UFC 129 Sells Out Huge Ex-WrestleMania Venue
The UFC said Saturday that all tickets for its April 30 event at Rogers Centre (formerly The Skydome) in Toronto have been sold.
Rogers Centre was originally configured to accommodate 42,000 spectators, but due to increasing public demand it was reconfigured to seat 55,000 fans.
"UFC continues to set new milestones," UFC president Dana White said. "We've sold 55,000 tickets in our first stadium event in Toronto and we continue to take the UFC to the next level."
UFC 129 will be the first mixed martial arts event held in Ontario. It is expected to more than double the promotion's record for largest crowd to witness a live event.
It will be headlined by two title fights, both featuring Canadians. George St. Pierre looks to defend his welterweight belt against Jake Shields, and fellow Canadian Mark Hominick faces current featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
The largest number of spectators for a UFC event was 23,000 at UFC 124, headlined by St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck. That event was held on Dec. 11, 2010, at Bell Centre in Montreal.
UFC 129 is also expected to shatter the promotion's mark for live gate revenue. The current record for a live gate is $5.4 million, set on Dec. 30, 2006, for UFC 66 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.