UFC: 25 Cities That Need to Host a UFC Event

As the UFC continues to expand globally, there still remains many international cities that have yet to hold an event yet.

In fact, the UFC has only been held in 10 countries, with UFC 134's event only the second show in history to be held in Brazil.

If the promotion plans to extend its reach even further throughout the world, they must open up markets in Europe, Asia and other continents that are filled with enthusiastic MMA fans.

Here are 25 cities in America and beyond that the UFC needs to hold an event in.

25. Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey may not be known for its fighting fanbase, but it still provides an exotic location that would allow the UFC to thrive there.

The city of Istanbul has rich history hosting many major sporting events, as it is the site for many major soccer and racing tournaments. The city is also bidding to host the Olympics in 2020.

Brining the UFC to Istanbul would definitely pique the interest of the Middle Eastern fan and help expand the sport outside of the United Arab Emirates.

24. Moscow, Russia

Home to legendary heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, Russia has a great MMA fan base and plays host to many different promotions.

"The Last Emperor" has plans to return to the motherland to continue his fighting career despite riding a three-fight losing streak.  

With such an illustrious history with one of the best in the sport, the UFC should definitely consider capitalizing on the Russian market and bring a fight to the capital city of Moscow.  

Many eastern European fighters would love to fight in this bustling city with fans sure to greet them with open arms. The country's long history with sambo would be great primer for increasing Russian fans knowledge of MMA. 

23. Zagreb, Croatia

Croatia has a thriving MMA community thanks to the success of their national hero, Mirko Cro Cop.

In his prime, Cro Cop was one of the most feared heavyweights in the world, with his deadly kickboxing background and past employment in law enforcement.

Although his stardom has faded, Cro Cop and MMA still arouse the passions of fans in Croatia.  The country is home to many up and coming gyms and fighters looking to gain global appeal.

Zagreb, the capital city, is also the home city of Cro Cop, who'd act as a fantastic conduit to bring the UFC to the country.

Tapping into Eastern Europe's fighting fanbase would be a great choice for the UFC as they look to make their presence know in the region.

22. Geneva, Switzerland

Some cities the UFC needs to consider purely based of aesthetics.

What fighter or fan wouldn't want to travel to an eye-pleasing, scenic area to enjoy a UFC event?

One such place is Geneva, the second most populous city in Switzerland. Geneva is at the center of the global relations scene and would provide a viable location to plant the seeds for future European MMA fans.

Ice hockey remains the top sport in Geneva, but like Canada, Swiss fans would be open to the idea of embracing MMA if the UFC held an event there.

21. Buenos Aires, Argentina

One of the biggest cities in South America, Buenos Aires is annually one of the top destinations for tourists.

The capital of Argentina has a booming metropolitan area and a passionate sporting fanbase.

Soccer is obviously the sport of choice there, as it was the host of the 1978 FIFA World Cup. The event proved to be a major success as Argentina took home the gold on their own soil.

The city has also hosted many other top level events, including basketball and volleyball. If the UFC wants to market their banner in South American countries outside of Brazil, there is no better place to start than in Buenos Aires.  

20. Cairo, Egypt

Despite the turmoil that persists in the region, Egypt remains one of the most prosperous countries in the Middle East.

The UFC would have a great time promoting an event in the capital city of Cairo, utilizing the ancient pyramids and the towering Sphinx as an enticing backdrop.

Cairo has a great soccer culture just as passionate as the rest of the international scene. They could capitalize on this and possibly bring an event to the Cairo International Stadium.

With a capacity of over 75,000 fans, it may be hard to sell out the stadium in the region now, but as the sport continues to grow, expect fans to clamor to events in places like Cairo in the future.

19. Beijing, China

Home to the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing has shown that they can successful conduct major sporting events.

Stirring the passion of their people, the Chinese fans came out in force to support their country's athletes. As regional promotions such as ONE Fighting Championship and and Art of War Fighting Championship capitalize on the Beijing market, MMA is on the rise in China.

More and more stars are being produced in the region and should be expected to make the jump to the global scene soon.

The UFC needs to have a bigger presence in China, with Beijing being the perfect city to grow out of. 

18. Santiago, Chile

Brazil may be the martial arts capital of South America, but other countries are starting to join the bandwagon.

One such country is Chile.

Chile is starting to import jiu-jitsu experts and MMA fighters as the sport grows in the country.  

The capital city of Santiago has a great culture, with fantastic food and an exciting night life, a must visit place for tourists, making it a good location to hold a UFC.

17. Copenhagen, Denmark

Denmark has been one of the fastest growing MMA fanbases.

The sport is growing by leaps and bounds in the country and looks to continue to gain popularity among sporting fans.

Top UFC Welterweight Marin Kampmann hails from Denmark, with many up and coming prospects from the country waiting in the wings. Upstart promotions such as Cage Fight Live are gaining steam in Denmark as well.

The perfect place in Denmark to hold a UFC would be in the capital city of Copenhagen, which has hosted many notable boxing events in the past, including fights involving Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson.

Going to Denmark would help expand MMA's reach in Europe and get more European countries interested in the UFC.

16. Barcelona, Spain

Other than London, England, the UFC has shied away from the other big European cities.

As the UFC continues to hold events in Germany and England, they should also look to Spain and its neighbors to have fights.

A beautiful city with a fantastic night life, Barcelona's coastal location would be an attractive place to bring MMA to.

The sport is slowly on the rise in the country, and a push by the UFC would cause a stir among viewers who would want to start training.

15. Honolulu, Hawaii

BJ Penn's home state has surprisingly never hosted a UFC.

Home of some of the best jiu-jitsu schools as well as a legend of the sport, Hawaii would be a great location for a UFC event, especially for one outside.

The beautiful scenery and near perfect weather would be an amazing back drop for the Octagon and the lovely ring girls.

Many other promotions have held events in Hawaii, with some pretty big fights on their cards. MMA legend Renzo Gracie took on Penn in a huge bout in 2005 in Honolulu.

Bringing the UFC banner to this paradise destination would be a great combination. 

14. St. Petersburg, Russia

Whenever I hear St. Petersburg, for some reason I always think of Rocky IV, even though the movie didn't take place there.

The tragic death of Apollo Creed at the hands of Ivan Drago, Rocky's training in the snow, the final battle in Soivet Russia.  All these inspiring images come to mind when thinking about fighting and Russia.

The UFC could have had its own version of Rocky versus Drago back in the day if they just got their deal with Fedor Emelianenko done.  Maybe when he retires they could have a senior league with Randy Couture and Fedor.  Hell, maybe Sylvester Stallone himself would join!

St. Petersburg would be an amazing place to have a UFC overseas and an event that Russian fans would really embrace.

13. Kallang, Singapore

For fans of Asian MMA promotions, there is no need to remind you that Singapore is home to one of the best MMA teams in the East.

Evolve MMA houses some of the best in the sport, including Shinya Aoki and Rafael dos Anjos, and a swarm of Muay Thai champions and up and coming MMA fighters.  

Evolve and their home country will be featured in the first show of the newly formed promotion ONE Fighting Championship. The show, to be held in Kallang, Singapore, will have many of the team's best fighters on the card.

ONE FC's first event looks to sell out the over 12,000 seats at Singapore Indoor Stadium. The UFC could sell twice as many seats in the region in mere hours.

The growing MMA scene there should strongly encourage UFC to bring an event there.  

12. Melbourne, Australia

The UFC has done a great job rousing the passion of Australian fans.

With two fantastic events under their belt in Sydney, the promotion should look to delve deeper into the country's large fan base.

Another great location would be Melbourne, the second most populous city in Australia.

A growing metropolitan area, Melbourne is a large urban city that has prospered over the last two decades. Docklands Stadium, the premier soccer arena in the city, can hold an large capacity of fans and would be a great venue choice.

Australia remains a prime country for the UFC to grow its international fan base. 

11. Johannesburg, South Africa

South Africa has a growing martial arts fanbase who would enthusiastically support the UFC coming to Johannesburg.

One of the biggest countries thriving in Africa, to truly become a global entity, the UFC must make their mark in Africa.

South Africa has proven to be a great sporting country, as the 2010 FIFA World Cup can attest to. I'm not sure how Dana White would react to the vuvuzelas, though.

The crowds may not be as rambunctious as the soccer fans, but there is no doubt that an audience in Johanessburg would be pumped to watch the UFC.

10. Seoul, South Korea

For the majority of upstart MMA promotions, South Korea has posed problematic.

Even bigger ones such as Dream and K-1 have found little success doing business in the region.

I have faith, however, that the largest promotion in the sport can fair much better.  Recently, new promotion Road Fighting Champiohship has proven that success can be found in Korea, with their last show providing a great night of fights.

MMA is growing in South Korea with more and more stars from the country continuing their winning ways on the big stage.

Korean fans would flock to a UFC in Seoul, the capital city, as they did in 1988 for the Olympic Games.

Seoul is also one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the world, making it a prime place for the UFC to attract fans in the East.

9. Mexico City, Mexico

The UFC has done a lot of work in America's northern neighbor, but little has been accomplished at its southern border.

Although Mexico is a hot bed for boxing stars, there has been no push to jump start their MMA scene.

With UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez being of Mexican descent, I can think of no better ambassador for the sport of mixed martial arts for the region.

Mexico City, a prime place for boxing matches, would be a great city to hold a UFC event and would attract fans from both sides of the border.

8. Arlington, Texas

At first glance, Arlington, Texas seems like an odd choice.

But considering it is the home to Cowboys Stadium, I can assure you that it is a top priority for the UFC.

Capable of housing over 100,000 fans, the stadium has already held some big boxing events, including Manny Pacquiao on two separate occasions.

How scary would it be to see Brock Lesnar on their giant, 160 foot screen!

A UFC at Cowboys Stadium needs to happen!

7. Rome, Italy

It's a shame that the UFC is getting rid of the gladiator opening; they haven't even had an event in Rome yet!

Home to the Colosseum, the ancient battle grounds of the gladiators of old, having a UFC in Rome would be very marketable for the promotion.

UFC Middleweight Alessio Sakara is Italy's biggest contribution to the MMA world, with the country only on the cusp of an MMA awakening.  The country has been on the promotion's radar for some time as they look to expand further into the European markets.

The city itself is a prime place to house the venue and would be a win-win for both Rome and the UFC.

If a UFC in Rome does become a reality, maybe they can bring back the opening just one more time!

6. Hong Kong, China

Home to the greatest martial artist of all-time, Bruce Lee, Hong Kong is the capital of martial arts for the world.

Many of the arts in use by fighters today have origins in ancient Chinese arts and still hold a thread to their native country.

Mixed martial arts' principles align perfectly with Bruce Lee's philosophy of Jeet Kune Do.  Holding a UFC in Hong Kong would be the perfect place to pay homage to the legend.

Although China has not produced a large amount of top level fighters, it remains an untapped resource, with millions of fans waiting to be uncovered.  

The UFC would be surprised by the amount of support they will receive if they bring fights there.  

5. Tokyo, Japan

Japan was once the Mecca of MMA during the sport's formative years.

Although Pride is gone, there remains a large following for the UFC and other promotions as the number of Japanese fans continues to increase for the sport.

The UFC has not held an event in Japan in over 10 years. Bringing the UFC back to Tokyo would be a fantastic event for the promotion.

The number of Japanese superstars to make the move to the UFC has been in the rise, and their presence at another event in Japan would make the fans there go crazy.

The UFC has plans to hold fights there in 2012, possibly in Saitama. A successful showing should urge the promotion's brass to continue to bring bouts to Japan and hopefully to an even bigger stage.

4. New York, New York

The No. 1 place that fans are pushing to have a UFC in the US is of course New York City.

Although the sport remains illegal in the state, the UFC and MMA industry leaders still are pushing for the sport to be sanctioned there.

When the time comes, you can count on the UFC to bring a star studded card to the Big Apple. Just imagine seeing Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva duke it out at the center of Madison Square Garden.

MMA fans have only one thing to say New York politicians: Get this deal done! 

3. Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The casual fan may not know, but the Netherlands has been a hot bed for renowned kickboxers for decades.

Home to such notable fighters as Alistair Overeem, Gegard Mousasi, Bas Rutten and Marloes Coenen, the Dutch kickboxing scene is one of the biggest in the world.

Many kickboxers of the Netherlands have found an immense amount of success in mixed martial arts and have gained a great following in the US as well as their home country.

Bringing a UFC event to the capital city of Amsterdam would be a huge deal for the Dutch fans and will truly show MMA's global reach and appeal. The bustling city would also provide a great travel destinations for international fans to enjoy themselves in before the fights.

The Netherlands should be near the top of the UFC's list of countries to hold an event. 

2. Bangkok, Thailand

No other country has had as big of an impact on the striking aspect of MMA than the country of Thailand.

The birthplace of the Muay Thai, a core martial art for every aspiring fighter, Thailand entices athletes from across the globe to train with some of the best strikers in the world.

Muay Thai is a national past time for the country, making it easier for the UFC to promote the sport in the region. Fans would surely embrace the promotion and their fighters, many of whom consider the Thai boxing camps they train at a second home.

Bringing MMA to the capital city of Bangkok would reach a demographic yet to be tapped by the UFC and further its reach into the global fanbase.

1. Manila, Philippines

For those who have an intimate knowledge of the fighting arts, the Philippines is considered a Mecca of the East for combat sports.

Not only is it the birthplace of some of the most vicious, armed martial arts such as Eskrima, it is also the home of boxing world champion and Filipino congressman Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao has taken the world by storm in recent years with his dominance over every opponent in the ring and is considered a national hero in his home country of the Philippines.

The country has a great history with boxing, as the city of Manila hosted the "Thrilla in Manila," one of the most famous boxing matches of all-time. The 1975 bout featured two legends, as Muhammad Ali TKO'd Joe Frazier to become the undisputed World Heavyweight champion.

Now as MMA has become popular, what better place for the UFC to give respect to those who came before than in the city of Manila?

MMA has gained significant popularity in the the Philippines and has already become a target city for the newly created ONE Fighting Championship to host an event there.

I can not think of a better city for the UFC to make its mark on not only the globe, but the history books as well.