How Jacksonville Became a Hotbed for UFC and Pro Wrestling

jacksonville, florida – Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is about to step down after two terms in office. One of the things that’s often overlooked during his tenure is the huge progress he’s made in Jacksonville’s professional martial arts league. This includes Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and the upcoming Valor his bare knuckles. Legendary fighter and wrestler Ken Shamrock.

Curry sat down to discuss the relationships he’d built on “Going Ringside.” UFC to host Major Fight Night in Jacksonville on June 24. In the main event, USA’s Josh Emmett will face Georgia’s Ilia Toplia. Also, former Jacksonville Jaguars Austin Lane will make his professional martial arts debut against New Zealand’s Justin Tafa. Both Emmett and Lane sit down to talk about this episode of Going Ringside.

In an interview, Curry said the relationship between the UFC and its president Dana White really started to grow during the pandemic. “I went to see him,” Curry said. “We said hello and exchanged numbers and from there we kept in touch from time to time.”

High-profile matches were in both 2020 and 2021. There was a game in Jacksonville in 2020, but there were no spectators. But the city of Jacksonville and the UFC made even more headlines in 2021 when they played in front of a sold-out crowd at Jacksonville’s Bicester Veterans Memorial Arena, before indoor events were held across the country. rice field. “Everybody said no in 2020,” Curry added. “He came back here first because we said yes. Every other venue told him, “If they can do it, so can we.” My guess is they knew we were open to all front-end criticism. “

Historically Jacksonville was a mid-market city, hosting occasional brawls and wrestling events. The pandemic has changed much of that. UFC is based in Jacksonville for the fourth year in a row, and AEW is based in Jacksonville. It is owned by the Kahn family, who also own the Jacksonville Jaguars. During the pandemic, at a time when no other city allowed such an event, AEW hosted a weekly live show broadcast nationally on TNT.. Around that time, the UFC took notice of Jacksonville’s surroundings and hosted a massive event in 2021 that drew large crowds indoors. “My guess is that the UFC has noticed that she has an AEW event,” Curry said. “They probably saw it and said they should check this city out.”

At the end of this episode, we also introduce a new podcast focused on Jacksonville. It’s called “general speaking,” and the host also participates and explains the content.