UFC History in Montreal
My debut article for Uncrowned
The UFC is returning to the Bell Centre in Montreal this weekend with its 315th numbered event after a decade-long absence. It is the promotion’s eighth visit to Montreal, but its first since UFC 186 in 2015.
I attended 186 along with my buddy Ricky, and neither of us had to purchase tickets thanks to the generosity of Ariel Helwani.
To provide further context, on Thursday of UFC 186 fight week, Ricky and I attended an event for the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, where Ariel Helwani was one of the panelists. Given that Ariel grew up in Montreal, it was cool to meet him and hear about his professional journey en route to becoming the world’s leading MMA journalist.
But the best part came the next day when Ariel sent me a DM on then-Twitter, offering me two tickets to the event. I was completely surprised by the offer but gladly accepted. I will always be grateful to Ariel for offering the tickets to a random fan he had just met, which started a friendship that continues to this day.
In honour of the UFC’s return to Montreal, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and review all seven cards that have taken place there.
You can read my article on Uncrowned here and I hope you enjoy it.