The only thing standing between Calgary and a second UFC pay-per-view hosting gig is the legalization of mixed martial arts in New York State.
On Saturday night, UFC president Dana White told reporters that returning to Calgary remains his biggest priority in Canada and that December is serving as a tentative date unless New York legalizes the sport.
To be clear, the organization wants nothing more than to finally bring its product to the Empire State, but it’s nonetheless good news for Calgary fight fans who’ve been gradually losing faith in White’s repeated promises of a return.
While Madison Square Garden is essentially No. 1 on the UFC’s remaining bucket list of host venues, mixed martial arts still faces an uphill battle in its fight for legalization.
If its bid for legalization falls short, the Dec. 4 UFC 194 card will take place in the Alberta city.
“Calgary is what I’m focused on,” White said at the UFC 186 post-fight press conference.
“I owe them a fight … and what’s determining whether we got to Calgary or not is what happens in New York.
“So people in Calgary should be pulling for no New York and the rest of the world should be pulling for New York.”
Ever since the disastrous UFC 149 card that left fans loudly booing the evening’s final three fights back in 2012, White has promised to bring a blockbuster card back to Calgary.
That card saw big draws — including lightweight champion Jose Aldo and former light-heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua — pull out of the card with injuries and a main card that featured a series of boring fights.
White stood on stage in Las Vegas at the Time is Now press conference and promised ’15 Canadian stops in Montreal, Toronto and Calgary.
Calgary UFC card hinges on legalizing MMA in New York State | MMA | Mixed Martia