The Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts promotion has announced that it will return to Australia for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with an event at Perth’s RAC Arena.
The arena will stage UFC 284 on February 12, 2023. It will mark the first event in Australia since Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium hosted UFC 243 in October 2019.
UFC will return to RAC Arena following the success of its UFC 221 event at the venue in February 2018, which attracted a capacity crowd of 12,000. UFC has partnered with the Western Australian Government, through Tourism Western Australia, to deliver February’s event.
The October 2019 event at Marvel Stadium set a global UFC attendance record, with 57,127 fans turning out. Since 2010, UFC has staged 15 live events in Australia, including sold-out shows at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Entertainment Centre and Gold Coast Convention Centre.
Roger Cook, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism Western Australia, said: “Australia has a real appetite for UFC and the event attracts spectators to Perth from across the country.
“The McGowan Government, through Tourism WA, is proud to support the return of this event back to Perth, after the huge success of the 2018 event. Hosting UFC at RAC Arena is expected to attract thousands of people to WA, who will patronise our local accommodation and hospitality business, and inject millions into our state’s economy.”
Peter Kloczko, UFC’s vice-president in Australia and New Zealand, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to finally be returning to Australia. Our athletes, fans and partners have been extremely patient to have a UFC event back on Australian soil. I want to thank the McGowan Government and Tourism Western Australia for their continued support for UFC, MMA and making UFC 284 in Perth possible.”
Collectively, UFC events in Australia have attracted over 265,000 fans.
