UFC Fan Expo 2010 - London, UK (15th and 16th October 2010)

The UFC Fan Expo is an amazing experience for any MMA fan! You get to be with a number of high profile MMA fighters and legends in the same building. And I do mean this, but in a negative way unfortunately. I will try and make this as "productive" as possible and try not to make it an all negative summary of what I personally experienced at this year's UFC Fan Expo in London.

First things first! I would like to thank the UFC from the bottom of my heart for bringing this event to the UK! I am a huge fan of the UFC and of MMA in general who was over the moon when heard that the UFC Fan Expo would be happening in London! (This may well have something to do with what will follow ;-))

- Once you have entered the UFC Fan Expo and you have had a look around you are still excited because you know you will get to meet all these great fighters and get to see some nice MMA related events. As soon as you have completed a few rounds, you cannot get rid of this feeling that your main reason for attending the event is to purchase stuff like t-shirts and what not. Most stands that were accessible were selling stuff of course. Yes, this does mean that you would pay at least £23/£27(day ticket) to get in to an event that would sell you overpriced food/drinks and t-shirts mainly. But this event is made for hard-core MMA fans of course, which don't give a damn and would sell their house to buy all this stuff. I am also a hard-core MMA fan, but just that this type of MMA fan that the organizers were after. (Yes, I hear those people who complain and say that purchasing merchandise supports the fighters that are sponsored by these companies and that's a fair point when made alone!)

- Secondly, approximately 20/30% of the fighters that were announced by the UFC did not attend the event!

- Queues, queues, queues! It was really great to see so many MMA fans queuing for these great fighters that made it to the event like Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Rich Franklin, Ryan Bader, Thiago Alves, Cole Miller, Jon Fitch,...They were all really nice guys (-1)* .You must know that they do not get much from such tiring events apart from a bit of popularity and the actual experience as such.
But to actually get to meet and greet most of the fighters was just simply impossible. The actual times assigned for these type of events/sessions was way too short and would only allow you to see MAYBE(This is a really BIG maybe!) four fighters if you were to stand in the queues from the moment you stepped into the UFC Fan Expo exhibition! And of course not go or see anything else that was "happening" around.

- (-1)* Something was up with Randy Couture on Saturday though, he didn't seem to be very happy and was on automatic picture taking and autograph signing. He may have had his reasons.

- Q&A sessions: Great! (That’s if you didn't decide to wait in the queue somewhere to greet and get an autograph from a fighter). Unfortunately, (This has nothing to do with the organizers of course!) it did feel really weird to sit around all these people that would do anything for a ticket and would ask Dana White for free tickets about every 5/10 minutes or so. There should be a big sign right in front of the stage next time sayin' "Begging is not allowed!" :)

- Demonstration sessions: Just one word, amazing!

Overall …a good experience for all MMA fans. I would like to thank the UFC again and all the fighters that attended this event. You guys work hard for your fame/money, and you deserve 100% of it!

Last words... You really had to purchase a ticket for both days to actually see like 80 % of the fighters that were at the exhibition and spend about 90% of your time or more in queues to achieve that.