UFC Event May Be In Wisconsin By Year's End

Written by Paul Fladten

Friday, 05 February 2010 08:24

regs9 On the heels of the MMA regulations becoming official in the state of Wisconsin, Mark Ratner announced that Wisconsin should start getting ready to be the host of an Ultimate Fighting Championship card in the very near future.

After flying into Madison for what he called, “a very special occasion for everyone involved”, Ratner was on hand for the official signing of Senate Bill 290, which regulated the sport of mixed martial arts in the Badger state.

Following the signature, Ratner disclosed that Wisconsin could host a UFC event in less than one year.

“Wisconsin has been on our radar for a long time,” said Ratner. “I would say that it is very possible (for the UFC to hold an event in Wisconsin) before the end of the year or early first quarter of 2011. We’re serious about coming here.”

When asked about possible venues for the UFC invasion, Ratner said that Milwaukee is first on the list, but a number of other cities are of interest.

“The one venue that I’ve spoken with is the Bradley Center in Milwaukee,” said Ratner. “Probably our first fight would happen there. But we also like Madison, we like Green Bay, there is a lot of possibilities in this state.”

While fans around the area would like the UFC to come to town tomorrow, Ratner said that a commission must be in tact before anyone should expect an event to occur.

“Right now we want the commission to be going, we want the commission to have a staff, and we want the commission to have trained referees.”

With the news breaking that the UFC is on the verge of coming into Milwaukee, Roufusport's Duke Roufus had trouble hiding a wide grin.

“This bill is only going to bring the bigger organizations here, which I’m all for,” said Roufus. “The more people that go to the big shows are then going to come out to some of the state’s smaller shows.”

Over the past few months, Roufus has expressed his desire for his top local talent to have the opportunity to fight in front of their friends and family. With the bill now official, this dream is now a reality.

“The UFC in Milwaukee would be a great honor,” said Roufus. “I know that the hometown guys like Red (Eric Schafer) and Ben (Rothwell) have always had the goal of fighting in front of their hometown. It will be my job to make sure to know when the show is and get all of them booked to fight here.”

If the commission can be put together effectively, and the state of Wisconsin continues to be in the marketing plan of the UFC, a lifelong dream for many people may come true within the next year.

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