UFC announces official expansion plans for Puerto Rico

The UFC’s long-awaited return to Puerto Rico is one step closer to reality as the promotion has appointed a local sports entrepreneur to manage the company’s expansion on the island.

UFC officials recently announced that longtime boxing promoter Peter Rivera will serve as the UFC’s representative in Puerto Rico and will be in responsible for “the commercial management of the UFC brand and the coordination of all details relating to pay-per-view sales, tryouts, seminars and special presentations of UFC fighters on the island.”

“The UFC is committed to growing the sport on the island of Puerto Rico,” UFC President Dana White stated. “I’m excited to partner with somebody as accomplished and respected as Peter Rivera, who we will work alongside in building the UFC in Puerto Rico.”

To mark the occasion, UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and his brother, Sergio Pettis – both of whom are of Puerto Rican descent – toured the island and led seminars for nearly 100 aspiring local fighters.

Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the U.S., has long been a powerhouse in the boxing world, producing such as talent as Felix “Tito” Trinidad, Miguel Cotto, Hector “Macho” Camacho, John John Molina and Wilfredo Gomez, among others.

Rivera believes the region is primed for a massive popularity explosion for MMA.

“It is an honor to be chosen by the UFC to represent them in Puerto Rico, as it is the fastest-growing sports company in the world,” Rivera stated. “Puerto Rico has been distinguished by its love of combat sports. With the Pettis brothers, Dennis Bermudez and other Puerto Rican fighters rising in the sport, we expect an unprecedented explosion of UFC fans throughout Puerto Rico.”

The UFC has hosted one event in Puerto Rico, as the promotion visited Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in February 1996 for “UFC 8: David vs. Goliath.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.