UFC fighting to come back

Fighters Gian Villante and Sean O'Connell in action during the UFC Fight Night, at Vector Arena last night. Photo / Dean Purcell

The UFC will return to New Zealand within two years but there are no guarantees Auckland will play host.

The world's biggest mixed martial arts promotion made its first appearance in New Zealand last night with UFC Fight Night 43 at Vector Arena in Auckland, an event headlined by Kiwi middleweight James Te Huna and American Nate Marquardt.

It took more than 20 years for the UFC to make it to New Zealand but their follow-up act will be quicker.

Tom Wright, UFC's director of operations for Canada, Australia and New Zealand, said he would likely travel to Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch before their next trip here to explore the commercial opportunities around those cities hosting an event. Auckland will also remain a viable destination.

"My guess is it would be 2016 but certainly over the next two years, we'll be back," Wright said. "It's really important before we make a decision that we have respectfully come to the market, spoken to the important people and feel comfortable this is an environment that we can work with."

Last night's event kicked off at 6.30pm but UFC shows held in Australia have been staged during the day to allow for the night-time audience in the US.

Wright said any future events in New Zealand would remain in primetime with the shows continuing to air on the UFC's digital network and locally.

Wright's estimate of a 2016 return is probably conservative.

The UFC decided in March to come to Auckland but didn't need much time to make it happen, such is the precision with which the UFC operate.

"We obviously came to Auckland first because it's the largest city and Vector Arena is the largest indoor facility that we could bring our athletes to," Wright said.

There was some criticism around the strength of last night's fight card with only one ranked competitor in No 14 heavyweight Soa Palelei.

Both Te Huna and Marquardt were coming off two losses and moving weight classes for the bout - Te Huna was ranked 14th at light heavyweight before dropping to middleweight - and it seemed odd to put them in the main event.

"If you're a UFC fan you know some of the best fights happen in the prelims and you never know what might happen," Wright said. "Frankly, we felt it was really important that for the first time in a market like this, in a new country, that we provided an opportunity for a local to headline."

Kiwi heavyweight Mark Hunt, ranked seventh, was asked to fight but a nasty hand injury kept him out of action and he will now headline September's UFC Fight Night 52 in Japan when he meets Roy Nelson.

"We'd loved to have seen Mark here," Wright said. "But the fact of the matter is we are not like a regular code with a pre-season, full season and then playoffs.

"We don't have an off-season and, for us, it's the luck of the draw. We don't know what happens [with injuries]."