Brisbane to host Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs England

http://www.foxsports.com.au/other-sports/brisbane-to-host-knockout-ufc-show/story-e6frf56c-1226249001616

Brisbane will host a unique UFC event late this year that will be broadcast worldwide and pump millions of dollars into the city's economy.

Queensland's pioneering UFC fighter Kyle Noke (19 wins, five losses) will be among the show's headline acts and will probably fight England's star welterweight Michael Bisping, arguably the most hated man in mixed martial arts (MMA).

The 11,000-capacity Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall will host the event in October, November or December.

Exactly who will fight on the card is undecided, but the show will feature the finale of the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series.

That series will be dubbed "The Smashes" and pit 16 Australian fighters against 16 British fighters across two different weight classes to decide the best combat nation.

The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is the world's premier MMA promotion.

MMA is the fastest-growing sport in the world and allows athletes from various fighting backgrounds to compete against each other in an eight-sided cage.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related Content

Aussie Noke talks ufc

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

Brisbane is the second city in Australia to host a UFC event, with Sydney holding its third show in early March.

UFC's director of international development Marshall Zelaznik said Brisbane's soaring MMA scene ensured it would be the company's next Australian destination.

"Brisbane was always right in our face as a city to host an event because we know how passionate the fans here are," Zelaznik said.

"Fifteen per cent of tickets for our Sydney events are bought by people in Brisbane.

"I think Queenslanders who are not really familiar with our sport will be surprised how big the UFC is.

"The Brisbane event will have the same amount of global television exposure as Melbourne's Australian Open.

"We don't know exactly who will be fighting, except that obviously we would want Kyle (Noke), being a Queenslander.

"The UFC is a family event. I've been taking my son to UFC shows since he was four."

Noke was raised on the Sunshine Coast and was Steve Irwin's bodyguard for several years.

He said the Brisbane show would be perfect for a fight against Bisping, the brash Brit who at Sydney's UFC show last year spat on his opponent after knocking him out.

"I would love to fight Bisping, but either way I will be fighting on that card. I'll do anything to make that happen," Noke said.

Zelaznik said he was confident the Brisbane card and The Ultimate Fighter series would be televised across the nation on free-to-air television after holding negotiations with major networks this week.