It’s official! The city of Abu Dhabi will host UFC 112. The up coming event will be held in the outdoor Concert Arena at Ferrari World on Yas Island.

However, a new arena will be built to host future UFC events.

This announcement is the latest example of how far mixed martial arts has come. It wasn’t too long ago that MMA was nothing more than a sport enjoyed by a niche audience in North America. Today it is a global phenomenon watched by millions of fans in Europe, the Americas, Asia and now the Middle East.

With two title bouts on the main card, UFC 112 is sure to be a great show. Anderson Silva will defend his middleweight belt against Vitor Belfort and B.J. Penn will fight Frankie Edgar. Renzo Gracie will also make his UFC debut against former welterweight champion Matt Hughes.

This bout is of particular interest to Gracie due to his association with the Abu Dhabi Combat Club and his friendship with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The prince has been a strong proponent of MMA and it’s rumored he has been helping Dana White and company bring the UFC to China.

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