That said, the Aussies are anticipating something as good if not even greater – naturally – when the fights finally start on Sunday morning in Perth.
“I can’t really put my finger on it,” said Jimmy Crute, who fights Alonzo Menifield. “I know the energy is just – Australian sports fans in general, there’s something about that, but I think the fact that we love our own, but we’re not disrespectful to opposition is a big thing. I think we cheer for everyone. We just cheer for our own louder, and when I say that, I mean we cheer for our own very, very loud.”
Although the card is obviously huge for the Australian MMA scene, it is also crucial for the whole market.
Watch The Fighters Of UFC 284 Participate In Welcoming Ceremony In Perth
New Zealand’s Shane Young, who is fighting in front of a crowd for the first time since 2019, hopes UFC 284 is also the next step in bringing another card to his country.
“I hope one of the takeaways is that the Australasian market is frothing to have another event in Auckland,” Young said. “I know this event sold out in minutes. I had people messaging me saying they were in the queue picking their tickets, and they went to buy them, and it was gone. You can’t even buy a ticket if you tried right now, and the performances on Sunday are definitely going to reflect that. I know mine will.”