
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Voici les dix villes que nous voulons voir l’UFC visiter en 2023.
Avec l’audience de l’UFC qui augmente globalement chaque année, la promotion continue d’étendre sa présence en organisant des événements plus importants dans des endroits souhaitables tels que Paris et Rio De Janerio. Bien que l’UFC ait voyagé dans de nombreuses grandes villes du monde au cours des années précédentes, il existe encore de nombreux endroits qui feraient d’excellents nouveaux lieux pour de futurs événements.
Ensuite, il y a aussi les villes qui ont connu un événement UFC dans le passé mais qui attendent patiemment que le président Dana White revienne avec une grande carte de combat. Voici un aperçu des futurs sites potentiels de l’UFC et des combattants que l’on peut s’attendre à y voir.
10. Salvador, Brésil
La capitale de l’État de Bahia, au nord-est du Brésil, Salvador, est la quatrième ville la plus peuplée du Brésil. C’est le lieu de résidence de nombreux combattants brésiliens de MMA estimés, dont le légendaire Lyoto Machida.
Bien qu’elle soit la quatrième ville la plus peuplée du Brésil avec plus de 3 millions d’habitants, l’UFC n’a étonnamment jamais organisé d’événement à Salvador. Cependant, avec un tel fandom au Brésil, il ne fait aucun doute qu’une carte de combat avec des combattants brésiliens pourrait remplir l’Itaipava Fonte Nova Arena.
Également connue sous le nom de Complexo Esportivo Cultural Professor Octávio Mangabeira, la Fonte Nova Arena a accueilli des événements notables tels que les Jeux olympiques d’été de 2016 et la Coupe du monde de football de 2014. Avec une capacité maximale impressionnante de 48 000 personnes, elle pourrait être le lieu potentiel de l’un des événements de l’UFC les plus suivis à ce jour.
Une carte de combat mettant en vedette des stars brésiliennes comme Charles Oliveira, Deiveson Figueiredo, Amanda Nunes, Glover Teixeira, Rafael dos Anjos, Edson Barboza, Jéssica Andrade, Alex Pereira, Paulo Costa, Gilbert Burns, Vicente Luque et Johnny Walker constituerait sans aucun doute une attraction massive.
La bonne nouvelle est que l’UFC se rend déjà au Brésil en 2023, avec l’UFC 283 prévu le 21 janvier à la Jeunesse Arena de Rio de Janeiro. Il s’agira du tout premier combat de tétralogie de l’UFC, où Deiveson Figueiredo rencontrera pour la quatrième fois le champion en titre des poids mouche Brandon Moreno. D’autres combats avec des combattants brésiliens sont prévus à l’UFC 283 : Brad Tavares contre Gregory Rodrigues, Maurício Rua contre Ihor Potieria, et Paul Craig contre Johnny Walker.
var tpsInstance;var tpsOptions = {"slideContainer" : "#tps_slideContainer_2321016", "nav" :[".theiaPostSlider_nav"], "navText" :"%{currentSlide} of %{totalSlides}", "helperText" : "Use your \u2190 \u2192 (arrows) to browse", "defaultSlide":0, "transitionEffect" : "simple", "transitionSpeed":200, "keyboardShortcuts":true, "numberOfSlides":10, "slides" :[{"title":"10 cities we want to see the UFC at in 2023","permalink":"https:\/\/fansided.com\/2022\/10\/31\/10-cities-ufc-2023\/","shortCodeTitle":null,"content":"

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
Here are the ten cities we want to see the UFC visit in 2023.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
With the UFC’s audience growing globally each year, the promotion continues to expand its presence by holding larger events in desirable locations such as Paris and Rio De Janerio. Though the UFC has traveled to many major cities around the world in previous years, there are still many places that would make excellent new venues for future events.<\/p>\n
Then, there are also the cities that have experienced a UFC event in the past but have been patiently waiting for president Dana White to return with a great fight card. Here’s a look at some potential future UFC venues and the fighters we might expect to see there.<\/p>\n
10. Salvador, Brazil<\/h2>\n
The capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia, Salvador, is the fourth most populous city in all of Brazil. It is the home of many esteemed Brazilian MMA<\/a> fighters, including the legendary Lyoto Machida<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Despite being the fourth most populous city in Brazil with over 3 million residents, the UFC has surprisingly never held an event in Salvador. However, with such a massive fandom in Brazil, there is little doubt that a fight card featuring Brazilian combatants could fill the Itaipava Fonte Nova Arena.<\/p>\n
Also known as the Complexo Esportivo Cultural Professor Octávio Mangabeira, the Fonte Nova Arena has hosted notable events such as the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. With a whopping maximum capacity of 48,000, it could be the potential home of one of the most attended UFC events to date.<\/p>\n
A fight card featuring Brazilian stars like Charles Oliveira<\/a>, Deiveson Figueiredo, Amanda Nunes, Glover Teixeira, Rafael dos Anjos, Edson Barboza, Jéssica Andrade, Alex Pereira, Paulo Costa, Gilbert Burns, Vicente Luque, and Johnny Walker would undoubtedly be a massive draw.<\/p>\n
The good news is that the UFC is already heading to Brazil in 2023, with UFC 283 scheduled to take place on Jan. 21 at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. It will be the UFC’s first-ever tetralogy fight, where Deiveson Figueiredo will meet reigning flyweight champion Brandon Moreno for the fourth time. Other bouts with Brazillian fighters slated for UFC 283 include Brad Tavares vs. Gregory Rodrigues, Maurício Rua vs. Ihor Potieria, and Paul Craig vs. Johnny Walker.<\/p>\n

(Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
9. Lagos, Nigeria<\/h2>\n
Three superstars; three African UFC champions: Francis Ngannou<\/a>, Kamaru Usman, and Israel Adesanya<\/a>. In recent years, UFC viewership in Africa has consistently grown as stars like Ngannou and Usman represent Cameroon and Nigeria, opening up a new market for the UFC to target. It is no secret that the UFC has never been to Africa, but president Dana White is highly optimistic about a future event on the continent and has stated his intent to bring a fight card to Africa.<\/p>\n
“We literally just had a meeting the other day, and we’re seriously talking about Africa now,” White said at the UFC 279 post-fight press conference. <\/a>“We’re actually starting to look at venues and cities to hold an event. So Africa is going to happen very soon.”<\/p>\n
One potential location for the first UFC in Africa is Lagos, Nigeria. The birthplace of middleweight champion Adesanya, Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria and the most populous city in all of Africa, with an estimated population of 17.5 million. Lagos is among the fastest-growing cities in the world and is a major economic hub for Africa.<\/p>\n
An ideal venue in Lagos could be the Teslim Balogun Stadium. With a capacity of 25,000, the Teslim Balogun Stadium mainly hosts soccer and rugby matches, with the most notable event being the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The Nigerian government plans to turn the stadium into an indoor arena as early as 2023, which would make the venue ideal as fighters would be in a controlled environment, and fans would likely be able to view the fight via screens.<\/p>\n
Aside from Ngannou, Usman, and Adesanya, other African fighters that could appear at a UFC 2023 event in Africa include Lagos native Sodiq Yusuff, South African Dricus Du Plessis, Angolan Manel Kape, Cameroonian Tafon Nchukwi, Ghanan Abdul Razak Alhassan, Nigerian Kennedy Nzechukwu, Ugandan David Onama, and South African J.P. Buys.<\/p>\n

. (Photo by Matt Hunt\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
8. Bangkok, Thailand<\/h2>\n
The home of the art of eight limbs. For years, elite fighters have flocked to Thailand to hone their Muay Thai prowess and train with the best. One notable gym, Tiger Muay Thai, located in Phuket, has dramatically assisted champions like Alexander Volkanovski<\/a> and Valentina Shevchenko<\/a> with their striking skills over the years. Virtually every top fighter in the world has trained in Thailand at one point or another, and the country holds a special place in martial arts history.<\/p>\n
Muay Thai is the primary fighting style of various mixed martial artists, including Shevchenko, Joanna Jedrzejczyk<\/a>, Darren Till, Jiří Procházka, Jan Błachowicz, Rafael Cordeiro, Ciryl Gane, and many others.<\/p>\n
The first-ever martial artist to bring Muay Thai into the UFC was Orlando Wiet, who represented Muay Thai at UFC 2 in 1994. In case you are a newer MMA fan: The Ultimate Fighting Championship started by pitting different fight styles against each other to see which would win; this is how the Gracie family brought Brazilian jiu-jitsu into the mainstream. It would take several years before Muay Thai was seen as one of the most effective striking martial arts.<\/p>\n
Although fighters mainly train in Phuket at famous gyms like Tiger and Phuket Top Team, the real action takes place in the famous (and infamous) capital city of Bangkok. Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, is the most populous city in Thailand, with over 10.5 million residents. It is the financial hub of Thailand and is among the world’s top tourist destinations, attracting well over ten million tourists every year.<\/p>\n
An ideal venue for the UFC to hold an event in Thailand would be Bangkok’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Also known as Sanam Muay Lumpinee, this intimate and exclusive 5,000-person venue hosts some of the world’s most important Muay Thai events. Its only rivaling venue in Thailand is Rajadamnern Stadium, which has a slightly larger 8,000-person capacity.<\/p>\n

(Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler\/LightRocket via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
7. Halifax, Canada<\/h2>\n
The UFC has twice graced the beautiful, freezing shores of Nova Scotia with its presence. The first voyage was on Oct. 4, 2014, for UFC Fight Night: Rory MacDonald vs. Tarec Saffiedine, where recently deceased Ultimate Fighter: Canada vs. Australia winner Elias Theodorou<\/a> defeated Bruno Santos. The second and most recent visit was on Feb. 19, 2017, at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax for UFC Fight Night: Derrick Lewis vs. Travis Browne<\/a>, where Theodorou also defeated Cezar Ferreira.<\/p>\n
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. As of the 2021 Census, the population was 439,819. Halifax is a major economic center in Atlantic Canada, with a large number of government and private sector offices, primarily concentrated in urban areas.<\/p>\n
Although the UFC visited Canada on Sept. 14, 2019, for UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje, this event was held on the opposite Pacific coast in Vancouver. Due to Canada’s strict pandemic-era laws and mandates, the UFC has not stated its immediate intent to return, though people hope to get a Canadian card soon.<\/p>\n
It has been over five years since the UFC has been in Halifax, and Canadian fans are surely itching for a local Nova Scotian show. A Canada-based event could see fighters like Chad Anheliger, Malcolm Gordon, Aiemann Zahabi, Randa Markos, and T.J. Laramie appear.<\/p>\n
A UFC 2023 event in Halifax would most likely occur at the Scotiabank Centre<\/a>, where the previous two events were held. The Scotiabank Centre holds up to 13,000 people and is the largest multi-purpose facility in Atlantic Canada.<\/p>\n

(Photo by John Parra\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
6. Miami, Florida<\/h2>\n
Dana White likes the state of Florida but does not seem to like holding his events in Miami. That is because there is some post-traumatic stress from the infamous UFC 42: Sudden Impact on Apr. 25, 2003. The first UFC event in Florida, and the only one in Miami, UFC 42 had an attendance of 6,700 in the 21,000-person capacity American Airlines Arena (now FTX Arena).<\/p>\n
UFC 42 featured Matt Hughes<\/a> vs. Sean Sherk and Pete Spratt vs. Robbie Lawler and marked the first UFC appearance by future middleweight champion Rich Franklin. Joe Rogan provided the lead commentary for this event and was joined by color commentator Phil Baroni with further analysis by Eddie Bravo<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, president White will consider Miami again after a 20-year hiatus, as stars like Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington have made Miami a prime money-making battleground. Hundreds of professional MMA fighters call South Florida home, and many international fighters relocate here to train and compete.<\/p>\n
South Florida is home to some of the best MMA gyms on the planet, including American Top Team, Sanford MMA \/ Kill Cliff FC, and MMA Masters. Dozens of UFC stars have trained in these gyms over the years, including Tyron Woodley, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Jorge Masvidal, Glover Teixeira, Amanda Nunes, Kayla Harrison, Thiago Alves, Wilson Gouveia, Yoel Romero, Dustin Poirier, Colby Covington, Vitor Belfort, Rashad Evans, Robbie Lawler, Luke Rockhold, and Kamaru Usman.<\/p>\n
Many Florida-based coaches were integral to the spread of mixed martial arts in the early days of the UFC. Influential coaches like Dan Lambert<\/a>, Marcus “Conan” Silveira, Marcelo Silveira, Ricardo Liborio, Mike Brown, Steve Mocco, Cesar Carneiro, Daniel Valverde, Henri Hooft, Greg Jones, Jason Strout, Kami Barzini, and Corey Peacock were critical factors in the development of modern MMA.<\/p>\n

(Photo by James D. Morgan\/Getty Images for Destination New South Wales)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
5. Sydney, Australia<\/h2>\n
The UFC visited Sydney a generous five times from 2010 to 2017; however, it has been absent for the past five years. The good news is that the UFC just confirmed a return to the continent for UFC 284 in the city of Perth; the bad news is that Sydney still has not been mentioned for any upcoming events,<\/p>\n
The capital city of New South Wales, Sydney, is the most populous in Australia and Oceania, with 5.2 million residents as of 2021. The 2021 Census recorded the population of Sydney as 5,231,150, making the city home to two-thirds of the state’s population. Ranked 11th in the world for economic opportunity, this city has a strong economy in finance, manufacturing, and tourism.<\/p>\n
Events previously held in Sydney include UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez, UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch, UFC on F.X.: Alves vs. Kampmann, UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping and UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A UFC 2023 event in Australia would likely feature various Australian \/ New Zealander fighters, including Alexander Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Tai Tuivasa<\/a>, Dan Hooker, Kai Kara-France, and Jake Matthews<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A large fight card would likely be held at the Sydney SuperDome (currently known as the Qudos Bank Arena), where the last UFC event: UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura, was held. The arena is ranked in the top 10 arenas worldwide and has a total capacity of 21,032, making it the largest indoor venue in Australia.<\/p>\n

(Photo by John Greim\/LightRocket via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
4. Kingston, Jamaica<\/h2>\n
Jamaicans have been making a recent splash in the UFC, especially with current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and Jamaican-born welterweight champ Leon Edwards. Following Uriah Hall’s retirement this past August, Randy Brown and Ode Osbourne are also some of the fighters repping the Jamaican flag.<\/p>\n
\n
"CHAMPION OF THE WORLD"<\/p>\n
"I WAS BORN IN JAMAICA WITH NOTHING"<\/p>\n
"WE DONE IT, BABY!"<\/p>\n
GET IN @Leon_edwardsmma<\/a>! 🏆#UFC278<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/lbOUdQEPUK<\/a><\/p>\n
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) August 21, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n