Will a Win by Brandon Vera Lead to a UFC Event in the Philippines?

The UFC has brought international shows to England, Canada, Germany, Ireland, and in a few months, Australia. Their global expansion isn't likely to end anytime soon, so the question I'd like to ask is, 'where does Zuffa go next?'. Bleacher Report lists possible candidates, and gives the Philippines as one of the prime destinations:

Manila, the Philippines

A place where boxing superstar Manny Pacquaio is a national icon, the Zuffa brass have expressed a desire to bring UFC to the Philippines before, and with good reason. Perhaps the reason Brandon Vera is still around is increasing the attention of MMA to the public's awareness, and should he best Randy Couture on Saturday, we may see a Filipino show all the sooner.

They even have the perfect venue for this - The Araneta Coliseum (Pictured). How fitting would it be, for the grandest stage in all of MMA to be held in front of almost 16,000 Filipino fans, in the same site that hosted one of the biggest fights in history, the "Thrilla in Manila".

Zuffa already had plans to go to the country before. They already have a bunch of Filipino's in their roster such as Brandon Vera, Mark Munoz, Phillipe Nover and Justin Buchholz. Add that to a steady diet of established UFC vets, Asian fighters, a few locals, and maybe even a few quality pick ups like Strikeforce's Shane Del Rosario, and you'd get a pretty solid card. They've successfully set up TV deals, press conferences, and appearances by Brandon Vera, Lorenzo Fertitta, and Chuck Liddell in the past. It already looked like a done deal, until sponsorship problems derailed their attempts and put those plans on hold.

This Saturday, Brandon Vera will be in the biggest fight of his life. A fight that could possibly propel his career into new heights, and one that could make him be a bigger and more established star. This bout is a huge opportunity to advance his career, but it could also be an opportunity for the Filipino fight fans waiting patiently for that first UFC event to finally happen. More interest in Vera, in the UFC, and in MMA, might just be what they needed, in order to jump-start those talks again.

Lots of Filipinos have always thought that the next Manny Pacquiao, the next sporting icon, would come from MMA. And if a victory over a legend like Randy Couture is a step towards that, and a step towards finally bringing the UFC to the Philippines, then it's even more reason for him to seize this opportunity.

Will a win by Brandon Vera lead to a UFC event in the Philippines? The weight certainly doesn't rest solely on his shoulders, but Yes, I think it'd be a huge step towards that goal.