Is UFC 297 taking place in Toronto? Cub Swanson may have accidentally leaked location

There's been no sign of the UFC in Toronto since December 8, 2018. At the time, Max Holloway was still the reigning UFC featherweight champion and headlined the UFC 231 pay-per-view on Canadian soil. He faced the then-undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu sensation Brian Ortega.

However, due to a combination of newer interests and the initial barriers created by the COVID-19 global pandemic, a UFC event in Toronto hasn't taken place since. While the promotion managed to hold events in other parts of Canada up until 2019, it only recently returned to the country on July 10, 2023.

But according to Cub Swanson, UFC in Toronto is more than a possibility. The featherweight legend took to X/Twitter, where he claimed to have been offered a fight at UFC 297, which he said is set to be held in Toronto. Unfortunately, he couldn't accept the offered bout, as he'll undergo surgery next Monday.

Swanson will subsequently use the rest of the year to recover from his surgery, which would leave him unable to train and prepare in time for a UFC 297 card, which would be the first pay-per-view of 2024. The identity of the fighter he was matched up with has not been revealed.

Furthermore, neither the promotion nor UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed his claims of an event in Toronto. With no Canadian star to headline a UFC card in Toronto, it remains to be seen who the promotion would task with carrying an event in Canada's most populous city, which could rake in a massive gate.

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Who has headlined the most UFC in Toronto cards?

While most fans would assume that the great Georges St-Pierre, a Canadian sports legend, has headlined the most UFC cards in Toronto, this is not the case. In fact, 'GSP' has only ever main-evented one UFC card in Toronto. Furthermore, he has only ever fought there once throughout his entire career.

Surprisingly, it is former light heavyweight champion and current heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones, who has headlined the most UFC in Toronto cards, having done so three times. Whether he might do so against for UFC 297, if it is indeed set to take place in Toronto, depends on whether Jones retires after UFC 295.