Will Calgary host UFC 289 in June? Speculation grows on social media
Mixed-martial arts may be returning to Calgary June 10 for UFC 289. Above, fighters from UFC 149, which was in Calgary in 2012
It looks as if there will be a lot of mayhem afoot in the Saddledome this summer.
Tuesday, journalist Ariel Helwani tweeted that there's a plan to bring UFC 289 to Calgary on June 10.
That, Helwani added, would be a make-good for UFC 149 in 2012, when a lot of last-minute changes to the card resulted in a terrible night of fights.
In fact, the fights were so bad UFC president Dana White promised to come back and do it all again.
The 2012 event sold out, drawing over 16,000 people and grossing $4.1 million, but the main bouts were so lacklustre, even White complained about them.
"We need to bounce back after a bad show," he said, in a 2012 National Post article. "I hope we didn't leave a bad taste in Calgary's mouth. But now we regroup.
"We'll be back here."
"These locations are changing a lot these days but this one is definitely looking good for Calgary," Helwani added in his Twitter thread. "Hope it happens for y'all in Alberta and Canada. This would be the first UFC event in Canada since before the pandemic."
The UFC card would be the first in a trio of summer slugfests: on July 15, there will be an All Elite Wrestling (AEW) card at the Saddledome, followed on Aug. 11 by a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Smackdown event.
AEW House Rules wrestling will be in Calgary July 15
Tickets for the Smackdown go on sale Wed., April 5 at 10 a.m.
Tickets for the AEW card are on sale now.
UFC 289 hasn't been confirmed yet.
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