UFC exec Steve Berger wants to continue promotion's Asian expansion

With the UFC set to make its South Korean debut on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 79, the promotion is planning to continue expansion into other Asian markets.

"The Asian market is an exciting and interesting one," executive vice president and general manager of UFC Asia Ken Berger told MMAjunkie.com. "We have two new markets that we opened up in the Philippines as well as here in Korea. Next year, we've got a lot of hands being raised and a lot of markets we’re looking at. We're hiring up in the region, building a team, and it's exciting. There will be a lot of good things coming next year and 2017, as well."

The UFC kicked off expansion into the Philippines in May, when a featherweight bout between Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber headlined UFC Fight Night 66 in the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.

"Asia's huge. … The markets are huge," Berger continued. "Now we're looking at the Indian market, as well. But the potential is huge. I think the biggest challenge we have is not so much whether there are UFC fans, but we need relative fighters and strong fighters. So the fighter development in each of these markets, bringing Asian fighters along and hopefully getting contenders like the potential we have here in Korea - that's the next step we have to work on."

Featuring a headliner that pits former lightweight kingpin Benson Henderson against Jorge Masvidal, UFC Fight Night 79 will take place at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea.