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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Dylan James

UFC boss Dana White confirms Principality Stadium considered to host UK's biggest ever event next year

UFC boss Dana White has confirmed the Principality Stadium could host the UK's biggest ever Mixed Martial Arts event early next year.

The headline fight would be Brit Leon Edwards' trilogy decider against UFC legend Kamaru Usman and it would be the first ever UFC event held in Wales.

White made it clear that if the fight is held in a stadium in the UK, it has to have a roof. It comes amid rumours in the sport Cardiff is in line to host a big event.

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Speaking with BT Sport's Adam Catterall, White was open to the idea of having the clash in Wales.

Told by the interviewer that moving from the regular O2 Arena venue to a UK stadium for the first time would see the UFC live gate record smashed, with more than 60,000 fans likely, White said: "I want to do it but what stadium do I do it in if I don't do it in the O2?"

"You could do it in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That'll do 60,000," suggested Catterall.

"Roof?" asked White.

"I could do a roof in Cardiff for you. Cardiff in South Wales, 60,000 with a roof on it at that time of year," answered Catterall.

"The fight is going to be January or February. We can't be screwing around in England without a roof anywhere doing fights. Let's face it, it rains most of the time there," said White.

"You think that if I do it in the stadium in Cardiff, we sell out?" queried White.

"Easy. Like that," said Catterall.

"I'm going to look at it," confirmed White.

Edwards would like the trilogy fight to take place at his beloved Villa Park, but anywhere in the UK would suit him. He his previously suggested Cardiff could be an option in the first quarter of 2023.

"They said early next year, March-ish," Edwards said. "Early next year over here in the UK — the stadium show. I think they’re coming to Wembley because it’s probably cold in March. It might be Cardiff."

Another top fight, Muhammad Mokaev, has said he has heard an event is being planned for Cardiff in March.

Principality Stadium bosses would be keen to host the event, particularly having just missed out on staging Tyson Fury's next fight in December.

Dates would need to be worked out, with Wales hosting two Six Nations rugby matches against Ireland and England on February 4 and February 25. The stadium could easily be turned around into a fight venue following that England game.

Earlier this year the stadium hosted the hugely successful 'Clash at the Castle' WWE event, which saw Cardiff taken over by nearly 70,000 wrestling fans. Anthony Joshua has also staged a number of fights in the Welsh capital, which have proved hugely popular.

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