UFC Going Back to Boston in 2013

It sounds like the UFC is going back to Boston.

It’s been nearly two-and-a-half years since the Octagon first set down in Boston for UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2, but UFC president Dana White on Saturday night said the promotion is on a return course for 2013.

“We'll be going back to Boston again this year,” he declared. “We'll do Boston this year. It's sooner than people think; I just can't announce it right now.”

Returning “this year” without giving any hint as to when leaves the door wide open for speculation, but Bostonians will be glad to know that the dry spell is nearly over.

As mentioned, the promotion’s last and only foray to Boston was UFC 118, where former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn tried to recapture the 155-pound belt from Frankie Edgar.

That didn’t happen. Edgar won a second consecutive unanimous decision over Penn, establishing his claim as one of the top fighters in the world.

UFC 118 was a strong draw for the promotion, pulling in 14,168 fans to the TD Garden for a live gate of $2.8 million.

White has wanted to return to his old stomping grounds for quite some time, but the promotion’s schedule, which is global in scale, has made it difficult to nail down a return, but it now appears the UFC will be going back to Boston in 2013.

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