UFC
UFC NEWS: Returns to Australia, Abu Dhabi in the works for 2011; Las Vegas return on July 2 coming as well
Oct 21, 2010 - 9:16:20 PM UFC NEWS: Returns to Australia, Abu Dhabi in the works for 2011; Las Vegas return on July 2 coming as well

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC is setting up their 2011 schedule with some return trips to international venues they visited in 2010, as well as a July 4 weekend return to Las Vegas.

According to a report from Sportsnet.ca, the organization is looking to return to Sydney, Australia for a second straight February with an event on the 19th or 26th. In addition, MMAJunkie.com reports that the UFC will return to Abu Dhabi in 2011, and will have an event in Las Vegas on July 2.

The UFC made their debut down under in February of this year, bringing UFC 110 to the Acer Arena. The card featured Cain Velasquez in his first UFC main event against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, as well as the bout between Michael Bisping and Wanderlei Silva and a lightweight bout between Joe Stevenson and George Sotiropoulos.

In April of this year, the UFC brought UFC 112 to Abu Dhabi and a custom built arena on Yas Island. That card featured two title fights, as Frankie Edgar captured the Lightweight Championship with a decision win over B.J. Penn and Anderson Silva had a highly disappointing title defense against Demian Maia.

This year's July 4 weekend card featured the massive Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin fight, and their return in 2011 continues the their recent tradition of events close to the July 4 holiday.

Penick's Analysis: It's great that the UFC is looking to keep the interest in these markets, but they've got a lot of others that they've yet to return to as well. And that's very much why Dana White is right about the oversaturation issue. There's not an oversaturation in the sport right now. What we are seeing is perhaps not enough star power to sustain expectations for some markets when the UFC does come to town. Fans want to see the UFC and they want to see UFC caliber fights and fighters, and there's unfortunately only so many events the organization can run in a year in only so many locations. They can and will eventually add more events to the schedule, but what it will mean is less stacked cards and more one or two-fight cards, where the undercards aren't nearly as strong as some we've seen in recent years. But that should be expected, and as long as the fights themselves deliver, fans will continue to come out for the sport and for the UFC in droves.