The UFC will return to the Big Screen on October 23 with UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez in select theaters. Fans can watch the live event on the movie screen when UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar faces to challenger Cain Velasquez at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Here is the full Press Release.
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Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) returns to movie theaters with the biggest fight of the year with UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez featuring this championship heavyweight battle in more than 300 select movie theaters nationwide on Saturday, October 23 at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT. The baddest man on the planet, reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar will attempt to successfully defend his title for a third-consecutive time, this time against unbeaten Cain Velasquez, who is looking to take Lesnar’s belt and become the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion in fighting history. Broadcast live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., the much anticipated fight card also features the light heavyweight match-up between Tito Ortiz and his former “The Ultimate Fighter” protégé, Matt Hamill.
UFC fans can catch all the action in their local theaters by purchasing tickets at www.FathomEvents.com and at presenting theater box offices. Visit the NCM Fathom website for a complete list of theater locations and prices (theaters and participants are subject to change).
“Throughout fighting history, there has never been a Mexican-American heavyweight champion, but at UFC 121, Cain Velasquez will try to make history and become the first,” UFC President Dana White said. “To do that though, he must defeat the baddest man on the planet, UFC heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. Also, fresh off his destruction of Dan Henderson, Jake Shields enters the UFC, and he’s got his sights set on the welterweight title, but he’s got to get by Martin ‘The Hitman’ Kampmann first.”
Coming off his UFC 116 win over interim title holder Shane Carwin, Lesnar comes to UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez willing to put his title on the line just three months after defending it. A former NCAA National Wrestling Champion, Lesnar made his MMA debut in 2007, and has since skyrocketed up the ranks to become one of the most feared fighters in the sport. Now, Lesnar looks to defeat Velasquez, the game’s top rising star. Velasquez last met “Minotauro” Nogueira in the Octagon in February, finishing him with a TKO in the first round.
In addition to this highly-anticipated main fight card, the UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez Fathom event will include the pivotal welterweight showdown between 170-pound contenders Jake Shields, in his Octagon debut, and Martin Kampmann, winner of four of his last five fights. Plus, Tito Ortiz returns to the Octagon from surgery for a match-up against his former friend and “Ultimate Fighter” protégé, Matt Hamill, as they try to knock each other down a rung on the light-heavyweight ladder.
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 finalist Brendan Schaub squares off against Gabriel Gonzaga in a heavyweight showdown and Diego Sanchez attempts to take out Paulo Thiago, a special ops police officer who has defeated Josh Koscheck and Mike Swick.
“There are some moments in sports that are just too big to miss and UFC 121 on the big screen is one of those,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. “UFC fans will experience the thrill of sitting Octagon-side in local movie theaters around the country for this ultimate UFC event.”
UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez will be shown in select movie theaters including AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark USA Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Hollywood Theaters, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements, Rave Motion Pictures, R/C Theatres and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as The Beacon Cinema (Pittsfield, MA) and High Five Cinema (Durango, CO), through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network – North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.
About National CineMedia (NCM)
NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater network covers 172 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes approximately 17,100 screens (15,600 digital). During 2009, over 680 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters currently included in NCM’s network (excluding Consolidated Theatres). The NCM Fathom Events broadcast network is comprised of approximately 550 locations in 154 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing over 40 entertainment-related web sites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.2% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.fathomevents.com.
About Ultimate Fighting Championship® – www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 130 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.
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, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.