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UFC 'will return to UK in 2012'

ESPN staff
April 16, 2012
Mark Munoz defeated Chris Leben in Birmingham last year © Getty Images
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It has been confirmed that the UFC will return to the United Kingdom in September this year - with Scotland being considered for a possible event in 2013.

After the success of UFC 138 in Birmingham last November, UFC managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik confirmed that plans are afoot to return to the country later in 2012.

While no venue has been confirmed as yet, Zelaznik revealed that Liverpool is once again not a possible host - after missing out on staging an event in 2011 due to difficulties with US television arrangements.

"We'll definitively be in the UK. It will not be in Liverpool, but we will be in the UK in September," Zelaznik said, to Ground and Pound TV." We don't have the city, venue and date to announce yet."

Zelaznik also confirmed that opportunities to visit to more European countries and cities are being actively pursued, with a trip north of the border firmly on the agenda.

"Italy is definitely on our target list for next year, could be a real possibility," he noted. "I'm also keeping a very close eye on what's happening in Scotland, their new arena there [the National Arena in Glasgow, set to be completed in 2013], I think that could be something you see next year.

"Germany is always on our list. We have an A- and a B-list. It's usually on our B-list. That's not a bad thing. There are many countries that aren't even on the B-list."

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