ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey — The UFC confirmed earlier this week that they are looking to return to Atlantic City, New Jersey this summer. This will be the first time in 7 years that MMA’s premier organization has visited the "Gambling Capital of the East Coast" located on the Jersey Shore.
"AC" used to be an east coast favorite for the UFC, where it has held six events with the most recent being UFC 53 – Heavy Hitters in June 2005. The card featured Forrest Griffin’s first fight after winning the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter" and was highlighted by two title bouts, an interim heavyweight title bout between Andrei Arlovski and the late Justin Eilers and a middleweight title bout between Rich Franklin and the late Evan Tanner. Coincidentally, both Eilers and Tanner died in 2008.
UFC co-owner and chairman Lorenzo Fertitta confirmed that Atlantic City will likely host a UFC on FX event that is expected to take place on Friday, June 22nd, 2012.
"Atlantic City is penciled in for this summer," Fertitta said.
This UFC on FX event is scheduled to take place just a month and a half after the UFC is set to host UFC on FOX 3 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which gives the Garden State two UFC events in back-to-back months as the UFC begins finalizing its mid-year calendar.
There have not been any fight announcements made yet for the June show in Atlantic City, but Nate Diaz and Jim Miller are scheduled to fight each other in a top-tier lightweight showdown at UFC on FOX 3, which is set to take place on Saturday, May 5th, 2012.