(Ditka vs. Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, and GSP simultaneously: Who ya got?)

For the first time in the league’s history, the UFC will be holding an event in Chicago. Dana White broke the good news through the Chicago Sun-Times, announcing that UFC 90 will go down October 25th at the Allstate Arena, which was previously the venue for Adrenaline MMA‘s debut card last month. Said White:

”Chicago is a huge market for us. We track pay-per-view buys for our events and ratings on Spike TV, and Chicago is a killer market for us. There are tons of fans in Chicago and around Chicago, and it’s going to be one of the places we hit often. It’s a great fight town, and we’re really pumped that we’re finally getting this done.”

The reason it took so long is because MMA wasn’t fully sanctioned by the Illinois Athletic Commission until recently. No matches are announced for the event yet, though White, unsurprisingly, promised a “big-time fight.” (Forrest Griffin vs. TBA? Sanchez vs. Alves? Illinois native Matt Hughes settling his grudge with Matt Serra?) Tickets will go on sale to the general public on August 9th, though scalpers members of the UFC Fight Club will have a chance to buy tickets earlier.

(Props: FiveOuncesofPain)