Senior VP Dave Shaw: UFC ‘actively trying to get back’ to Canada, New Zealand and Australia – MMA Junkie

Posted: June 11, 2022 at 2:00 am

SINGAPORE UFC senior vice president Dave Shaw has provided an update on the promotions international plans.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the UFC is yet to return to Canada, New Zealand and Australia, where theyve held numerous shows throughout the years.

Laws and restrictions have made it difficult for the octagon to return to those countries, but Shaw says its also a matter of a conflict of scheduling and finding the available slots for the UFC to host events.

We are actively trying to get back to regions and countries like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Shaw told MMA Junkie. Countries we havent been to in a while that are very important markets for us, not only in terms of the partnerships that weve got, the content relationships that weve got, but also the number of athletes, and of course as you mentioned, some of the champions that we have.

Heres whats happening the world right now as COVID sort of eases a little bit and countries are opening up, is youve got this massive push towards live events. Youve got concerts, youve got exhibitions, youve got sporting events, and were no different. So the challenge for us is actually trying to find venues that are available when we need them to be available.

Canada has played host to some blockbuster pay-per-view events headlined by UFC Hall of Famer and former dual-champ Georges St-Pierre. Shaw said when the UFC return to Canada, itll be for another big show.

We want to get back first and foremost with a pay-per-view to Canada, Shaw said. I dont believe that July and August are the best times to come, its also really difficult to come in March, April, May when hockey playoffs are at sort of their fever pitch. So for us, weve got a few kind ofkey dates for pay-per-views in other regions around the world.

October historically weve been in Vegas, December weve been in Vegas, November weve been in New York, so trying to fit in a PPV in Canada or Australia, theres only so many times throughout the course of the year that we can actually get there and then you run into the problems that I just mentioned with availability. So were actively trying, were trying to get there as soon as possible.

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Senior VP Dave Shaw: UFC 'actively trying to get back' to Canada, New Zealand and Australia - MMA Junkie

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