Hydro To Showcase Fighting Contest

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is to stage its first show in Scotland this summer.

The world's biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) company will take over the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on July 18 and Scottish athletes are expected to take part.

It follows pleas from fans in the country for a promotion to be held, but the UFC had previously said it could not find a suitable venue in Scotland.

The US-based promotion has grown over the last decade with greater TV exposure and a large fan base.

The announcement of the Scottish date was made at a press conference in Sweden today ahead of a UFC event in Stockholm.

UFC senior vice-president for Europe David Allen said: Glasgow is a great city of sport, not just MMA but the Commonwealth Games was there last year.

There are two great football teams in the city and hopefully on the night, both sides of the city will come out and support the UFC.''

Scottish fighter Joanne Calderwood is likely to be one of those taking part in the Glasgow show.

The 29-year-old, from Lanark, gave up her job as a nursing support worker to pursue her dream of reaching the top in martial arts, and she won her debut bout in the UFC in Las Vegas last year.

She said: People at home have been asking the UFC to come to Scotland for so long now, so I just know this will be a sell-out.

It would be a dream come true for me to fight in Glasgow for the UFC. The opportunity to step inside the Octagon in front of a home crowd would be something I know I'd never forget.''

A number of other Scottish fighters could be part of the bill, with the UFC commonly making use of local athletes as it tours the world.

The 13,000-capacity Hydro opened in September 2013 and has hosted performances by Rod Stewart, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Prince, Dolly Parton and Kings of Leon. It also staged gymnastics, netball and boxing during the Commonwealth Games.

Industry rankings placed it as the world's second-busiest live entertainment arena last year behind London's O2.

John Langford, director of live entertainment for the SECC and the SSE Hydro, said: We're really excited to finally confirm that UFC is coming to the SSE Hydro.

The UFC entertainment franchise is a global success story and we are incredibly pleased that they've chosen the SSE Hydro to further showcase the sport to audiences around the world.''