Via press release:
TORONTO, Ont. (Canada) - UFC® President Dana White has said time and time again that the UFC loves Canada, and that Canadians are among the best and most passionate UFC fans in the world.
Today, in recognition of this great Canadian passion, White and UFC Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright, made the highly anticipated announcement that the Ultimate Fighting Championship® will host its first-ever event in Ontario as the UFC visits Toronto's Rogers Centre on Saturday, April 30, 2011. The UFC also announced it will host a two-day Fan Expo at the Direct Energy Centre on April 29 and 30, rounding out what promises to be an historic and record-setting event.
"Canadians have repeatedly shown how much they love the UFC," said White. "Fans in Ontario have patiently waited and it will pay off as this one will go down in the history books come April 30. I'm very excited - Toronto is going to break the record and host the biggest mixed martial arts event ever in North America."
"This announcement has been a long time coming and we're thrilled," said Wright. "Ontario is obviously a key market as Toronto is one of THE MMA cities in the world," he added. "We're very thankful to Premier Dalton McGuinty, Ministers Sophia Aggelonitis and John Gerretsen and the provincial government for their support in sanctioning and regulating the sport."
Obviously, this is huge news. I'd expect Georges St. Pierre on the card win or lose against Josh Koscheck this weekend. This also would be a good spot for the heavyweight title clash between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, I think. I'm already excited for this show and I have no idea who's on it. If you're anywhere near Toronto (and if if you're not) this is a must-see event. The Rogers Centre is huge and this is going to undoubtedly be the biggest UFC event in history. I know I'm going to do everything I can to be there.