10 Things We Learned From UFC Fight Night 46

1. The UFC Cannot Wait Another Five Years To Return To Ireland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_OYEchItyg Dana White called it the loudest crowd he'd heard at a UFC event. For once, it wasn't hyperbole coming from the mouth of the UFC president. The crowd in Ireland was red hot right from the very first match. In-cage interviews and commentary were nearly completely drowned out at times. I called them insane in the best of ways earlier, so here's the key point to take away from it: the UFC cannot wait another five years to return to this market. The fanbase is rabid, and they need to strike while the iron is hot. In the past two years or so the UFC has very much turned its focus on the international market, with mixed results: Brazil and Canada are solid, but the company has struggled to find big success in Europe. Here's their in. The media in the UK has had a very positive spin on UFC Dublin and if the company was wise, they'd hold a larger card in the country sometime in the next eight to ten months. Something not just broadcast on Fight Pass but rather an afternoon show on FOX Sports 1 or the main FOX network itself. Afternoon cards on North American TV are always a bit of an iffy prospect, but there are plenty of afternoon baseball games, and if advertised right, it could be huge. The hot Irish crowd makes the UFC look great, and it allows them to play up the fact that MMA has become a true international sport. As the card unfolded a friend of mine pitched an idea as well - perhaps it's time to set up UFC Europe, UFC Asia, UFC South America, UFC North America, UFC Oceania etc. and create a system where local cards can then feed the best fighters into top-tier events. The WSOF has tried something similar with WSOF Japan, WSOF Central America and WSOF Canada, though they haven't gone far with it - but imagine what the UFC could do with that sort of system given their resources.