When the WWE came to town last year, the entire stadium, including myself, was treated to a rare sight: legendary wrestler Brett Hart returned to the squared circle.

Growing up, I was such a huge fan of him and all things wrestling, that I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with emotion and as he made his way through the crowd, I ended up shedding a few tears.

It’s that emotion that I’m sure many people will feel this weekend when UFC finally makes its debut in our city.  Yes, just five days after the Stampede, we’re trading in the sweat and dirt of cowboys in for the sweat and dirt of Mixed Martial Arts fighters.

You’d probably think that I have a problem with the UFC, but in reality, I don’t. If people want to fight in the ring and get paid for it, so be it. I actually have the same philosophy for exotic dancers, if people are willing to throw money at naked dancers and then still go home alone, then good for the dancers.

But my problem lies in the money people are spending when it comes to the big UFC fight.  The top tier tickets for UFC 149 go for just over $700 a ticket.  I know that there are people in Calgary who have a lot of money, but that is above what some people pay for an entire month’s rent.

And is it even worth it? I’ve never actually seen a UFC fight,  so maybe that’s why I don’t understand the cost, but when I want to see people fight, I just go to the Calgary Zoo and watch exhausted parents battle with their kids over ice cream or I’ll invite my entire family over for dinner.

Are the people who are spending this much money on a ticket just unaware of what $700 can buy them in this city.

I did some math and with that much money, you can buy 28 tickets to the upcoming production of Evil Dead: The Musical, or 49 of your buddies can be treated to a visit to the Glenbow Museum. Or maybe, you’re looking for that adrenaline high that some get from watching sports, well for $700, a family of four can buy an entire season’s worth of tickets to see the Okotoks Dawgs play baseball.

I know it’s not in a hot stadium, nor is there a cage, but when it comes to spending money, you should pay what it’s worth and not what the promoter has convinced you to spend!