Fertitta Visits Recife; Brazilian City Could Host 2012 UFC Card
Lorenzo Fertitta (left) met with Pernambuco Governor Eduardo
Campos. | Photo: Pernambuco State Government
Even before August’s sold-out UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, reports surfaced that Ultimate Fighting Championship officials had begun eying additional Brazilian venues -- including a 100,000-capacity convention center in Manaus, Amazonas -- as potential sites for 2012 events.
This week, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta paid a visit to another possible location, the Pernambucan capital of Recife, a city which will also host games in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Fertitta met on Monday with Pernambuco Governor Eduardo Campos, who resolved to assemble a state committee which will meet the requirements of the promotion.
“Today, many of our children see these athletes as true idols, like the soccer players,” Governor Campos told the media. “Our idea is to show that a champion does not use drugs.”
Fertitta added that the company intends to hold three major events in the country in 2012 and will also produce a Brazilian version of its long-running reality series, “The Ultimate Fighter.” The UFC exec left Recife on Monday to fly to Salvador, Bahia, where he observed the training of top heavyweight contender and UFC on Fox headliner Junior dos Santos.
