Bay Area MMA Not At Its Highest Point, But The Sport Is Growing

Though Bay Area mixed martial arts took a hit recently when San Jose-based Cain Velasquez lost his heavyweight title, the sport itself is in a period of growth, and Velasquez just took part in one of the most important fights in the sport's young history. Though he lost to Junior dos Santos in just 64 seconds at UFC On Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos, the UFC trusted him with their first show on network television, and it certainly went over well.

That event was also held in Anaheim, CA - and the week after that, UFC 139 happened at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA. UFC 139 was the first time the promotion ever held an event in San Jose, as it was the long-time base of the Strikeforce promotion, which also falls under the Zuffa umbrella after it was acquired last year.

With fighters like Velasquez, Jake Shields, Nick Diaz and so many more, the Bay Area is represented very well in just about every weight class in MMA, and especially in the UFC. With events happening in Sacramento, Anaheim, San Jose and Oakland, California is particularly prospering. You can expect many more events in California, especially with guys being so close to title contention.