DAILY NEWS
PANCRASE 2008 Shining Tour 15th Anniversary Show
STRIKEFORCE at the Playboy Mansion Results
Strikeforce - Young Guns III Results
DREAM 6 Middleweight Grand Prix Final Round Fight Card
AFFLICTION & GOLDEN BOY Announce Partnership
King of the Cage Announces New Midwest Promotional/Management Team
RITC 115 - MMA Rules in Arizona
PANCRASE: Shining Tour 14th Neo Blood Tournament Finals
Ultimate Warrior Challenge Results
Sunday, October 12th 2008 / the Patriot Center
just outside Washington DC - USA
Kris McCray defeated Joey Kirwan 1:00 R1 by rear naked choke
Cody Donovan defeated Wade Drake 0:15 R1 by TKO
Levon Maynard defeated Toby Johnson 3:40 R1 by TKO
Ron Stallings defeated Tony Sousa 1:02 R2 by TKO
Brendan Schaub defeated Johnny Curtis 1:07 R1 by KO
Marcus Foran defeated Chris Reedy 0:58 R1 by guillotine choke
Kyle Baker defeated James "Binky" Jones by unanimous decision
Mike Easton defeated John Dodson by split decision
Antwain Britt defeated Terry Cohens 0:31 R1 by KO
UFC RETURNS TO TELEVISION IN JAPAN; ANNOUNCES NEW TWO-YEAR DEAL WITH WOWOW
Las Vegas, NV (USA) -- Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) brand today announced that UFC will return to television in Japan with a new two-year deal with WOWOW.
JOSH KOSCHECK AND YOSHIYUKI YOSHIDA HEADLINE UFC FIGHT FOR THE TROOPS™
EVENT ON SPIKE TV
MIKE SWICK
vs JONATHAN GOULET
FRANKIE EDGAR vs MATT WIMAN
Live From Fayetteville, NC, December 10
Las Vegas, NV (USA) -- Fighting with a truly meaningful purpose in front of some
real American heroes, The Ultimate Fighter® alums Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick,
Matt Wiman will be featured on Spike TV’s telecast of UFC Fight For The Troops™
live from the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Wednesday,
December 10 at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT.
The special live UFC® fight card will raise funds to build a hospital for
traumatic brain injuries for the brave men and women in the United States Armed
Forces. Thousands of soldiers from nearby Fort Bragg, the proud home of the U.S.
Airborne and Special Operations Forces, will be in attendance.
The Ultimate Fighter 1 standout Koscheck (13-2) has won seven of his last eight
decisions, only tasting defeat at the hands of welterweight champ Georges
St-Pierre in a three-round decision last August at UFC 74. Koscheck, fighting
out of Fresno, CA, is among the top contenders in the welterweight division and
needs a win to continue his ascent for a potential rematch with St. Pierre. His
opponent, Tokyo native Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (10-2), has won nine straight
pro mixed martial arts fights including his UFC debut last May at UFC 84 with a
victory via submission with Jon Koppenhaver.
Swick (12-2), fighting out of San Jose, CA, has also won seven of his last eight
bouts in the Octagon™ including a three round decision over Josh Burkman this
past January in a main on Spike TV’s UFC® Fight Night™. To continue his quest
for a potential title shot, he must defeat fellow welterweight contender,
Jonathan Goulet (22-9, 1 NC). The hard-kicking 29-year old Canadian recently
scored a TKO victory at UFC 83 over Kuniyoshi Hironaka.
The Ultimate Fighter 5 standout Matt Wiman (10-3), a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma,
has won four straight contests in the Octagon, including an impressive 2nd round
knockout of Thiago Tavares at UFC 85 in June. “Handsome” Matt will face his
toughest test yet against the pride of Toms River, NJ, Frankie Edgar. A rising
star in the lightweight division (9-1), Edgar is coming off the biggest win of
his professional career, a three-round decision over the dangerous Hermes Franca
this past July at UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin on Spike TV.
UFC Fight For The Troops will feature a full UFC fight card as well as celebrity
appearances and an all-star lineup of UFC fighters. Further details on
appearances and event information will be released soon.
About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s leading professional mixed
martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA
sports events. Owned and operated by
Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC produces over twelve live
pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North
American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV,
DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Bell ExpressVU, SaskTel Max™, Shaw
Pay-Per-View, Viewers Choice, and WOWOW in Japan, and via the Internet worldwide
on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and
Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC
programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the
world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or
uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.
Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ultimate Fighting, UFC, The Ultimate Fighter®,
Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided
competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade
dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and
other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of
Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.
Spike TV is available in 97.3 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A
unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading
creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s
Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press
information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press.
THE NEW SEASON OF SPIKE TV’S“ THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER” TO FEATURE AMERICAN VS BRITISH CONTESTANTS
“The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K.,” Featuring 16 Middleweights and 16
Welterweights In A Battle For International Supremacy In The Octagon
Further proof of the UFC’s global expansion, season nine of Spike TV’s wildly
popular series, “The Ultimate Fighter,” will feature 16 American and 16 British
fighters competing in the middleweight (185 lbs) and welterweight divisions (170
lbs). The fighters will once again have to fight and win a preliminary bout to
advance into The Ultimate Fighter house.
An open casting call for the new season will be held for British hopefuls on
October 20 in London and a casting call for American fighters will be held
October 27 in Chicago.
In London, the information is as follows:
DATE: Monday, October 20, 2008
VENUE: Earls Court Exhibition Centre
LOCATION: Warwick Road, London, SW5 9TA
TELEPHONE: +44 (0)207 370 8539
REPORT TIME: Fighter registration begins at 9 AM GMT; Tryouts at 10 AM GMT.
For the Chicago casting call:
DATE: Monday, October 27, 2008
VENUE: Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel
LOCATION: 5440 North River Road , Rosemont, IL 60018
TELEPHONE: 847-671-6350
REPORT TIME: Fighter registration begins at 9 AM CT; Tryouts at 10 AM CT.
Contestants must be over 21 and able to compete at either 170 or 185 lbs.
Production for “The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K” begins in Las Vegas in
January and the new season will premiere on Spike TV in April. The 32
up-and-coming mixed martial arts fighters will compete to win a six-figure
contract with the world’s preeminent mixed martial arts organization, The
Ultimate Fighting Championship.®
UFC President Dana White will once again serve as host for “The Ultimate
Fighter.” Coaches will be announced at a later date.
RAGE IN THE CAGE - Special 10 Year Anniversary Mega Show
Event date: Saturday November 8, 2008, Doors Open: 6:30PM, Show Time: 7:30PM
Venue: US Airways Center, 201 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ
Ten years in the making, Rage in the Cage is proud to announce their 10 year
anniversary show which will be held in the 22,000 seat US Airways Center, home
to the Phoenix Suns.
Tickets now available at the US Airways Center Box Office (602-379-7800) or at
all Ticketmaster outlets ( 480-784-4444 ). Ticket prices are $19.25, $36.75,
$56.75, 84.25, $104.25 and $154.25.
The 2 Super Main event fights will feature 2 UFC veterans. These fighters are 8X
UFC veteran Joe Riggs ( 28-11 ) and 6X UFC veteran, and former UFC Heavyweight
Champion, Ricco Rodriguez ( 32-9 ).
The 3 Co-Main events will feature 3 RITC World Championship bouts.
In addition, at least 10 other bouts will make up the biggest MMA extravagance
ever presented in Arizona.
Super Main Events:
1. Joe Riggs ( 185 ) vs. JR Schumacher ( 185 )
2. Ricco Rodriguez ( 260 ) vs. Robert Beraun ( 240 ) The Rematch
Co-Main Events:
3. Vince Lucero ( 280 ) vs. Eric Prindle ( 300 ) RITC World SHW Championship
4. Alex Coronado ( 170 ) vs. Ryan Kelly ( 170 ) RITC World WW Championship
5. James Ramsey ( 135 ) vs. Austin Pascucci ( 135 ) RITC World FW Championship
Featured Fights:
6. Joe Cronin ( 180 ) vs. Jeff Horlacher ( 180 )
7. Richard Hale ( 210 ) vs. Rio Mayo ( 215 )
8. Jose Cortez ( 185 ) vs. Zack Mathews ( 185 )
9. Matt Dell ( 155 ) vs. Nick Hedrick ( 150 )
10. Cody Pearce ( 165 ) vs. Abraham Cortez ( 165 )
11. Jacob Ortiz ( 185 ) vs. Colten Smith ( 185 )
12. Chris McGraw ( 150 ) vs. Roman Salazar ( 150 )
Under Card:
13. Freddy Fernandez ( 180 ) vs. Shawn Hargrove ( 180 )
14. Jay Boss ( 145 ) vs. Brent Agee ( 140 )
15. Shawn "Iceman" Frye ( 210 ) vs. Robert Wilbanks ( 210 )
16. Steve Bullock ( 145 ) vs. Brandon O'Brian ( 140 )
17. Logan Hopp ( 155 ) vs. Steve Bullock ( 145 )
18. Rick Encinas ( 195 ) vs. Scott Guenther ( 210 )
19. Josh Madrigal ( 145 ) vs. Justin Cuevas ( 140 )
Alternate: Mason Bernal ( 190 )
For fight information, view the RAGE IN THE CAGE fights for FREE Tune to
www.rageinthecage.com
From the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
King of Pancrase Light Heavyweight Title Match:
1. Ryo Kawamura defeated Keiichiro Yamamiya by unanimous decision
2. Koji Oishi defeated Naoyuki Kotani by unanimous decision
3. Ichiro Kanai defeated Hiromitsu Kanehara by unanimous decision
4. Takenori Sato defeated Yuji Hisamatsu by unanimous decision
5. Yuichiro Shirai "Yukito" vs. Ranki Kawana was judged a draw
6. Maximo Blanco defeated Hiroki "AB" Aoki by TKO at 0:22 of rd 1
7. Yasutomo Tanaka vs. Hayato Shimizu was judged a draw
8. Kiyotaka Shimizu vs. Takuma Ishii was judged a draw
UFC ANNOUNCES FIRST EVENT IN DUBLIN, IRELAND
2009 KICKS OFF WITH LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWNS
HENDERSON vs. FRANKLIN
COLEMAN vs. SHOGUN II
Live From the O2-Dublin – Saturday, January 17, 2009
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The world’s most exciting sport returns to the Emerald Isle as the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization opens up 2009 with the star-powered UFC 93 card at the O2-Dublin in Dublin, Ireland on January 17, 2009.
In the light heavyweight main event, former two-division world champion Dan Henderson will collide with former UFC middleweight king Rich Franklin in three-round war which will set the tone for the 205lbs division in 2009.
Then, 2005 PRIDE® Grand Prix Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua returns to the Octagon™ to throw down with UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman in a rematch MMA fans thought they would never see. The pair last met in Japan in 2006, with the legendary Coleman pulling off a stunning upset by breaking Rua’s arm in the first round.
“Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson is a battle between two great former champions who are both looking to get another chance to wear a world title around their waist,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Franklin is the former UFC Middleweight champion, and he’s a dangerous striker with solid submission skills – he also showed great takedown defense in his September destruction of powerful wrestler Matt Hamill. Dan Henderson is the former PRIDE Welterweight and Middleweight champion. He’s a world class wrestler, known for his great chin and his one punch knockout power. He defeated formidable Brazilian submission specialist Rousimar Palhares in September. These are two fan favorites with a lot of pride on the line as they want to show that they are still among the very best fighters in the world.”
"We are delighted to be returning to the Emerald Isle again, especially with such blockbuster main and co-main events,” said Marshall Zelaznik, UFC UK Division President. “The O2-Dublin is a fantastic venue that will create a memorable UFC experience. After smashing box office records in Belfast in June 2007, we promised our Irish fans we would be coming to Dublin, and now on January 17 the world’s most exciting live sports experience travels across the Irish Sea - we know this will be a great night for our fans.”
Ticket on-sale date and purchase information for UFC 93 will be announced shortly.
UFC 93 will be available on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available); UFC fans also have the option to watch the UFC 93 pay-per-view live from Dublin, Ireland at 3pm EST/12Noon PST.
The only fighter to ever hold the PRIDE 205-pound and 183-pound titles simultaneously, Temecula, California’s Dan Henderson (23-7) has a body of work which stands favorably against any resume in the fighting world today, with his victories over the likes of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Wanderlei Silva, Murilo Bustamante and Vitor Belfort just scratching the surface of what he’s accomplished in his 11 year career. A two-time United States Olympian in Greco-Roman wrestling who is fresh off a dominant win over Rousimar Palhares at UFC 88, the 38-year old Henderson’s grappling ability and concussive right hand power has set him in good stead as he looks to take out Rich Franklin on January 17th and continue on his march to his first UFC title.
“This is the fight my fans have wanted for a long time now, and they want to see me fight Rich Franklin,” said Henderson. “I think this will be a great fight for Ireland, it definitely will be exciting because we both like to stand and bang, and we both have knockout power. I’m excited to go to Ireland and to take on Rich; I think he’s a tough opponent and a huge challenge, but I don’t see myself losing to him.”
One of the UFC’s most popular fighters, 34-year old Rich “Ace” Franklin (26-3, 1 NC) began his MMA career as a light heavyweight, going 15-1 with 1 no contest in the process. It was a detour to the 185-pound division that made him a star though, as he won the UFC middleweight title in June of 2005 and successfully defended his crown twice with big wins over Nate Quarry and David Loiseau before losing to current champion Anderson Silva. In 2008, the well-rounded Cincinnati, Ohio native decided to challenge himself at light heavyweight once again, and his third round TKO of highly-regarded Matt Hamill in September sent a clear message out to his fellow 205 pounders that not only was he back, but that he is looking to take care of some unfinished business in his old weight class.
“Dan Henderson has great credentials, and he is going to be one of the toughest fights of my career,” said Franklin. “That being said, I’m planning on winning the fight, and I’m looking forward to fighting in the main event and fighting in Ireland. I love the fans, and the way they react by singing and chanting makes it a unique experience for me.”
A true pioneer of the game whose influence is felt to this day, Columbus, Ohio’s Mark “The Hammer” Coleman (15-8) proved that wrestlers not only could be successful in mixed martial arts, but that they could dominate. An NCAA Champion and member of the 1992 US Olympic team, Coleman first competed in MMA at UFC 10 in 1996, winning three fights in succession to win that night’s tournament and introduce a new phrase into the sport’s vernacular – Ground and Pound. Another tournament win followed just two months later, and at UFC 12 he defeated future Hall of Famer Dan Severn in less than three minutes to become the first UFC Heavyweight Champion. A stellar career in Japan’s PRIDE organization followed, and in 2006, he handed his UFC 93 opponent – Mauricio “Shogun” Rua – his first loss in three years. On January 17th, the 43-year old Coleman – who was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame earlier this year – returns to the Octagon for the first time since 1999, and he promises to be better than ever.
Just 26 years old, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (16-3) has done more in nearly six years than most do in an entire career. A fearsome striker whose aggression has made him one of the game’s most avoided figures, Rua had perhaps the greatest run any mixed martial artist has ever had in 2005, when he won the PRIDE Grand Prix tournament by knocking out current UFC star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, decisioning Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, stopping Alistair Overeem, and knocking out Ricardo Arona. Four more PRIDE wins followed for the native of Curitiba, Brazil, with his only loss ever in the organization coming in 2006 via an injury-induced TKO to the man he will face this January, Mark Coleman. At UFC 93, Rua hopes to get a little revenge along with his first UFC win.
Further fights for UFC 93 will be announced shortly. For more information on the UFC visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.
PANCRASE 2008 Shining Tour 15th Anniversary Show
Wednesday, October
1, 2008, doors open at 18:00, fights at 18:30
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Fight Card:
1. Flyweight Bout:
Kiyotaka Shimizu (Japan / SK Absolute) vs. Takuma Ishii (Japan / ALLIANCE)
2. Featherweight Bout:
Yasutomo Tanaka (Japan / SK Absolute) vs. Hayato Shimizu (Japan / Unplugged
Kokubunji)
3. Lightweight Bout:
AB (Japan / Wajiutsu Keishukai) vs. Maximo Blanco (Venezuela / SENGOKU)
4. Bantamweight Bout:
YUKITO (Japan / U-FILE Camp.com) vs. Ranki Kawana (Japan / Rodeo Style)
5. Middleweight Bout:
Yuji Hisamatsu (Japan / Wajiutsu Keishukai TIGER PLACE) vs. Takenori Sato (Japan
/ Laughter7)
6. Middleweight Bout:
Hiromitsu Kanehara (Japan / U.K.R.) vs. Ichirou Kanai (Japan / Pancrase-ism)
7. Lightweight Bout:
Koji Oishi (Japan / Pancrase-ism) vs. Naoyuki Kotani (Japan / Rodeo Style)
8. Main Event - King of Pancrase Light-heavyweight Bout:
KEI Yamamiya (Japan / GRABAKA) vs. Ryo Kawamura (Japan / Pancrase-ism)
K-1 World Grand Prix In Seoul Final 16 Results
1. K-1 Rules Bout:
Keijiro Maeda defeated Min-Ho Song by TKO at 1:43 of rd 3
2. K-1 Rules Bout:
Zabit Samedov defeated Fabiano Da Silva by unanimous decision
3. K-1 Rules Bout:
Randy Kim defeated Yong Soo Park by TKO from kicks at 1:11 of rd 2
4. K-1 Final 16 Bout:
Ruslan Karaev defeated Chalid "Die Faust" Arrab by TKO from strikes at 2:30 of
rd 2
5. K-1 Final 16 Bout:
Jerome Le Banner defeated Junichi Sawayashiki by
6. K-1 Final 16 Bout:
Gokhan Saki defeated Ray Sefo by unanimous decision after a tie-breaker
additional rd
7. K-1 Final 16 Bout:
Errol Zimmerman defeated Glaube Feitosa by unanimous decision
8. K-1 Final 16 Bout:
Remy Bonjasky defeated Paul Slowinski by decision (30-29, 30-30, 30-29)
9. K-1 Final 16 Bout:
Ewerton Teixeira defeated Musashi by unanimous decision
10. K-1 Final 16 Bout:
Badr Hari defeated Hong-Man Choi by TKO (corner threw in towel) before the start
of the first extended round
11. K-1 Final 16 Bout:
Peter Aerts defeated Semmy Schilt by decision (30-29, 30-29, 30-30)
Winners of the K-1 Final 16 bouts move on to the tournament finals on December 6th
Saturday, September 27th, 2008 / Differ Ariake, Tokyo - Japan
The Main Event - CAGE FORCE Featherweight Tournament Semi-final 5 min / 3R
Yuji Hoshino (Japan / Wajiutsu Keishukai GODS) vs. Takeshi Yamazaki (Japan /
GRABAKA)
Winner: 3R 3'23" Yuji Hoshino by Submission (kimura)
8th Match - CAGE FORCE Featherweight Tournament Semi-final 5 min / 3R
Wicky Akiyo (Japan / Shooting Gym Yokohama) vs. Fanjin Son (Japan / Scramble
Shibuya)
Winner: 3R Wicky Akiyo by Decision (3-0)
7th Match - CAGE FORCE Bantamweight Tournament Semi-final 5 min / 3R
Makoto Oishi (Japan / K'z Factory) vs. Tetsu Hada-iro (Japan / Wajiutsu
Keishukai Iwate Branch)
Winner: 3R Makoto Oishi by Decision (3-0)
6th Match - Lightweight Bout 5 min / 3R
Yoshihiro Koyama (Japan / Paraestra Matsudo) vs. Bum Chan Kang (Korea / CMA
KOREA KTT)
Winner: 1R 3'25" by TKO (referee stoppage - g n p)
5th Match - Bantamweight Bout 5 min / 3R
Takeya Mizugaki (Japan / Shooting Gym Hakkei) vs. Taiyoku Endo (Japan / Wajiutsu
Keishukai Suruga Dojo)
Winner: 1R 4'34" Takeya Mizugaki by Submission (rear naked choke)
4th Match - Featherweight Bout 5 min / 3R
Wataru Miki (Japan / Wajiutsu Keishukai RJW) vs. Tomohiko Hori (Japan /
Freelance)
Winner: 3R Draw (0-0)
3rd Match - Welterweight Bout 3 min / 3R
Tetsuo Seto (Japan / Kyokushin Kaikan) vs. Hunt Okumiya (Japan / PUREBRED Omiya)
Winner: 1R Hunt Okumiya by TKO (doctor stoppage)
2nd Match - Bantamweight Bout 3 min / 3R
Yuta Nezu (Japan / Wajiu tsu Keishukai Tokyo Headquarters) vs. Ryo Taguchi
(Japan / MMA G-STYLE)
Winner: 3R 0'36" uta Nezu by KO (right low kick)
1st Match - Lightweight Bout 3 min / 3R
Daisuke Hoshino (Japan / MMA Tsudanuma Dojo) vs. Junichi Ohta (Japan / GOKITA
GYM)
Winner: 3R Daisuke Hoshino by Decision (3-0)
ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP LAUNCHES IN ROMANIA ON TELESPORT
Las Vegas, NV (USA) -- Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) brand, and TELESPORT, one of the largest dedicated sports networks in Romania, today announced the successful launch of UFC live events on Telesport.|
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ELITEXC - Arlovski and Nelson added to CBS fight card
LOS ANGELES — CBS,
EliteXC, and Trump’s Affliction Entertainment jointly announced today that a
fifth fight has been added to the lineup for CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
on Saturday, Oct. 4 featuring top-ranked MMA heavyweights Andrei Arlovski
against the last reigning IFL heavyweight champion Roy “Big Country” Nelson.
Arlovski, who was originally slated to fight in the main event of the Oct. 11
Affliction card, is the No. 4 ranked heavyweight in the world, according to
MMAWEEKLY.com. A native of Belarus, Arlovski was last seen ending Ben Rothwell’s
13-fight winning streak during the inaugural "Affliction Banned" show, which was
held on July 19, 2008. Arlovski is a former UFC heavyweight champion and
currently has a record of 13-5.
Roy "Big Country" Nelson has made a name for himself with impressive knock outs,
a remarkable ground game and stellar submissions. He was the IFL’s last reigning
heavyweight champion and currently holds an impressive record of 13-2. Training
with Ken Shamrock’s legendary fight camp, the Lion’s Den, Nelson stands at 6'0"
and weighs approximately 250 pounds.
"This is yet another testament to EliteXC’s willingness to work with other MMA
promotions to bring the best possible fights to the broadest possible audience,"
said Jeremy Lappen, head of the Live Fight Division of EliteXC. "Special thanks
to the hard working team at Affliction and of course our partners at CBS and
Showtime."
Michael Cohen, Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization and Chief
Operating Officer of Affliction Entertainment, added, "Mr. Trump and the
Affliction Entertainment group are honored to be working alongside CBS, Showtime
and EliteXC. It is without question that this event will exceed everyone’s
expectations and will continue to uphold Affliction’s promise to promote the
best fights for the benefit of the fans."
The third installment of CBS’s primetime MMA event, CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT
FIGHTS, will be broadcast live from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. on
Saturday, Oct. 4 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
EliteXC and Affliction have teamed up to deliver one of the strongest MMA cards,
top to bottom, of the year. The following is the confirmed lineup for the Oct. 4
CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS:
Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (Heavyweights)
Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley (for EliteXC Welterweight title)
Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy "Big Country" Nelson (Heavyweights)
Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold (Women's 140-Pound Weight Class)
Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Benji Radach (Middleweights)
CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will be produced by SHOWTIME Sports. The
executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr.
For more information on CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, visit cbssports.com
or www.proelite.com.
WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING®
ANNOUNCES BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
MIGUEL ANGEL TORRES vs. MANNY TAPIA
ALSO: WEC® ANNOUNCES NEW LINEUP OF WEIGHT
CLASSES
Live From The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino In Las
Vegas, Wednesday, Dec. 3
Tickets Go On Sale Monday, Oct. 6 at 10am PT
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – With two spectacular wins that sky-rocketed him into the
pound-for-pound stratosphere, WEC® bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres has
been one of 2008’s great success stories. But the only man standing between him
and likely recognition as Fighter of the Year is one of his greatest rivals,
Manny Tapia, an unbeaten contender who has been waiting six months for his shot
at the 135-pound weight class’ greatest prize. The World Extreme Cagefighting®
organization is pleased to announce that on Wednesday, December 3rd, at the Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, these two
warriors will finally meet in an
explosive contest guaranteed to produce fireworks.
World Extreme Cagefighting will be televised live nationally on VERSUS beginning
at 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT. All live WEC events will be presented in Hi-Definition
(HD) where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local
viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.
Tickets for World Extreme Cagefighting go on sale on Monday, Oct. 6 at 10am PT
and will be priced at $225, $175, and $75 (not including applicable services or
taxes). Tickets are available at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office and all
Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call
Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available online through
www.wec.tv or www.ticketmaster.com.
The WEC also announced that, starting in 2009, the organization will focus on
four weight classes: welterweight (170 pounds), lightweight (155 pounds),
featherweight (145 pounds), and bantamweight (135 pounds). The WEC will no
longer actively promote light heavyweight and middleweight fights after the Dec.
3rd event. This increased attention to the sport’s lighter divisions makes the
WEC the undisputed home of the most exciting lighter weight fighters in
mixed martial arts.
“With every fight, the WEC has proven itself to be a powerful and growing
presence in
sports, both with our live events and
our programming on VERSUS,” said Peter Dropick, WEC Vice President, Operations
and Production. “Exciting matchups like Torres vs. Tapia on Dec. 3 and the
incredible fights we have planned for 2009 under this new structure will no
doubt establish WEC as the home of the best lighter weight fighters in the
world.”
WEC Bantamweight
Champion Miguel Angel Torres (34-1) captured the attention of the worldwide MMA
community when he put on a groundfighting clinic against Chase Beebe, capturing
the title with a guillotine choke just 3:59 into the championship bout. His
place among the elite was solidified in June, when he stopped tough Yoshiro
Maeda at the end of the third round in one of the best fights of 2008. After
years of fighting, Torres has finally earned his place as one of mixed
martial arts’ best, pound for pound,
but his reign won’t be complete until he defends his title against Manny Tapia.
Manny “The Mangler” Tapia (10-0-1) is a television favorite due to his
aggressive style and KO power. He burst onto the WEC scene with an impressive
TKO over Brandon Foxworth, and then followed that victory up with a three round
war against veteran Antonio Banuelos that he won via a hard-fought decision.
Having shown both heart and skill in the cage, now all he needs is a belt around
his waist, something he hopes to take from Torres on December 3rd.
The remaining bouts for WEC: Torres vs Tapia will be announced in the near
future. All bouts subject to change. For more information about WEC: Torres vs
Tapia and current WEC fight news, visit www.wec.tv.
About World Extreme Cagefighting
The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts
organizations in the United States. Founded in 2001, the WEC features many of
the most prominent athletes in the sport of mixed martial arts today. Owned and
operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC
produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus
network. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the
TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and
current WEC fight news, visit www.wec.tv.
World Extreme Cagefighting® and WEC® are registered trademarks, trademarks,
trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the
United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.
About VERSUS
VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on
Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 73 million homes, the network is the
national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup
Playoffs as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, Davis Cup
Tennis, the Professional Bull Riders
(PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), the Indy Racing League and Professional
Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked
teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy
League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a
destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive,
competitive events that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned
company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable
systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
Clan Chihiro defeated Zombie
Nishiyama by Submission (Guillotine Choke) r1 0:55
Hiroki Kuga defeated Koki Ijima by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) r1 0:25
Aya Aya vs. Sachiko Togashi - Draw
Hidenobu Koike defeated Hiroaki Sakuma by Decision (Unanimous) r2 5:00
UFC move on to South-East Asia in 2009
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has not hidden its desire to expand its brand across the world.The UFC has yet to return to Japan and Brazil, countries that they haven’t been to in many years, but they have recently expanded into Canada, following a strong building process in Northern Ireland and England.
“We're focused on Germany, the Philippines, and Australia next,” UFC president Dana White stated earlier this year. “Germany is what we’re looking at next.”
Some of the speculation about Germany has quieted recently, but don’t be surprised if the promotion announces a date at the O2 World Arena in Berlin sometime soon.
“The Philippines is definitely happening, we're working on that right now, Australia and Germany, those three are right now,” said White.
After UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta and Octagon star Chuck Liddell’s recent publicity junket to the Philippines drew more than 4,000 fans to a one-hour open work featuring Liddell, no one should be surprised that a more strict timeline has been factored into the UFC’s planned expansion for Southeast Asia.
Company projections currently call for a UFC landing in the Philippines sometime in the summer of 2009, according to a report on UFC.com.
“Chuck is a rock star over here,” Fertitta told UFC.com from his stop in the Philippines. “He walks in the hotel and there are people all over him, and then we ended up doing a public training session and over 4,000 people showed up at the Mall of Asia just to see him. It was very interesting, even at times a little bit scary because there were so many people there.”
In some way, the UFC, which already has a broadcast television deal with the ABS-CBN network in the Philippines, has arguably gone more mainstream in Southeast Asia than it has in America.
“When we came to the hotel, we checked in about 6:30 in the morning and there were about 20 photographers waiting for us. Then we held a press conference at nine and there were multiple TV stations and reporters. It’s beyond the imagination. They have a full day of press for us tomorrow, and I’ve got to be honest, I knew that we were growing internationally, but I don’t think I really had an appreciation for the amount of momentum we truly have until I came over here and saw it for myself.”
With Summer 2009 now penciled in on the docket, Fertitta says the UFC is already planning for its first event in the Philippines. Not only will they bring stars like Liddell to Southeast Asia, but just as they did in Canada, England, and Northern Ireland, the UFC plans to use regional fighters in the Octagon.
“It will be a combination of bringing over some of our stars and then hopefully having some local Filipino fighters, and maybe bringing in some of the guys from Japan and South Korea,” said Fertitta.
As many other promotions have fallen to the wayside or are currently struggling financially, the UFC machine only seems into ever-higher gears as the days roll on. With Germany and the Philippines starting to take shape, maybe fans in Australia can start holding their breath.
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UFC AND SPIKE TV PRESENT UFC FIGHT FOR THE TROOPS
Three-Hour UFC Live Event On December 10 From Fort Bragg, NC|
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STRIKEFORCE at the Playboy Mansion Results
1. Kazuo Misaki defeated Joe Riggs
by TKO at 2:29 of rd 2
2. Josh Thompson defeated Ashe Bowman by TKO at 1:14 of rd 1
3. Terry Martin defeated Cory Devela by TKO at 2:08 of rd 3
4. Mitsuhiro Ishida defeated Justin Wilcox by armbar at 1:21 of rd 1
5. Trevor Prangley defeated Anthony Ruiz by unanimous decision
6. Luke Stewart defeated Jesse Juarez by armbar at 4:55 of rd 1
7. Eric Lawson defeated Kenneth Seegrist by rear choke at 3:07 of rd 1
8. Brandon Magana defeated Brandon Thatch by split decision
9. Jesse Gillespe defeated Dave Martin by split decision
Thursday, September 12th 2008 / Atlantic City, NJ
- USA
Eddie Fyvie defeated Adolfo Sanchez by Submission (Choke) r1 4:02
Marc Stevens defeated Jose Rodriguez by Decision (Unanimous)
Andrew Riddles defeated Mike Stewart by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) r2 0:50
Chris Schlesinger defeated Brian DeMuro by Submission (Guillotine Choke) r2 0:31
Greg Soto defeated Doug Gordon by Decision (Unanimous)
Constantinos Phillippou defeated Brendan Barrett by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) r1
3:29
John Howard defeated Charlie Brenneman by Decision (Unanimous)
Glen Sandull defeated Ricardo Romero by DQ r2
Strikeforce - Young Guns III Results
Saturday, September 13th 2008 / San Jose Civic
Auditorium, San Jose, Ca. - USA
1 Mike Davis defeated O.J. Dominguez by Decision (Unanimous)
2 David Rasouli defeated Jeremy Tavares by Decision (Unanimous)
3 Matt Pedro defeated Eric Castile by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) r2 1:08
4 Alexandre Trivino defeated Gennaro Strangis by Decision (Unanimous)
5 Ryan Bastianelli defeated Hussain Rasouli by by Decision (Unanimous)
6 Adam Antolin defeated Javi Alanis by TKO 2 r1:41
7 Yohan Banks defeated Michael Diaz by KO r1 0:19
8 Chris Bostick defeated Jorge Interiano by Submission (Armbar) r1 2:26
DREAM 6 Middleweight Grand Prix Final Round Fight Card
September 23, 2008
Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
Fight Card:
Middleweight GP Semi-final:
Melvin Manhoef (Holland / Showtime) vs. Gegard Mousasi (Holland / Team Mousasi /
Red Devil International)
Middleweight GP Semi-final:
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (Brazil / Braza Jiu-itsu) vs. Zelg "Benkei" Galesic
(Croatia / Team Trojan)
Middleweight GP Reserve Bout:
Don Sik Yoon (Korea / Team Yoon) vs. Andrews Nakahara (Brazil / Kyokushin Kaikan)
Heavyweight Bout:
Mirko Cro Cop (Croatia / Team Cro Cop) vs. Alistair Overeem (Holland / Golden
Glory)
Heavyweight Bout:
Sergey Kharitonov (Russia) vs. Club Volk Han) vs. Mighty Mo (USA / Shark Tank
Gym)
Featherweight Bout:
Hideo Tokoro (Japan / Team ZST) vs. Atsushi Yamamoto (Japan / KRAZY BEE)
Lightweight Bout:
K-taro Nakamura (Japan / Wajiu-tsu Keishu-kai Tokyo Headquarters) vs. Adriano
Matrins (Brazil / KILLER BEE)
Welterweight Bout:
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (Japan / Mach Dojo) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (Japan /
Academia Az Suidobashi)
Middleweight Bout:
Minowa-man (Japan / Freelance) vs. Masakatsu Funaki (Japan / ARMS)
Middleweight Bout:
Yoshihiro Akiyama (Japan / Freelance) vs. Masanori Tomooka (Japan / Seido kaikan)
AFFLICTION
& GOLDEN BOY Announce Partnership
LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Golden
Boy Promotions and Affliction Clothing today announced a strategic, multi-level
partnership between the two companies that will bring the popular
Affliction-brand to the world of boxing and entertainment.
“We have been talking to Affliction over the past several months to figure out a
partnership that will take advantage of the expertise of both of our companies,”
said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “We have found the solution and
are extremely excited about starting this partnership immediately.”
“Golden Boy Promotions is the top boxing promoter in the world and we look
forward to working with them on future projects,” said Tom Atencio, Vice
President, Affliction. “With our companies working together, it gives Affliction
another vehicle to deliver our products to our core customers, as well as
utilizing Golden Boy’s promotional expertise to further our efforts in Mixed
Martial Arts.”
The partnership includes:
* For major Golden Boy Promotions fights, Affliction will create a signature
Affliction shirt sold on-site and at retail outlets nationwide.
* Affliction will become the official apparel licensee for the Golden Boy
Enterprises-owned Ring Magazine, and will adorn t-shirts and other apparel with
the iconic Ring logo and classic Ring Magazine covers.
* Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Entertainment will promote events that
will feature both first class boxing matches as well as top notch MMA bouts on
the same cards with the inaugural event planned for 2009.
About Golden Boy Promotions
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by Oscar de la
Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In 2007,
in its fifth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions set a record by selling
over 2.5 million in pay-per-view homes in a single night. Also in 2007, Golden
Boy Promotions established the record for highest grossing pay-per-view homes in
a single year with more than 4 million total. Golden Boy Promotions is one of
boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues
around the United States on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, TeleFutura,
SHOWTIME, Versus and ESPN. Golden Boy Promotions currently has close to 60
fighters under contract, from future hall of famers Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Shane
Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez to current world champions Ricky Hatton, David
Haye, Joel Casamayor, Israel Vazquez and Gerry Peñalosa. Also included on the
company’s roster are top contenders Jeff Lacy, Juan Diaz, Daniel Ponce De Leon,
Jhonny Gonzalez, Librado Andrade, Rocky Juarez and Rey Bautista; 2004 Olympians
Abner Mares, Vicente Escobedo and Rock Allen; and highly regarded prospects
Danny Garcia, Jermell Charlo, Hylon Williams and Carlos and Juan Velasquez.
About Affliction
Already a mainstay for the most elite athletes, heaviest bands, A-listers and
the fashion conscious, Affliction Clothing’s ability to set the bar high in
fashion is evident in its collection’s indulgence of style and design, focus on
quality, and its trademark series of divinely executed, dark and powerful
themes.
King of the Cage Announces New Midwest Promotional/Management Team
Lac du Flambeau, Wis. (Vocus/PRWEB
) September 15, 2008 -- King of the Cage Inc., an organization that hosts mixed
martial arts events around the globe, has announced the introduction of a
promotional/management team to heighten interest in mixed martial arts amongst
the residents of the Midwest.
Terry Trebilcock, President of KOTC commented: “I’m bringing in my A-Team
consisting of Jeff Michalec and Matt Flynn to the Midwest. I’m incredibly
excited that these well-trusted professionals will be a great addition to the
KOTC family. I now expect the shows to grow at a faster pace and continue to
bring world-class entertainment and professional athletes from around the world
to Wisconsin and the entire Midwest.”
Michalec has been with King of the Cage for more than two and a half years and
has extensive experience in events promotions and matchmaking in the Midwest. He
is a former mixed martial arts judge and event official who has been directly
involved in over 30 mixed martial arts events around the country. Michalec
attended Ohio State University.
Flynn is a well known name in the Midwest MMA circuit with his highly successful
Xtreme Cagefighting Championship organization as well as his Ultimate MMA
Training Facility, a 8000 sq. ft state of the art training facility in Pontiac,
MI. He is also co-owner of Xtreme Management, Inc. which manages over 50
fighters both pro and amateur throughout the US and Canada. Flynn Attended
Michigan State University and has a bachelors degree in Finance and Marketing.
KOTC events combine the skills of boxing, wrestling, Judo and Jujitsu in their
intense, high impact fights that draws millions of fans across the globe. KOTC
events have been broadcasted on MSNBC, FSN, the Discovery Channel and on
Pay-Per-View. KOTC has world-wide appeal, and has hosted events in Singapore,
Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. It is owned by Pro-Elite, producers of
the CBS “EliteXC Fight Nights” on national television.
Lake of the Torches Resort Casino is the home for King of the Cage events in
Wisconsin. “We are very excited to have this experienced and professional team
joining us in increasing the exposure and the organizing of these events to our
public,” said Michael J. Broderick, Director of Marketing at Lake of the
Torches. “We look forward to working closely with them now and into the future.
We’ve already seen phenomenal growth in terms of attendance and it will only get
better with this new promotional/management team.”
Situated on the shores of Pokegama Lake and nestled in Wisconsin’s Northwoods,
the Lake of the Torches Resort Casino has a feel of a classic Northern retreat
and reflects its Ojibwe culture and heritage. The casino has over 800 slot
machines (including a non-smoking area), 12 blackjack tables and three poker
tables, a high-stakes Bingo Hall seating up to 500 persons, the 24-hour Game
Time Grill and the Eagle’s Nest Restaurant. The hotel has 101 well–appointed
rooms, the Dancing Waters Lounge and the Woodland Oasis pool area. The 8,500
square-foot Convention Center with the Hall of Nations offers an outstanding
venue for entertainment, receptions, trade shows, meetings, presentations and
seminars.
More information on upcoming events at Lake of the Torches is available at
www.lakeofthetorches.com.
K-1 World GP
In Seoul: Final 16
September 27, 2008, Gates Open 3:30PM / Event Starts 5:00PM
Seoul Olympic Gymnasium 1, Seoul,
South Korea
K-1 Rules Opening Bouts:
1. Randy Kim (Freelance) vs. Yong Soo Park (Khan Gym)
2. Zabit Samedov (Chinuk Gym) vs. Fabiano Da Silva (Kyokushin Kaikan)
K-1 Final 16 Bouts:
3. Gokhan Saki (Team Rebel) vs. Ray Sefo (Ray Sefo Fight Academy)
4. Glaube Feitosa (Kyokushin Kaikan) vs. Errol Zimmerman (Golden Glory)
5. Ruslan Karaev (Freelance) vs. Chalid "Die Faust" Arrab (Golden Glory)
6. Ewerton Teixeira (Kyokushin Kaikan) vs. Musashi (Seido Kaikan)
7. Jerome Le Banner (Le Banner X tream Team) vs. Junichi Sawayashiki (Team
Dragon)
8. Badr Hari (Showtime) vs. Hong-Man Choi (Freelance)
9. Remy Bonjasky (Team Bonjasky) vs. Paul Slowinski (Team Mr. Perfect)
10. Peter Aerts (Team Aerts) vs. Semmy Schilt (Seido Kaikan)
Fight rescheduled for November 5
HOLLYWOOD, FLA. – World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC) and The Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino today announced that WEC: FABER vs. BROWN fight at the Hard Rock
Live scheduled for Wednesday, September 10 has been POSTPONED due to the threat
of Hurricane Ike to South Florida.
The fight has been rescheduled for November 5 at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Tickets purchased for the September 10th date remain
valid and will be honored .on the new date. Refunds for fans that are unable to
attend the rescheduled date can be obtained at the point of purchase.
The WEC press conference scheduled for September 8 at Paradise Live has been
cancelled.
“Due to the potential of a major hurricane hitting the South Florida area on
Wednesday we were compelled to postpone the event,” said Vice President of
Operations and Production Peter Dropick. “For the safety of our fans, the
fighters and our staff we felt it was in the best interest to make this
decision.”
Hurricane Ike is currently a Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 120 MPH
and is moving west/southwest toward South Florida according to the National
Hurricane Center’s latest advisory. The storm is on track to have impact on the
Florida Keys and South Florida on Tuesday (9/9) into Wednesday (9/10).
“With Hurricane Ike approaching our area we have concern for the fans, fighters,
our employees and the South Florida community in general,” said Bernie Dillon,
Sr. Vice President of Entertainment for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
“We felt like it would be prudent and in everyone’s best interest to postpone
the event. We certainly don’t want to cause any travelers or employees to get
stranded here should we have a major storm.”
Main Card Bouts:
1. Rashad Evans defeated Chuck Liddell by KO at of 1:51 of rd 2
2. Rich Franklin defeated Matt
Hamill by TKO from kicks at 0:39 of rd 3
3. Dan Henderson defeated Rousimar Palhares by unanimous decision
4. Nate Marquardt defeated Martin Kampmann by TKO from strikes at 1:22 of rd 1
5. Dong Hyun Kim defeated Matt Brown by split decision
Preliminary Bouts:
6. Kurt Pellegrino defeated Thiago
Tavares by unanimous decision
7. Tim Boetsch defeated Michael Patt by TKO from strikes at 2:03 of rd 1
8. Jason MacDonald defeated Jason Lambert by rear choke at 1:20 of rd 2
9. Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro by Split Decision
Couture Returns to Defend Heavyweight Crown against Lesnar on Nov. 15
If we’ve learned one thing in combat sports, it’s to never say never. This old adage was solidified once again today, as UFC President Dana White announced the November 15th return to the Octagon of heavyweight champion Randy Couture to face Brock Lesnar in the main event of UFC 91 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.|
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Las
Vegas, NV (USA) – On November 15th, the champ is back.
Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White today announced that after a
year away from the game, UFC® heavyweight champion Randy "The Natural" Couture
will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon to defend his title against
rising star Brock Lesnar in a clash of titans destined to shake the foundations
of the sport. This championship bout, the biggest heavyweight title fight in
years, will headline UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR, live from the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008.
"I am happy to announce that UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture will be
returning to action in the Octagon," said Dana White, UFC President. "He's a
legend in the UFC, and one of the fighters that helped build this sport. I have
always said that wrestling is one of the best bases you can have in MMA and not
only is Randy a top level wrestler but his opponent is as well. Brock Lesnar
showed the MMA world that he is for real in his last fight, dismantling the far
more experienced Heath Herring. His combination of speed and power was
absolutely devastating. It is a fascinating matchup: the crafty, multiple-time
heavyweight champion versus the younger, bigger, and stronger challenger. This
is one that will go down in the history books."
Ticket information for UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be announced shortly.
UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m.
EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw
Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95
for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).
A UFC Hall of Famer whose name is synonymous with mixed martial arts, Randy ‘The
Natural’ Couture (16-8) is the only fighter in history to win the UFC world
heavyweight title three times, and that’s not even mentioning his two UFC light
heavyweight titles. Owner of heavyweight wins over the likes of Maurice Smith,
Vitor Belfort, Kevin Randleman, and Pedro Rizzo (twice), the 45-year old Las
Vegas resident turned back the clock in 2007 with a stirring win over Tim Sylvia
at UFC 68 that netted him his third heavyweight crown. Couture defended his
title for the first time at UFC 74 with a third round TKO of number one
contender Gabriel Gonzaga, and now the man often referred to as “Captain
America” will look to prove once again that he should never be counted out in a
fight when he takes on Brock Lesnar.
“I have a lot of respect for Brock as an athlete and a collegiate wrestler, but
I know exactly where he’s at, he’s trying to make the transition from a wrestler
to mixed martial arts,” said Couture. “I’ve been there, done that, and I know
what the pitfalls are. This will be an interesting matchup, and it will be very
nice to be home in the Octagon for this fight.”
A physically gifted athlete with the size, speed, and power to impose his will
on any opponent, Brock Lesnar (2-1) made an immediate impact in the UFC when he
debuted here in February of 2008, and he has his sights set on shocking the
world on November 15th. A four-time All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and
2000 NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling, Lesnar made a name for
himself internationally after college as a professional wrestler, but he soon
found his true love in mixed
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martial
arts in 2006. After a 69 second win in his pro debut a year later, Lesnar
entered the UFC and made a positive impression in a loss to former heavyweight
champion Frank Mir at UFC 81, but at UFC 87 in August, the Minneapolis-St. Paul
resident showed why he is rapidly becoming one of the most feared fighters in
the sport today and an immediate threat to the heavyweight throne.
"It's an honor to fight Randy Couture, he's a legend in this sport, and to get
the chance to test myself against him is a gift," said Lesnar. "A lot guys would
love to have this opportunity, Randy is the UFC heavyweight champion. There is
one goal that I've had since I started training in MMA and that is to capture
the title. Now that I'm getting the chance, nothing is going to stop me. I'm
walking out of the Octagon with the belt around my waist."
About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s leading professional mixed
martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events.
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC
produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed
residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including
iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Shaw Pay-Per-View,
Bell ExpressVU, Viewers Choice, SaskTel Max™ and via the Internet worldwide on
Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and
Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC
programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the
world. For more information, or current UFC fight ne