UFC fever erupts as Ronda Rousey hits Australia

If the excitement surrounding the UFC press conference at Etihad Stadium was anything to go by, the event is going to reach fever pitch when it hits the venue in November.

The press conference, which saw about 2000 fans turn up as well as a huge throng of media, featured UFC President, Dana White, and the four women who will battle it out for the two title fights during UFC 193.

But it was obvious most were there to see just one person; UFC superstar Ronda Rousey.

Rousey is the biggest name in mixed martial arts (MMA) and arguably the most talked about athlete in the world right now. She was recently announced as the main event for the upcoming UFC 193 in Melbourne and will defend her bantamweight title against Holly Holm.

Rousey is undefeated in MMA and also had an impressive judo career, which included a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Rousey was the first US woman to win an Olympic medal in judo.

While Ronda Rousey has a reputation for disposing of her opponents quickly, Holly Holm is a seriously tough competitor who already has multiple UFC victories under her belt on top of a very successful boxing career in which she was world welterweight champion on several occasions.

Rousey v Holm will be a match-up worth seeing. But a second title fight will take place between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Valerie Letourneau in the strawweight division. Australian fans will be treated to two title fights at the one event when UFC 193 hits Etihad Stadium.

But before the women take to the Octagon, there is a huge card of must-see fights at Etihad Stadium. One of the most anticipated is the re-match of what many consider to be the greatest UFC heavyweight battle of all time between New Zealand born fighter Mark Hunt and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva.

The hype around UFC 193 in Melbourne is not misplaced; the sport has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity in recent years and the event at Etihad Stadium is expected to set new attendance records.

Ticketmaster and UFC have a very strong relationship with the two parties already working together throughout the world. Now it is time for the local representatives of both organisations to put on an event that will give Australian UFC fans a day to remember.

If you fancy a trip across the Tasman to see some of the best UFC fighters do battle, be sure to get your tickets when they go on sale on Monday.

General public tickets will be on sale from September 21 and the demand is expected to be huge! In addition, UFC is offering up many of the best seats in the house on Ticketmaster’s Platinum platform, which sells premium inventory at market-driven prices.

UFC 193: Etihad Stadium, November 15, 2015

Ronda Rousey (12-0-0) v Holly Holm (9-0-0) (bantamweight)
Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10-0-0) v Valerie Letourneau (8-3-0) (strawweight)
Mark Hunt (10-9-1) v Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (19-7-0 1 NC) (heavyweight)
Robert Whitakker (14-4-0) v Michael Bisping (28-7-0) (middleweight)
Jake Matthews (9-1-0) v Akbarh Arreola (23-9-1) (lightweight)
Kyle Noke (20-7-1) v Peter Sobotta (15-4-1) (welterweight)
Anthony Perosh (15-9-0) v Gian Villante (13-5-0) (light-heavyweight)
Daniel Kelly (9-1-0) v Ricardo Abreu (5-2-0) (middleweight)
Richard Walsh (8-4-0) v Steve Kennedy (22-7-0) (welterweight)

Click here for ticket information and to purchase.