BY JOE FERRARO
sportsnet.ca
Many within the Mixed Martial Arts industry circled Feb. 10, 2011 on their calendars, as it was penciled in for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's pre-sale event for the first show at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
It's safe to say the record of 23,152, set by UFC 124 at The Bell Centre in Montreal, has been easily smashed.
In speaking with the organization, initial ticket sales through "Fight Club" members have pushed the original prediction of 42,000 seats, to a grander number in the mid-forty thousands.
While many, including yours truly, would like to see them push towards 50,000 tickets or more, the final number is expected to be around 45,000.
It's an incredible display of success, no matter how one measures it, considering the sport of MMA has yet to see an official bout take place on Ontario soil.
While the organization has released more seats, they have also cautioned that there may be a limited amount of single seats left, as the configuration for the mega event may force them to cap the final total.
With the next step of the pre-sale occurring on Friday, followed by the open public sale on Saturday, the trend appears to be pointing towards one headline Sunday morning:
"UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields SOLD OUT".
