For many years there has been a friendly rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne as to which is the sporting capital of the country.
Both cities host massive events, be it the Melbourne Cup, the season-ending V8s race, the Grand Prix, or the A-League All-stars.
Both cities host the biggest grand finals in the country, both have hosted international superpower football teams, and both host one of the two biggest Test matches of the year.
There is no doubt that as far as the biggest sporting city in the country goes, it’s a two-horse race.
One large, international event that Sydney have hosted on multiple occasions that Melburnians are yet to witness live in their home state is a visit from the UFC.
For those who are unaware, although the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is legal in the southern state, the UFC’s cage is outlawed.
Sydney has hosted four UFC fights, the last of which saw a crowd of over 10,000 people.
Melbourne cannot claim to be the sporting capital of the country while it continues to shun the largest MMA organisation in the world.
I don’t understand why the state would allow MMA in a boxing ring, but not the cage. As was seen in the old days of Pride MMA, fighters are prone to falling out of the ring through the ropes. The cage, as it is designed to do, keeps all contestants within the confines of battle.
The reason Victoria do now allow the cage is the image of two men being caged in, like animals supposedly.
The fact that the UFC brings in thousands of fans, as well as puts millions of eyes on a city seems to be lost in the debate.
The current Victorian state government have stated that they have no intention of overturning the ban on the cage, while the opposition have shown some support in at least raising the idea.
Whether or not you like the sport of MMA, or even the implementation of the cage, a city that places a ban on the biggest organisation of a major sport cannot claim to be the sporting capital of any country.
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