The Octagon returns to Toronto on Saturday for UFC 231, where Max Holloway will defend the featherweight title against Brian Ortega and Valentina Shevchenko will face former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the vacant flyweight belt.
Toronto has a history of hosting big events for the UFC, including stops on both the McGregor v. Aldo and McGregor v. Mayweather world tours.
Here we come Toronto!!!! See u tomorrow #MayweathervsMcGregor #Toronto @TheNotoriousMMA @FloydMayweather @ufc @MayweatherPromo pic.twitter.com/js1P15aeGR
— Dana White (@danawhite) July 11, 2017
It’s no accident that major events find their way to Toronto according to UFC president Dana White.
“This is where it all started for us in Canada, this was like the hub and anytime I get the chance to come to Canada, I’m in,” Dana White told TSN.ca. “Toronto is a big sports town and you’ve got to bring it when you come to Toronto.”
Dana White announces Toronto will host UFC 231 in December. VIDEO: https://t.co/fFKOtuzEQ1 pic.twitter.com/PAkzp83UXI
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 7, 2018
The landmark event for the UFC in Toronto was the very first show after the sport was legalized in the province of Ontario, UFC 129. Canadian Georges St-Pierre earned a unanimous decision victory over Jake Shields to retain the welterweight title in the main event in front of a record setting 55-thousand fans at the sold out Rogers Centre.
White was aware right away that he had found one of the best markets for his promotion.
“I knew the first time we came here,” said White. “If you think about when we were trying to get sanctioned here how much the fans were part of that. There were marches to get the UFC up here; this place has been hot for a long time.”
“It was the first time we ever did a stadium show and it was awesome.”
