UFC announces 3 European events for 2015

London, UK – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation, has today confirmed the addition of three European events to its 2015 calendar. Speaking at a press conference in Stockholm, three UFC athletes, each representing their home country where the events are set to take place, confirmed that the UFC would this year host events in Poland, Germany and Scotland. 

Poland, announced by Jan Blachowicz and Scotland, announced by Joanne “BadMofo” Calderwood, will be debut events on the UFC calendar while the UFC will return to Germany, announced by Nick “Sergeant” Hein, following a successful event in May 2014. 

Poland’s Kraków Arena will host the country’s first live UFC event on April 11. With both the contingent of Polish athletes now fighting in the UFC and the number of Polish MMA fans growing at a phenomenal rate, David Allen, Senior Vice President and General Manager for UFC in EMEA today explained that Poland was a country which simply could not be ignored this year: 

“Poland has been on our radar for a long time now,” Allen said. “This is a country that celebrates combat sports so we knew that holding an event here would excite the whole country. This event could rival last year’s Dublin event. We expect it to sell-out, without a doubt.” 

Speaking at the press conference, Polish light heavyweight Jan Blachowicz shared his elation at the news: 
“This means a great deal to me. UFC in Poland is growing so quickly and Polish fans have been traveling all over the world to watch MMA events for a long time now. For us to have a UFC event in our home country is truly amazing.”

The UFC also today confirmed the details of its debut event in Scotland, which will take place on July 18 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow. 

Scottish UFC women’s strawweight fighter, Joanne “BadMofo” Calderwood, delivered the news that fans up and down her home country have long been waiting for: “People at home have been asking the UFC to come to Scotland for so long now, so I just know this will be a sellout,” said Calderwood. “It would be a dream come true for me to fight in Glasgow for the UFC. The opportunity to step inside the Octagon in front of a home crowd would be something I’d never forget.” 

The third and final announcement of the day was made by German UFC lightweight Nick “Sergeant” Hein, who earned the love of a Berlin crowd back in May last year when he claimed victory inside the Octagon®. Hein was today given the privilege of announcing that the UFC will return to the O2 World in Berlin on June 20, 2015.

“I was overwhelmed by the support of the German public last year,” said Hein. “The journey that the sport of MMA has taken in my home country is remarkable and the fan base just keeps on growing. To know that the UFC will be back in Berlin this year is just fantastic and I would love, more than anything, to have the opportunity to fight in my home country once again.”

In 2014 the UFC hosted sell-out events in multiple locations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Events in cities including London, Dublin and Stockholm attracted fans from all over the world, and the UFC has made no secret of its intention to increase the number of events it holds across EMEA in 2015. 

“We are wholly committed to the growth of mixed martial arts in these regions,” said Allen. “And we understand that in order to facilitate and drive this growth, we need to reach new markets and actively explore new territories.

“2015 is about bringing fans closer to the sport they follow so fervently and to the athletes that they support so passionately. This year, we will host events that will be remembered for years to come, and we intend to place cities like Kraków, Glasgow and Berlin firmly on the map when it comes to the sport of mixed martial arts.”

Fans can register their interest for the events via the below links:
Poland: www.Eventim.pl/UFC
Germany: www.o2world.de/UFC2015
Glasgow: www.thessehydro.com/ufc-registration-for-the-sse-hydro.aspx