Lawler-Condit moved up to UFC 193; Calgary screwed again

UFC President Dana White has talked about owing Calgary a big fight on multiple occasions. After all,  last time the promotion visited Alberta, they put on one of the most embarrassing PPV’s in their 20 year plus history. It appeared that Dana and co. were finally ready to make things right with a welterweight doubleheader to close out their 2015 PPV schedule; they giveth – they taketh away.

Calgary was being used as a back up plan if the vote to legalize MMA in New York in time for a MSG card on December 5th fell through – it did. So, since the UFC couldn’t take UFC 194 to the “Mecca,” why not give Calgary a treat? Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter revealed last month that they’d do just that. A welterweight title bout between two of the most violent fighters of all-time, Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit, would headline the night with a #1 contender’s contest between Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley serving as the co-main event of the evening (that fight has now been moved up to UFC 192 in Houston). Then Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey just had to go blow up and sell a rumored million PPV buys each, forcing the UFC to take both stars to AT & T Stadium in Dallas on December 5th instead to break the North American attendance record of 55,ooo set at UFC 129 in Toronto. Business wise (they’ll also beat Vince McMahon to the punch ahead of next year’s WrestleMania 32) it makes total sense. It just sucks that Calgary has been teased again – there’s always 2016.

As for the Lawler-Condit welterweight title bout – it’s been moved up to headline UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia on November 14th. We’ve learned that a middleweight contest between Michael Bisping and Aussie Robert Whittaker has also been rumored for the card as well. Stay tuned for more UFC 193 and 194 developments as the UFC looks to close out 2015 with a big bang in their 4th quarter.