Fanboys rejoice: MMA fighting finally coming to Toronto in April 2011

Fanboys rejoice: MMA fighting finally coming to Toronto in April 2011

The Rogers Centre will host the first UFC match (Image: Mark Richardson)

After a long battle that seemed as pointless as trying to beat Georges St-Pierre, the Ontario government finally relented earlier this year and said yes, they’d allow MMA fighting in the province. Speculation as to when Toronto would get its first UFC match and whether GSP himself would come here started almost immediately. At least one of those questions has been answered today. According to the CBC:

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will make its Ontario debut in April.

UFC president Dana White says UFC 131 will take place April 30 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

White says he expects the mixed martial arts show to be “massive.”

No word yet, apparently, on who will be competing but given that GSP is already fighting in Montreal in February, it’s doubtful he’d make an appearance inside the octagon for the Toronto show. Alas, GTA fans are going to have to wait a bit longer before Sportsnet’s Athlete of the Year graces our fair city.

Meanwhile, for people who for some reason aren’t fans of watching grown men wail on each other, we’d suggest preparing for a weekend away late in April. Not that we expect G20-style chaos, but for at least that day it’s going to be violence-seeking and testosterone run amok… actually, maybe it will look a lot like the G20.

Toronto to host UFC 131 in spring [CBC News]