UFC draws capacity crowd in Manchester

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) sold out the Manchester Evening News arena on Saturday 21st April, staging its first British show in five years.

A capacity crowd of nearly 15,000 fight fans turned out to see some of the biggest names in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) do battle, with the £1.3 million generated in ticket sales making the UFC the third-highest grossing event ever held at the arena.

In MMA fights, the athletes use techniques drawn from a variety of martial disciplines. Bouts can be won in a number of ways. As well as knocking out an opponent with punches or kicks, a fighter can also win by placing their opponent in painful holds - such as arm locks - that force them to submit.

In testament to the growing popularity of the sport, stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and English rugby legend Martin Johnson joined the thousands in attendance as fighters from all over the globe matched off.

Perhaps the biggest draw of the night for the local fans was Michael Bisping. The 29-year-old Lancashire man shot to fame last year on an American ultimate fighting reality show.

Given a four-minute standing ovation on his first UFC appearance in front of hometown fans, Bisping - who later described the reception as "incredible" - was matched against plucky Australian journeyman Elvis Sinosic.

He lost no time in bringing the fight to his opponent and, despite Sinosic almost managing to latch on a submission hold, Bisping was able to unleash a barrage of strikes that caused the referee to declare him the winner two minutes into the second round, to the delight of the partisan crowd.

In the headline fight Croatian superstar Mirko Filipovic - a renowned kickboxer - faced the relatively unknown Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga, a champion grappler.

Many felt the outcome to be foregone conclusion, with CroCop widely expected to stop the Brazilian early on with one of his trademark roundhouse kicks to the head.

However Gonzaga had other ideas, shocking the crowd and an estimated 91 million viewers worldwide by knocking the Croatian out with a high kick of his own midway through the first round.

At the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White declared himself to be delighted with the Manchester event and in particular the British fans. "We're here to stay," he told the assembled media, revealing that there are a number of UK shows planned for 2007.

Source: www.manchester.com