Weidman views Coliseum's progress

Venue planning to host UFC

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With his sights set on entering the octagon at Madison Square Garden Nov. 12 to be part of the much-anticipated return of professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to the state of New York, Chris Weidman, former UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) middleweight champ from Baldwin, is also excited about the increasing possibility of fighting even closer to home in the not-too-distant future.

Weidman last week got a peek of the ongoing renovations at Nassau Coliseum, which is on schedule to open by the end of March, 2017. “I grew up coming here, so this is a special place,” said Weidman, who’s won 13 of 14 bouts, including two in a six-month span in 2013 against icon Anderson Silva.

“I came to a lot of Islanders games and was at the last Billy Joel concert,” Weidman added. “I’m looking forward to fighting here. I want to be a part of the first MMA event ever at Nassau Coliseum. Hopefully it’s gonna happen in the spring of 2017. It’ll be a dream come true.”

New York banned MMA in 1997 and it remained illegal in the state until this past April when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill to get the ban lifted.

Barry Baum, Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, is confident the rebuilt Coliseum, as well as the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, will become MMA host venues. “We’re looking to host the UFC soon after the new Coliseum opens,” Baum said.