UFC Event Scheduled for Utica in 2018

Ultimate Fighting Championship President, Dana White, has announced that one of the locations for an upcoming UFC show in 2018 will be Utica, NY.  White made the announcement during a weigh-in last Friday in Boston, according to the Associated Press.  White mentioned Utica and Atlantic City, New Jersey when asked about upcoming shows.

A Utica show would mark only the fourth time the UFC has fought in New York State since it was legalized in April of 2016. Since then, the largest mixed martial arts organization in the world has held New York shows in Albany, Buffalo and Madison Square Garden.

Senator Joe Griffo of Rome was instrumental in the fight to legalize MMA in New York and after the Governor signed the legalization bill into law at Madison Square Garden, he told WIBX that Utica had been named a possible site for an upcoming fight. Utica Comets President Rob Esche was also in attendance for the signing of the bill.

“For years we were losing tourism and revenue as fans and fighters alike went to other states that had embraced MMA. Thankfully, starting today, those days are over. I'm proud to have led the fight in the Senate to bring MMA to the Empire State, and I want to thank Governor Cuomo, Leader Flanagan, Assemblyman Morelle, and everyone else who played a role in making today a reality.”  -Senator Joe Griffo, April 13, 2016

No date has been announced for the UFC Utica event as of yet and both Griffo and Esche were unavailable for comment on Friday afternoon. It's also unclear if the event has been scheduled already in Utica or if it is in the planning stages. The Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium would be the only location large enough to accommodate a UFC event in the city of Utica.

Check back for more details.