Good news for Irish MMA fans: the UFC is set to make a return to Ireland before the end of 2015 .
UFC President Dana White announced at the "UFC 189 World Championship Tour" news conference in Dublin that the Octagon would return to the country before the end of 2015. The date and location, however, were not announced.
MMAJunkie noted that UFC's most recent trip to Ireland took place in July last year at The O2 in Dublin. Conor McGregor, the hometown superstar, headlined the event in a featherweight bout against "The Ultimate Fighter 14" winner Diego Brandao in front of a capacity crowd of 9,500.
Prior to that event, UFC was absent from Ireland for over five years. UFC 93, highlighted by Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson, took place back in Jan. 2009.
According to SportsJoe, UFC's visit to Dublin in July was such a success that Irish MMA fans have been putting up a howl for White to take the Octagon to Croke Park. However, logistical problems with the stadium's curfew reportedly cancelled that plan.
That said, Dana White's announcement that the UFC has plans of returning to the capital before the year ends probably hints at an autumn fight card at the 3Arena. Although McGregor may presumably not headline, as a result of his drawing power for American audiences, there are a host of other willing candidates who may appear, such as Cathal Pendred, Paddy Holohan, and Aisling Daly, to name a few.
UFC President Dana White reportedly plans to put on a card at Dublin's noted Croke Park GAA Stadium, MMAJunkie noted. The venue holds in excess of 80,000 people. White purportedly said it's in the cards, provided that regulatory hurdles with the city can be cleared.
White was in Dublin for the final stop in the UFC 189 Championship World Tour, featuring UFC 189 headliners McGregor and Jose Aldo, who attempts his 8th title defense, for the July 11 pay-per-view event to be held at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.
