The UFC will hold its first pay-per-view event in Melbourne, Australia next year thanks to the push to make fights in the Octagon legal in Melbourne's state of Victoria.
The event, which is expected to be referred to as UFC 193, will take place on Nov. 15, 2015 at Etihad Stadium, which holds more than 50,000 people, according to MMA Fighting. The promotion has yet to make the event official, and details are expected to be announced in the next few weeks.
Several top fighters are expected to participate in the event, including Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor.
While MMA is legal in Victoria, it is illegal to hold fights in a cage, as fights are only permitted if they are held inside a ring. Recent elections, however, have given power to the Labor party, which has promised to make it legal to fight in the Octagon.
Tom Wright, director of UFC Operations in Canada and Australia, told The Daily Telegraph that the event will have at least one, possibly two, title fights, MMAWeekly reported.
"We only get one chance to make a first impression," Wright said. "I remember when we first went into Toronto, Canada, and (UFC owner) Lorenzo Fertita said 'this is going to be our Super Bowl.' It's the same with Melbourne. That will be our mandate."
"It's why this card has to be headlined with a world title fight. We cannot do an event of this magnitude without putting a belt on the line."
Other fighters expected to compete at the event include heavyweight Mark Hunt and welterweight Hector Lombard.
"We want to give Australian fight fans the ultimate sports experience," Wright said.
