The year of 2020 officially marks a decade of UFC live events in Australia and New Zealand. For the past ten years, the UFC has been bringing the very best mixed martial arts fighters in the world to our screens and our shores.
On February 21, 2010, it was standing room only when the star-studded line-up of UFC athletes first arrived with UFC 110: Nogueira vs Velasquez. With Cain Valesquez walking away the victor of this heavyweight bout, this fight marked the start of a successful relationship between the UFC and Australia.
To celebrate the occasion, the UFC has marked the launch of ‘A Decade In ANZ’, a campaign paying tribute to the organizations record breaking events, crowned champions, passionate fans and unforgettable memories formed in the last 10 years.
Kicking off earlier this month across the UFC’s local social channels, over the coming months the UFC will be joined by its local partners to help fans relive key moments that have defined, shaped and grown the organization and it’s athletes in the region.
From our very first Australian athlete entering UFC to compete at UFC 30, to setting world attendance records, to Robert Whittaker claiming the middleweight belt, Alexander Volkanovski the current champion of the featherweight division and everything in between, this road to the Octagon is one for the books.
“Australia has been incredible to us,” said UFC President Dana White, “we love coming here and putting on epic shows for the Australian and New Zealand fans. The growth we’ve seen not only in the events but also in the athletes from Australia and New Zealand – Whittaker, Adesanya, Volkanovski, Hooker… the list goes on. These guys are super exciting to watch and the fans from that region are some of the best in the world.”
The UFC Fight Pass will come into play, with a collection created especially for ‘A Decade In ANZ’, showcasing our 18 events and standout performances by Australian and New Zealand athletes, combined with regular fights and content. From Monday the 20th of July, fans and new users can access an extended free 10-day trial for the remainder of July and unlock the decade of dust-ups.
Fans are encouraged to share their favourite moments from UFC in Australia and New Zealand across social media by using the hashtag #UFCANZ10, with the UFC pushing out special content to accompany the key moments and big events of the decade.
Australia has played host to 15 events in the past, including sold out shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and the Gold Coast, accumulating gross gate revenue of more than $50m AUD. It proves the overwhelming response to the UFC in Australia, with fans in the millions tuning in and packing out stadiums to watch their favourite fighters enter the Octagon.