Author: UFC News

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® returns to Canada with an unprecedented three events in 2012 as Calgary, Toronto and Montreal will each host Pay-Per-View events. The UFC® will make its first-ever trip to Calgary, Alberta as it visits the Scotiabank Saddledome for UFC® 149 on Saturday, July 21. Toronto will then host its third-ever event on Saturday, September 22 (venue to be confirmed) while Montreal will see a return to UFC® action on Saturday, November 17 at the Bell Centre.
 
Additionally, the UFC® announced a further commitment to Canada with three global annual events taking place through to the year 2014. Montreal and Toronto’s events will become mainstays through that period.
 
“Canadians have shown time and again how much they love the UFC,” said UFC® President Dana White. “Their events have set global records since we first visited in 2008 and four years later, we’re proud to be bringing Canada three action-packed UFC events each year for the next three years.”
 
“It’s been our vision to host three annual premier events as our fans have proved they have an appetite for that and even more,” said UFC® Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright. “From coast to coast to coast, we’ve been fortunate to have such loyal MMA fans, and business and government partners. We can’t wait to show Calgary and the rest of Canada what the UFC is all about – something our fans in Toronto and Montreal have experienced and continuously want more of.”
 
More information about the three Canadian dates in 2012, including main event matchups, undercard bouts and ticket sale dates and prices, will be announced at a later date.
 
Since 2008, the UFC® has hosted eight events in Canada with each experiencing tremendous success. Collectively, the eight events have seen more than 185,000 fans in attendance and millions worldwide watching on Pay-Per-View. The three host cities to date – Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto – have had a cumulative gross gate of more than $40M and millions more in economic impact. Montreal has held four events (UFC 83, 97, 113 and 124) while Toronto (UFC 129 and 140) and Vancouver (UFC 115 and 131) have each played host twice.
 
Home to UFC® welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, the city of Montreal has set several previous records including fastest sellout, largest gate and attendance. UFC® 124: ST-PIERRE VS. KOSCHECK on Dec. 10, 2010 had set the attendance record at 23,152 before Toronto hosted its first-ever event on April 30, 2011 with UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE VS. SHIELDS at Rogers Centre, which obliterated almost every UFC® record including attendance (55,724) and gate ($12.075M).
 

“During the rise of the famous Brazilian Chute Boxe camp, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach Cristiano Marcello was at the forefront helping the careers of fighters like Silva and Rua as they made their way through the Japanese fight scene.

“Marcello was also working on his own fight career as he helped advance athletes at the Chute Boxe academy. He infamously had an incident at Pride in Japan in 2005 when he choked out former EliteXC fighter Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett in the backstage area after an altercation between the two competitors.”

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization President Dana White and Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright will be in Calgary on Wednesday, March 21 to make a major announcement.  Starting at noon, the pair will host a special press conference to be held at Flames Central in downtown Calgary. The event is open to the public.
 
Then, on Thursday, March 22, Alberta-based UFC® fighters Nick Ring, Jason MacDonald and Mitch Clarke will be taking part in an open workout from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at BDB Martial Arts. This event is open to the public and will give fans an up close look at mixed arts training and some of Canada’s best local talent. Calgary Stampeders players Eric Fraser and Corey Mace will also be on hand to learn some MMA training techniques first hand.
 
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (all free and open to the public):
 
UFC® PRESS CONFERENCE
WHEN:           
Wednesday, March 21, 2012 – 12:00 p.m. MTN
(doors to the public at 11:30 a.m.)
WHERE:           
Flames Central, 219-8th Street SW, Calgary
WHO:       
UFC® President Dana White
UFC® Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright
 
UFC® OPEN WORKOUTS
WHEN:           
Thursday, March 22, 2012 – 11:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. MTN
WHERE:           
BDB Martial Arts, 3300 14th Ave NE
WHO:       
Jason MacDonald, UFC middleweight
Nick Ring, UFC middleweight
Mitch Clarke, UFC lightweight
Eric Fraser, Calgary Stampeders defensive back
Corey Mace, Calgary Stampeders defensive lineman
 

On a day full of upsets as Mizzou and Duke fell to lower-ranked teams in March Madness action, Team Cruz pulled off a third as lanky boxer James “The Executioner” Vick knocked out Daron Cruickshank with a big knee in the first round.

“I thought he [Vick] lost his fight to get into the house, and I think that’s a guaranteed win for us,” said Cruickshank’s coach, Urijah Faber, when announcing the fight pairing earlier in the week. Cruz admitted his fighter was the underdog – in last week’s elimination bouts, Vick had eked out a split decision in a tough scrum with Dakota Cochrane, while Cruickshank’s kickboxing had dominated Drew Dober.

Inside the TUF Gym in Las Vegas, the two started slowly, circling one another to test their distance. Cruickshank – a kickboxer trained by his father in striking and pro kickboxer mom – threw a few kicks, but struggled to connect on the fighter 7 inches taller and with a 6.5-inch reach advantage. Vick threw a some jabs and range-finding kicks, gaining confidence as the seconds wore on.

Cruickshank exploded with a big left kick to the body and a spinning-back foot. But the 6’3” Vick’s height spelled the end for the 5’8” “Detroit Superstar” as Cruickshank shot for a takedown at the same time that Vick launched another kick. Vick adjusted, threw low, and his right knee knocked Cruickshank out at 2:16 of the first round.

“That move was very planned, it was a right hand, left hook, two-three combination to a kick,” said Vick. “It was meant to be a full-on kick but I could not get it extended in time. He came in and hit the knee. He shot in and it hit him right on the button. He went out.”

Vick also credited Team Cruz with giving him the mindset and tools to win the fight. “I heard my coaches screaming throw this combination. As soon as I threw it it landed. Magic, you know?”

“I think Urijah completely underestimated this kid,” said UFC president Dana White after the bout.