The UFC's first Canadian event of 2012 is likely to come on July 21 in Calgary.
MMAjunkie.com (
UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) today confirmed the tentative plans with multiple event sources following an initial report from Joe Ferraro of Sportsnet's "UFC Central."
Although not official, the event is expected to take place at the 19,000-seat Scotiabank Saddledome.
No fights are rumored the card, which is expected to air on pay-per-view and FX.
Calgary, which is located in the southern portion of the Canadian province of Alberta, has never previously hosted a UFC event. However, the city, which boasts approximately 1.1 million residents, is the third largest in the country. It's home to the NHL's Calgary Flames, who also play at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
To date, only three other Canadian cities have hosted UFC events: Montreal (four times), Vancouver (two) and Toronto (two). However, UFC president Dana White recently said the organization had been planning a trip to Calgary.
Calgary would kick off the UFC's 2012 schedule in Canada, which also is expected to host UFC shows in Montreal and Toronto later this year. Montreal, in fact, was announced as a host site for a March 24 event expected to be UFC 145. However, officials ultimately scrapped the show (due in part to a void of worthy headliners) and moved the announced fights to Atlanta, which now hosts UFC 145 on April 21.
