Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE: Which city, stadium and card would give the UFC the best chance at matching UFC 129? MMATorch staff and contributors comment
May 3, 2011 - 2:05:47 PM ROUNDTABLE: Which city, stadium and card would give the UFC the best chance at matching UFC 129? MMATorch staff and contributors comment

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Which stadium in which city (and what type of card) would give the UFC the best chance at matching attendance for UFC 129?

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Well, the UFC could of course fill any stadium in any city with any card if they lower the prices enough and paper the hell out of the host city.  But to draw 55,000+ people and draw a $12,000,000 gate?  There are only two places that I foresee surpassing the benchmarks that have been established in Toronto.

Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas:  If that card featured GSP vs. Anderson Silva, a Heavyweight Title fight between Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar, as well as a strong supporting card, that might be enough to do it.

Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York:  UFC would be foolish to not try to sell out Yankee Stadium once they finally get cleared to run in New York.  If they put one of the aforementioned mega-fights on a card, and supported it with a Frankie Edgar title fight, a Matt Serra fight, and packed the rest of the card, with all the wealth that still exists in NYC, a show at Yankee Stadium could give last weekend's show a run.

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Well, any large arena stadium would work to match or better the attendance at UFC 129, the real issue is making the right card. If Brock Lesnar is able to get back into the title picture, he would have to be on the card. There would have to be at least two titles on the line, with high-drawing champions or contenders. It would have to be a stacked card. The UFC is going to have to bust out something special to beat the attendance at UFC 129, and it's going to have to be similar to the UFC 100 card.

ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

The New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey has a capacity of 82,500.  Drawing from New Jersey and New York City, the numbers from Toronto are possible.  I also think a fight in Mexico could draw similar numbers if the correct fight card could be put together.  One outdoor stadium in Mexico is the Azteca stadium, and it can hold over 100,000 people. A GSP versus Anderson Silva super fight could realistically pull those type of numbers, but the undercard would need to be excellent as well.  If the UFC could sign the Strikeforce fight between Fedor and Dan Henderson on the same card and cross promote the two organizations, that would really help drive the number of viewers to this live show.  It will be hard to match the 55,000 tickets sold for UFC 129, because of the draw of GSP in his home country.

ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Hands down the venue to have it in would have to be the new Yankee stadium.  It's in New York.  It's Yankee stadium.  That alone makes it the ideal place to have a fight.

ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Same venue as UFC 129, the Toronto SkyDome, but opened up for additional seating.  A strong undercard would help, but the fight that is crucial to breaking the record is Georges St. Pierre vs Anderson Silva.

MATT PELKEY, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

There's only one answer: Anderson Silva-GSP in Cowboy Stadium. 

JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I'm not sure where they'd match the attendance per se, but they could definitely match the spectacle by putting a big fight in Cowboy Stadium. And if the goal is to do big attendance and big numbers, there's no reason not to bring a stacked card. Perhaps Jon Jones' first title defense underneath the colossal Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre match up would be appropriate.