Background
The event will be the sixth that the UFC has hosted in Canada and the first in Ontario since mixed martial arts was legalized in the province in August 2010. The Toronto event was originally titled UFC 131 by the promotion, but later changed to UFC 129 as its early 2011 schedule started to fall more firmly into place.
It is expected to be the largest UFC event in history and will coincide with a two-day UFC Fan Expo at the Direct Energy Centre. UFC officials had originally planned for the Rogers Centre to be configured to hold 42,000 fans for UFC 129. The UFC put those tickets on sale to UFC Fight Club members in a special pre-sale on February 10, 2011, selling nearly all of them. They released and sold more tickets the following day to UFC newsletter subscribers in a second special pre-sale. UFC 129 then sold out when tickets went on sale to the general public on February 12, with officials scrambling to up the number of seats to 55,000. Selling out all 55,000 tickets for gate revenues exceeding $11 million, the event shatters both MMA attendance and gate records in North America.
John Makdessi was rumored to face Jonathan Brookins at the event; however, it is now being reported that Makdessi will will fight Kyle Watson.
In a conference call for UFC: Fight For The Troops 2 in January 2011, Dana White confirmed that UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo would defend his title against Mark Hominick on this card, provided that Hominick defeated George Roop. White also stated that, regardless of the outcome of the Hominick/Roop fight, Aldo would still defend his Featherweight Championship at this event. Hominick defeated Roop, via first round TKO, to confirm his place as no. 1 contender, and solidify the bout with Aldo.
Rory MacDonald was expected to face James Wilks at this event, but Wilks was forced from the card, and replaced by Nate Diaz.
On February 11th, it was announced that Matt Hamill will no longer fight Phil Davis at this event and will instead fight Quinton Jackson at UFC 130. In a Twitter post, Davis said he was "sorry the fight had been removed from the website, and would be fighting in Toronto regardless."Davis was expected to face Jason Brilz until Tito Ortiz had to pull out of his UFC Fight Night 24 fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Davis is now expected to headline that event against Nogueira while Brilz is expected to face Vladimir Matyushenko.
On February 27, 2011, it was revealed that two of the preliminary bouts would air on a Spike TV card.
UFC Primetime will return to build up the GSP/Jake Shields title fight.
Official Fight Card
Main Card
* Welterweight Championship bout: Canada Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. United States Jake Shields
* Featherweight Championship bout: Brazil José Aldo (c) vs. Canada Mark Hominick
* Light Heavyweight bout: Belarus Vladimir Matyushenko vs. United States Jason Brilz
* Light Heavyweight bout: Brazil Lyoto Machida vs. United States Randy Couture
* Lightweight bout: Canada Mark Bocek vs. United States Ben Henderson
Preliminary card (Spike TV)
* Welterweight bout: United States Nate Diaz vs. Canada Rory MacDonald
* Welterweight bout: Canada Sean Pierson vs. United States Brian Foster
Preliminary Card
* Featherweight bout: Canada Yves Jabouin vs. United States Pablo Garza
* Welterweight bout: Canada Claude Patrick vs. United States Daniel Roberts
* Bantamweight bout: Canada Ivan Menjivar vs. United States Charlie Valencia
* Middleweight bout: Canada Jason MacDonald vs. United States Ryan Jensen
* Lightweight bout: Canada John Makdessi vs. United States Kyle Watson
