State government officials of Victoria, Australia, announced today the dissolution of a ban that had long prevented mixed martial arts contests from taking place in a fenced-in area.
The UFC, which promotes fights in its signature Octagon cages, immediately confirmed a long-rumored UFC 193 pay-per-view event to be held Nov. 15 in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria. Due to time differences, the event will air on Nov. 14 in the United States.
"This is a major milestone for mixed martial arts in Victoria, which will allow the sport to flourish while at the same time better protecting its competing athletes," UFC executive Tom Wright said in a released statement.
Prior to the ban's being lifted, all MMA contests in the southeastern Australian state were forced to take place in a boxing ring. The UFC had campaigned in recent years in hopes of changing that rule.
Officials have hinted at a potential event inside Melbourne's Etihad Stadium, a 50,000-seat arena, though no venue or official fights for the November event have been announced.
The UFC has promoted six events in Australia to date, including four in Sydney. A UFC Fight Night is scheduled to take place May 10 in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia.