Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.The last time Dana White was in Omaha, he told everyone who would listen that UFC would be in town again soon.
Just under 3½ years later, White delivered his promise with Wednesday's UFC on Fuel TV event.
And he was already talking about another return trip at Tuesday's weigh-ins.
"We travel all over the world to do these shows," White said. "We haven't been back to Boston. We're probably not going back to Florida anytime soon. Omaha, Neb. ... We're back here again and we'll probably be back in the next year."
That's music to the ears of fight fans that are expected to pack the Civic Auditorium on Wednesday to cheer on local product Jake Ellenberger.
White said that kind of support is what makes Omaha one of the top UFC cities.
"This market's huge for us," he said. "People in this area love the UFC."
New memory at Civic
Ellenberger will look to add to his memories at the Civic with a win Wednesday.
But probably not how he might have expected when he received his diploma from Millard South in the same building in 2003.
He admitted Tuesday that he has a calmness about being back in Omaha. There are far fewer distractions than in Las Vegas, where many of his fights take place.
"I feel more comfortable here," he said. "I feel at home. It's been real stress-free."
Sanchez keeping focus
Diego Sanchez understands he won't be the popular choice Wednesday night, being behind enemy lines in his fight with Ellenberger.
And it couldn't matter less to the experienced fighter.
"When they lock the doors, it's me and him in there," Sanchez told the crowd at Tuesday's weigh-ins, "and that's all that matters."
Sanchez, an intense, high-energy fighter, is commonly a fan favorite. He was the winner of UFC's reality series "The Ultimate Fighter."
In an interview on Fuel after the weigh-ins, Sanchez called Ellenberger "the toughest guy in the welterweight division."
More local connections
Ellenberger won't be the only fighter on Wednesday's cards with Nebraska connections.
Aaron Simpson, a former Arizona State wrestler, was raised in McCook, Neb.
Simpson, an athletic 185-pounder, is taking on Ronny Markes, who is coming down a weight class for the fight.
Another fan favorite?
If fans didn't have a preference for their favorite fighter coming into Tuesday, they probably do now.
Sean Loeffler, a 185-pounder making his UFC debut, threw out memorabilia to the crowd at the Civic Auditorium, then threw a handful of money into the air above the crowd. Loeffler donned a multi-color Mohawk, as well.
The most interesting hair, though, was from heavyweight Dave Herman. All over.
Herman showed up for with a full beard and a dark hair covering his chest, arms and back. To make it even more strange, Herman wore a pink scarf when he and his opponent, 6-foot-11 Stefan Struve, posed for cameras.
— Nick Rubek
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