UFC 112 Could be a Monster

The fight card for UFC 112, to be held in Abu Dhabi on April 10th, is slowly taking shape and looks to be an early candidate for event of the year if rumors are true. Matt Hughes and Renzo Gracie have long been penciled for the event, but now it seems as though both Anderson Silva and BJ Penn will defend their belts on card.

Brazilian fight website Tatame has posted an exclusive interview with Carlos Santos of Emirates Team who indicated that both Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort had contacted him about training at his facilities in the week prior to the event.

The fight between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort is in works to take place at UFC 112, on April 10, at Abu Dhabi. Carlos Santos, leader of Emirates Team, revealed to TATAME.com that both fighters called him to train at his training center in Abu Dhabi in the days before the fight. This will be the first UFC event in Abu Dhabi, and will also have the UFC debut of the legend Renzo Gracie, against the five times welterweight champion Matt Hughes.

 

What’s the expectation to the first UFC in Abu Dhabi?

  

The best as possible. It’s going to be one of the best of the world, because Abu Dhabi’s government is giving total support to this event, because it’s gonna be week of fight in Abu Dhabi… Abu Dhabi Fight Week (laughs). Besides UFC on April 10, it’s going to happen, four days before, the national championship of team from government schools, and five days after the World Pro Cup (Jiu-Jitsu) 2010.

 

Are you helping on the event’s organization?

  

At this moment, no, but the same company that will take care of the marketing here on the World Pro will do UFC’s. But we’re here to help everyone, including the visitors that come to see the event.

BJ Penn has also posted a short vlog stating he’ll likely be participating on the Abu Dhabi card, but with no confirmed opponent.

Payout Perspective:

Most people have looked at the Abu Dhabi event and just drawn a single connection  to MMA in the form of the ADCC, but the UFC is very excited about this event for other reasons:

• Sheikh Tanhoon of Abu Dhabi. He is the most powerful man in the country, and also one of MMA’s most avid fans. He trains in BJJ, his son even fights MMA, and he has long wanted the UFC to visit Abu Dhabi.
• Government allocated marketing funds. Abu Dhabi is in a better financial position than Dubai – even before the latest crisis broke – because of their superior oil reserves. However, the region still desires to become a greater tourist and business destination in order to diversify its income and better secure its long term future. The government sees the UFC as an event that will broaden Abu Dhabi’s global appeal, and thus they’re willing to commit money to market the event locally and within the region.
• Abu Dhabi is a prominent location for expansion not only into the Middle East, but Asia as well. The UFC is slowly moving its product eastward and into the most vastly populated regions of the planet: China and India.

Thus, the UFC has a great deal of incentive to put forward a strong card in Abu Dhabi. However, I do question whether its wise to have four title fights within the span of 14 days (five title fights within the span of 35).

The UFC ran into trouble on the back nine of 2009, because it was without title matches for a number of consecutive shows. There’s a risk that some injuries could leave the UFC in a similar position over the summer. The other pitfall of UFC 112 is that Abu Dhabi is 12 hours ahead of PST, which almost guarantees that this huge event will be tape delayed in North America.