Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria’s rise to stardom has brought up the possibility of hosting a major event in Spain, and UFC exec Marc Ratner has said that the promotion does hope to go there in the next year or so.
“Two or three years ago you never heard of Topuria, nobody knew much about him,” Ratner told MMA Junkie Radio. “Now he’s a real star.”
“That’s the goal to go to Spain in the next year or so,” Ratner added later. “In an arena. I don’t know if they have the right arenas there yet.”
Ratner would be in a position to know as the Vice President Of Regulatory Affairs has helped the promotion break into other territories in the past.
That being said, it’s worth noting that Dana White had shut down Topuria’s hopes of having his next fight be in Spain following his win at UFC 317.
“Spain isn’t even an option right now,” White told reporters at the UFC 317 post-fight press conference.
However, White’s follow-up comments tied in more closely with what Ratner appears to be suggesting could happen.
“It is the goal,” White said. “We’ve been trying to get into Spain for a while here. But hopefully — that’s what I want to do and we’ll see if we can get it done…we’ll see what’s available and let’s see what we can figure out.
“We’re definitely going to Spain, it’s just a matter of when.”
So there’s clearly a real push to have the UFC finally visit Spain, and knowing Topuria he won’t be shy to continue to push for it.
That being said, it’s worth remembering that even Conor McGregor in his prime years wasn’t able to convince the UFC to realize his dream of fighting at a stadium in his native Ireland, and in fact has only ever fought once over there in his entire 14-fight run in the Octagon.
