.”
FO SCORE
These newly confirmed cards are great news for fans across Europe, and proof that the UFC is following through on its earlier-announced plans for a ‘tour’ of the continent in 2014. It will be interesting to see how the Berlin event will be received in Germany with the government banning the UFC from television and the promotion’s over three-year break from visiting the country.
?WHAT'S HOT
THE 205LB DIVISION
There are a number of contenders at light heavyweight heating up the weight class nowadays
TUF: BRAZIL
The Chael and Wanderlei dynamic has made the show utterly compelling viewing
RIVALS TURNED TEAMMATES
We’d pay to see sparring sessions with Gustafsson and Manuwa
WHAT'S NOT
THE GUS-FLIP
Gustafsson should leave the gymnastics alone. That London flip was more of a flop
UFC LONDON COACH SLAM
Luke Barnatt celebrated with his coach, Robbie Olivier, by slamming the poor guy. Harsh!
MMA RETIREMENTS
Goodbye old friends. Your violent ways will be sorely missed
289,500
We asked Mark Munoz to parody Miley Cyrus’ famous Wrecking Ball video for the Sixth Annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards. Within 24 hours of being posted online 289,500 people had watched it.
POLITICAL ISSUES STILL CHALLENGING UFC IN GERMANY?
Roadblocks remain in Germany for the UFC despite the company already having hosted two events in the country, in 2009 and 2010.
The promotion is still banned from being broadcast on television – although it was shown for a year until March 2010 – leaving the Las Vegas promotion without a vital marketing partner in the territory. However, for many years fans had been able to watch all UFC events for free online, and can now do the same with a monthly subscription via UFC Fight Pass, paying for pay-per-views separately.
Meanwhile a negative and outdated media attitude toward mixed martial arts continues to limit the sport’s growth – something not helped by right-wing extremist groups taking an interest in the sport in the eastern area of the nation.
However, since the UFC’s last visit in November 2010, mixed martial arts has flourished at a low-key national level. Higher-production organisations Respect Fighting Championship, German MMA Championship and Free Fight Association have found increasing success of late.
£7,141
One man had to pay £7,141 ($11,948) in fees and fines after illegally streaming two UFC pay-per-views and being sued by the promotion.
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