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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC's return to Australia this February with UFC 127 has tied a record for the organization, as the UFC announced today that tickets for the event sold out in 30 minutes, tying a mark set by UFC 115 in Vancouver this June.
"We're ecstatic," UFC UK President Marshall Zelaznik stated in today's release. "Tickets sold out literally as quickly as the Ticketek phone lines and website would allow, and that's despite us working with our partners at Acer to add an extra 600 seats to the in-arena configuration we had at UFC 110. We will have just over 18,000 fans in attendance at UFC 127 in nine weeks' time and expect to blow the roof off."
The UFC's first trip to the Acer Arena at UFC 110 this February drew just shy of 18,000 with an official attendance of 17,831. This event will best that mark, and Zelaznik praised the fans in Australia for their support of the organization and the sport.
"The UFC's popularity is exploding in Australia, even faster than we could have expected," Zelaznik said. "Over the last 18 months, Australia has become one of the top three or four markets in the world for us. When you consider UFC programming is enjoyed by tens of millions of fans across 150 countries, that's a big statement about the passion Australian sports fans have for the UFC."
The February 27 event, headlined by a welterweight bout between B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch, will air live on pay-per-view in the U.S. on February 26 with the time delay.
Penick's Analysis: The Australian fans are clearly clamoring for the UFC, and with a very exciting card coming on February 27 it's no surprise the tickets went this fast. Penn vs. Fitch is such a highly intriguing fight that it's got most fans excited for a Jon Fitch fight for the first time since his title fight against GSP in 2008. Add to that Carlos Condit vs. Chris Lytle and George Sotiropoulos on the card, as well as an interesting fight between Michael Bisping and Jorge Rivera, and this should be a very good card for the UFC overall.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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