DaytonDailyNews.com

For the third time in less than 12 months, the state of Ohio will likely host an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.

According to industry insiders, the UFC already has begun preparations for a March 1 show in Columbus.

It would be the UFC's second show at Nationwide Arena — and the third overall in the Buckeye State — in less than a year.

Make no bones about it: It'd be a remarkable feat for the Ohio Athletic Commission and the state's reputation as an MMA powerhouse.

During the past couple of years, a number of states have passed legislation so their respective athletic commission could begin regulating MMA events.

The market for the sport is booming, and landing a major UFC event can mean a windfall of revenue for the commissions. However, the UFC only produces one or two events per month, so there are far more prospective hosts than available dates.

That's why the likelihood of Ohio getting three events in one year is so impressive.

It all started back in March, when UFC 68 took place at Nationwide Arena. The event set a North American MMA attendance record and shattered venue records for live gate, tickets sold and merchandise sales. (The success of that event led the organization to book UFC 77, which ttakes place Saturday, Oct. 20, at Cincinnati's at Cincinnati's U.S. Bank Arena.)

UFC 68 coincided with the Arnold Sports Festival, a three-day exhibition and trade show that draws approximately 100,000 sports enthusiasts from around the world. Once the 2008 dates (Feb. 29 through March 2) for this year's festival were finalized, the UFC apparently targeted a March 1 Columbus event for its 2008 fight schedule.

UFC 77 weigh-ins

Weigh-ins for Cincinnati's UFC 77 event take place Oct. 19 at U.S. Bank Arena. The event is free and open to the public.

Doors open at 3 p.m., and the first fighter will likely hit the scale at about 4 p.m.

Unlike boxing (and even other MMA promotions), the UFC's weigh-ins are events in and of themselves. Be sure to bring a camera and a Sharpie; the laid-back affairs usually draw a fair number of fighters and other celebrities.

Countdown on Spike TV

"Countdown to UFC 77," a one-hour special that focuses on Cincinnati native Rich Franklin's upcoming main event with middleweight champion Anderson Silva, will air on Spike TV.

The program debuts at 11 p.m. Oct. 16 and re-airs at 11 p.m.

Oct. 19 and at 6 p.m. Oct. 20.

Dann Stupp is founder and editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, a content-partner site of Yahoo! Sports. Bookmark mmajunkie.com for the latest in UFC and MMA news.