UFC 129 has come and gone, and Toronto is still in one piece. Despite hordes of rabid fans crowding into the city, there were no riots, and the moral fiber of the city hasn’t been ripped to shreds. Overall, the aftermath of has been overwhelmingly positive. Here are some reasons why:
1. It filled the Rogers Centre. UFC 129 attracted an audience of 55,724 people to the Rogers Centre (the average attendance for a Blue Jays game last season was just under 24,000). It was easily the most attended UFC event in history, nearly doubling the previous record held by Montreal.
2. It brought in the dough. UFC President Dana White predicted that the event’s economic impact on Toronto would be around $40-million, and he may not have been far off. The event set a gate record of $11.5-million, and considering the crowds that went out after the fight, we think it’s safe to say that Toronto’s coffers didn’t suffer.
3. It showcased some amazing Canadian athletes. Canadian patriotism was bursting at the seams when Georges St-Pierre won his fight, and the event also showcased Toronto’s growing crop of talented mixed martial artists (Claude Patrick, Sean Pierson, Mark Bocek). And if you weren’t blown away by Mark Hominick’s display of sheer heart in his featherweight title match, you have no soul.
4. It solidified Canada’s status as a growing MMA Mecca. Including UFC 129, the three largest fights in UFC history have all been in Canada. In Toronto, UFC shops are opening and a new Toronto magazine, MMA Guide, was recently launched. Dana White struck a chord when he said Georges St-Pierre is bigger than Wayne Gretzsky, but it’s clear that hockey’s mecca is gradually becoming MMA’s mecca.