The UFC’s Head Of Canadian Operations Tom Wright has revealed that ticket sales for UFC 152 have been given a boost after the Jon Jones Vs Vitor Belfort light-heavyweight title fight was shifted to headline the card in Toronto.
“Ticket sales picked up significantly after that announcement,” Wright told a media conference call . “And you know, I can tell you that we still have some tickets left in all price points, but they are moving really quite quickly.”
Orginally UFC 152 was set to be fronted by the first ever flyweight title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson – a good fight to be sure, but not necessarily one that fans were going to be queuing up in their droves to see.
Perhaps recognizing that fact the UFC had attempted to build a strong main card around it with Michael Bisping Vs Brian Stann and Rory MacDonald Vs BJ Penn, but the latter fight was quickly removed due to an injury and so it wouldn’t have been a surprise if sales had been struggling as a result.
So, while having to cancel UFC 151 was a big blow for the company, the blow will be softened ever so slightly by the news that they’ve more than likely saved UFC 152 from producing mediocre gate receipts and PPV numbers.
However, given that the last time the UFC came to Toronto they produced record breaking numbers with their first ever stadium event at UFC 129, it’s also an indication that despite Canada being one of their biggest worldwide markets, they can’t count on the fans here to sell-out their shows regardless of the quality of the fight card.
