Unlike some past host cities, Indianapolis truly embraced the event. The fans were spectacular. The local newspaper’s weeklong coverage included a front-page story on the day of the event. Local and international celebrities — including John Mellencamp and Dwayne Johnson — showed up before the prelims began. And Indianapolis firefighter Chris Lytle, a former Purdue University football player and NFL vet, Matt Mitrione and Indy MMA veteran Sean McCorkle all were treated like rock stars during their UFC 119 victories.
“It’s a great city,” UFC president Dana White. “We’re definitely coming back.”
Quite simply, it solidified Indy’s standing as a great MMA town.
And despite its smaller size, it’s time the Dayton area — which has an equally rabid fan base — gets a similar opportunity.
Ohio, of course, has hosted UFC events. The organization traveled to Nationwide Arena in Columbus each March from 2007-2009. Cincinnati also got an event in 2007. And though October’s UFC 123 event ultimately landed in suburban Detroit, Cleveland was in the running.
But even with one of the organization’s most devoted television markets, Dayton hasn’t really been on the UFC’s radar. And that’s surprising considering UFC fighters Rich Franklin (West Chester Twp.), Matt Brown (Xenia), Dustin Hazelett (West Chester Twp.) and Matt Hamill (Loveland) all hail from the area. An event with just a couple of those fighters easily could fill the 12,000-seat Nutter Center, even if it were for one of the UFC’s smaller “UFC Fight Night” events that air on Spike TV rather than pay-per-view.
Additionally, as was evident with UFC 119, Midwest fight fans travel. A day’s drive is nothing for devoted UFC followers, and that’s good news considering Dayton is within 500 miles of more than half the country’s population.
Bernie Profato, the executive director of the Ohio Athletic Commission, is a leader in MMA regulation, and the commission regulates more annual shows than any other in North America. The UFC’s prior Ohio shows have averaged more than 17,000 fans and the local media was one of the first to cover MMA as sport.
So how about it, UFC? With the 2011 schedule filling, why not reserve a spot for Dayton?
Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, voted best media outlet in the 2008 and 2009 World MMA Awards. For the latest mixed-martial-arts news, go to MMAjunkie.com.
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