Graciemag reports that the UFC will return to Brazil in November 2011. The event will be held in Rio de Janeiro.
Via Graciemag:
The venue, according to sources, will be the HSBC Arena, in Barra da Tijuca, where sporting events and concerts by bands like Green Day, Bob Dylan, and R.E.M. have performed in the past. The UFC crew, including Dana White, has already approved of the location, after visiting Rio some months ago.
The arena’s capacity is 15,000 for sporting events. It has hosted basketball and gymnastics for the 2007 Pan American Games.
Payout Perspective:
The return to Brazil fits in with the UFC’s current growth spurt. Obviously, the UFC/WEC merger has bolstered the roster of fighters. The expansion of the UFC’s fan reach means holding events internationally. Brazil makes sense due to the great ties many fighters have with the country, not to mention the rich tradition of martial artists from Brazil.
One could only imagine the local stars featured on the card (Aldo, Silva, Machida, etc.) and the great fan response.
It”s in the same time zone so maybe they don’t headline it with Couture vs Ortiz and pretend it is a stacked card like they do with the European shows.
The question is, how much money can they make from a show in Brazil? Zuffa has never sounded encouraged about the prospects of the market…