Author: UFC News

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® organisation will illuminate the skies of Great Britain this coming bonfire night, as UFC 138®: LEBEN vs. MUNOZ heads to the LG Arena in Birmingham on Saturday, November 5.

Showcasing a fascinating middleweight (13stone 3lbs) showdown between fan favourites Chris ‘The Crippler’ Leben and Mark ‘The Filipino Wrecking Machine’ Munoz, as well as a bantamweight (9st 9lbs) battle between Brad ‘One Punch’ Pickett and Renan Barao, UFC 138 marks the UFC’s first and only appearance on British soil this calendar year.

Tickets for UFC 138 are priced at £50, £75, £100, £150 and £225 and go on sale to UFC Fight Club members on Wednesday, September 7 (non-members may join at UFCFightClub.com to get a pre-sale code) at 9am and to UFC Newsletter subscribers on Thursday, September 8 at 9am via theticketfactory.com.

Tickets will then go on general public release on Friday, September 9 at 9am and will be available to buy via theticketfactory.com and the LG Arena box office.

The UFC 138 main event between Leben and Munoz carries significance for a number of reasons. As well as having major implications on the future of the middleweight division, Leben’s brawl with Munoz also represents the first time a UFC non-title fight has ever been scheduled over five rounds.

The 31-year-old Leben, 22-7 in his career, remains one of the most colourful and beloved characters in the sport of mixed martial arts, having first risen to prominence as a cast member on season one of The Ultimate Fighter. He has since carved a niche for himself as a dangerous and durable middleweight contender and has scored stunning victories over the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Aaron Simpson. He was last seen on British shores in October 2008, the night he last travelled to Birmingham and pushed British hero Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping all the way.

Rejuvenated by recent results, however, Portland-born Leben looks to move one step closer to a shock stab at the UFC middleweight championship with an emphatic victory over Munoz.

The 33-year-old Munoz, 11-2 in MMA, meanwhile, is another fighter who is at the peak of his powers. The former light-heavyweight contender is now settled and thriving at the peak of the UFC’s middleweight division and has dazzled in wins over Demian Maia, C.B. Dollaway and Aaron Simpson. A world-class wrestler with one-punch knockout power, Californian Munoz guarantees excitement each and every time he steps inside the Octagon.

British fight fans have waited with baited breath for the arrival of Brad ‘One Punch’ Pickett, 21-4, a high-octane bantamweight who previously compete with distinction in the WEC® organisation. The talented Londoner scored Stateside wins over currently No1 contender Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson and Ivan Menjivar and now attempts to bring the same level of success into the UFC’s famed Octagon.

Pickett’s first UFC opponent will be Renan Barao, 26-1 1NC, a skilful 24-year-old from Rio De Janeiro of whom great things are expected. Having spent the first five years of his career competing in his native Brazil, Barao has achieved his last three victories in America has the longest unbeaten record in all of MMA. His recent performances have announced his arrival as a major player in the 9stone 9lbs division and this battle with Pickett has significant implications for the bantamweight class.

Another British star looking to steal the show at UFC 138 is John ‘Hitman’ Hathaway, 15-1, a welterweight contender from Brighton with the world at his feet. Still just 24 years of age, Hathaway has already defeated the likes of Diego Sanchez, Rick Story and Paul Taylor in his brief UFC tenure and many consider the long-limbed fighter one of the best prospects in mixed martial arts right now.

Hathaway’s foe on November 5 will be American Matt ‘The Immortal’ Brown, 12-10, no stranger to the British Isles himself. The 32-year-old Brown shattered the dreams of Englishman James Wilks in Manchester in November 2009 and carries a reputation for dogged determination and a never-say-die spirit. Brown most recently defeated the dangerous John Howard over three rounds and seeks to continue this good form on a return trip to Britain in November.

The UFC 138 main card is rounded off by an intriguing match between former UFC welterweight title challenger Thiago ‘Pitbull’ Alves and Sweden’s undefeated Papy Abedi, as well as a lightweight slugfest between Walsall favourite Paul Taylor and fast-rising Nigerian Anthony Njokuani.

UFC 138 will be broadcast live in the UK by ESPN; by Spike in the US.

Former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem has found a new home – in the UFC. But after signing a deal with the promotion today in Las Vegas, he’s going to get put to work immediately, as it was also announced that he will make his Octagon debut on December 30th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena against former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

Stay tuned for more information on Overeem vs. Lesnar and the December 30th event in Las Vegas.

Devised to celebrate
success and achievement within the MMA industry, the World Mixed Martial
Arts Awards gives fans across the globe the opportunity to cast their
vote on which athletes, brands, and industry professionals have made the
greatest impact on the sport in the last 12 months. Voting is now open
across 22 different award categories including: Fighter of the Year,
Knockout of the Year, and Submission of the Year.
 
Fighters Only World MMA Awards returns with a live ceremony to
be held on Wednesday, November 30th 2011 in the exclusive Pearl Concert
Theatre inside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The Fighters Only website is now taking votes,
but in addition fans are also able to download a free iPhone
application.

Several UFC fighters and personalities were nominated in the categories below –

CHARLES “MASK” LEWIS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
    Dominick Cruz
    Jon Jones
    Anderson Silva

BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
    Donald Cerrone
    Phil Davis
    Demetrious Johnson
    Brian Stann

FIGHT OF THE YEAR
    Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick at UFC 129
    Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber at UFC 132
    Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard at UFC 125
    Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann at UFC Live 3

SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR
    Chan Sung Jung vs. Leonard Garcia at UFC Fight Night 24
    Pablo Garza vs. Yves Jabouin at UFC 129
    Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader at UFC 132

RING ENTRANCE OF THE YEAR
    Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133
    Vitor Belfort at UFC 133
    Dave Herman at UFC 131
    Mark Hominick at UFC 129

INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
    Michael Bisping
    Alexander Gustafsson
    Dennis Siver

KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR
    Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry at UFC Live 5
    John Makdessi vs. Kyle Watson at UFC 129
    Lyoto Machida vs. Randy Couture at UFC 129
    Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort at UFC 126

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR
    Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry at UFC Live 5
    Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (career)
    Tito Ortiz (career)

LEADING MAN OF THE YEAR
    Lorenzo Fertitta
    Marc Ratner
    Dana White

PROMOTION OF THE YEAR
    UFC

Midleweight UFC Champion Anderson “Spider” Silva – who increased his unbeatable run, crushing all rivals and increasing his title record – is on the cover of new Dub Magazine.

Curitiba’s native Anderson Silva (29-4-0) comes from his ninth successful title defense in UFC Rio. You can watch the replay here.

UFC® 137: ST-PIERRE vs. DIAZ
Saturday, Oct. 29
From Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
Live on Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, SEPT. 9 – 10 A.M. PT

Las Vegas, Nev. (USA) – UFC® welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is riding a five-year, nine-fight winning streak that has seen the 30-year-old Canadian defeat the likes of Matt Hughes, Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Josh Koscheck (twice) and Jake Shields. Along the way, the Montreal native has captivated fans worldwide with his explosive takedowns and dominant performances inside the Octagon®. On Saturday, Oct. 29 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, GSP meets a man whose nearly four-year, 10-fight unbeaten streak has many believing that he could be the world’s best 170-pound fighter. In the main event of UFC 137, St-Pierre meets STRIKEFORCE® welterweight champion Nick Diaz, the aggressive, no-nonsense southpaw on a mission to lay claim to UFC gold.

“This is the fight the world wants to see,” UFC President Dana White said. “GSP has absolutely dominated everyone in his path over the last five years and he’s on his way to becoming the greatest welterweight of all-time. Diaz has been on a tear himself and a lot of people think he’s the guy to end GSP’s reign. On Oct. 29, we’re going to see a welterweight title superfight.”

UFC®137: ST-PIERRE vs. DIAZ will also feature former two-division UFC champion BJ Penn taking on surging 170-pound contender Carlos Condit, as well as a heavyweight collision pitting French knockout artist Cheick Kongo against the undefeated Matt Mitrione. Plus, former PRIDE® superstar Mirko Cro Cop meets The Ultimate Fighter® season 10 winner Roy “Big Country” Nelson in a pivotal heavyweight bout, while Japanese featherweight star Hatsu Hioki makes his UFC debut against the gritty George Roop.

Tickets for UFC®137: ST-PIERRE vs. DIAZ, presented by UFC UNDISPUTED 3, go on sale Friday, Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $1000, $750, $500, $300, $200 and $100. Tickets will be available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Sept. 8, starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC®137: ST-PIERRE vs. DIAZ will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

Official UFC VIP packages are also available at http://vip.ufc.com. These packages include tickets to UFC 137, official event merchandise, as well as special VIP experiences with backstage tours and meet and greets with top UFC stars. Get closer to the action than ever before with this unique UFC VIP opportunity.

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada) has a resume that speaks for itself. With 22 wins and only two defeats, the 30-year-old holds two wins over Hall of Famer Matt Hughes, two victories over future Hall of Famer BJ Penn, as well as notable victories over the likes of Jon Fitch, Jake Shields and Dan Hardy. Yet, when he enters the Octagon in October, he’s envisioning the toughest bout of his near decade-long career.

“Nick Diaz is obviously a tough and very experienced fighter,” St-Pierre said. “Like me, he knows what it takes to be champion and I respect that. He’s a very dangerous striker – no doubt about it – but at the same time his grappling skills are also among the best. Just look at his coaches and the guys he trains with, you simply can’t expect anything less than him being very dangerous in both his striking and grappling. Fans have been asking for this fight and I think it’s great. Let’s do it!”

During his reign as STRIKEFORCE welterweight champion Nick Diaz (fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) defeated archrival KJ Noons and finished both Evangelista Santos and Paul Daley en route to  becoming the organization’s best 170-pound fighter. Returning to the UFC for the first time since 2006, Diaz – whose brother Nate is also a UFC competitor – has zoned in on doing what only two others have ever done – defeat Georges St-Pierre.

“He must be pretty good because he keeps winning and people think he’s the best welterweight out there,” Diaz, who owns a record of 26-7-1, said. “His physical strength lets him take the fight where he wants it to go. He comes to the fight in shape and tries to dictate the pace. But this fight means I can represent my team and showcase my skills. It means I can prove I’m the best.”

One of only two men to ever hold UFC titles in two different weight divisions, the legendary BJ Penn (fighting out of Hilo, Hawaii) returns in October to take on surging contender Carlos Condit (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) in welterweight action. The 32-year-old Penn (16-7-2) knocked out Hughes at UFC 123 and then battled to a controversial draw with Fitch in February. He’ll look to earn another title shot by besting Condit (27-5), a 27-year-old former WEC champion with four straight wins, three of which came by way of knockout.

Fresh off his dramatic, come-from-behind knockout victory over Pat Barry in June, Cheick Kongo (fighting out of Paris, France) looks to extend his three-fight unbeaten streak when he goes to battle with unbeaten rising star Matt Mitrione (fighting out of Indianapolis, Ind.). The 36-year-old Kongo (26-6-2), a training partner of former light heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson, owns stoppage victories over the likes of Barry, Paul Buentello, Antoni Hardonk and Mostapha Al-Turk. On Oct. 29, he’ll meet Mitrione (5-0), a former NFL player with five straight UFC victories, four by knockout.

PRIDE legend Mirko Cro Crop (fighting out of Zagreb, Croatia) finds himself at a pivotal point in his career and looks to spark a run up the heavyweight ladder when he meets Roy Nelson (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) at UFC 137. The 36-year-old Cro Cop (27-9-2, 1NC), universally known for his devastating kicks, owns wins over the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Mark Coleman and Josh Barnett in his storied career. Meanwhile, Nelson (16-6), 35, was the season 10 winner of The Ultimate Fighter® and also boasts key victories over Stefan Struve and Brendan Schaub.

Japanese featherweight sensation Hatsu Hioki (fighting out of Nagoya, Aichi, Japan) makes his long-awaited UFC debut this fall when he locks horns with seasoned veteran George Roop (fighting out of Tucson, Ariz.). Winner of four straight and holding notable victories over the likes of Mark Hominick and Jeff Curran, the 28-year-old Hioki (24-4-2) enters the Octagon with hopes of one day earning a shot at champion Jose Aldo. First, he must defeat the 29-year-old Roop (12-8-1), who battered Josh Grispi en route to a TKO victory in June.
    
For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually 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 132 countries and territories, reaching 597 million homes worldwide, in 21 different languages.
 
UFC® also boasts a powerful presence online, with UFC.com attracting over seven million unique visitors per month, while also possessing one of the most powerful social media followings in all of professional sports. To date, UFC has over six million fans on Facebook and nearly 300,000 followers on Twitter.  In addition, UFC President Dana White is one of the most accessible and most followed executives in sports with over 1.5 million followers on Twitter.  On January 22, 2011, UFC continued to set trends in social media, becoming the first major sports league to stream live, broadcast quality action on Facebook.

Ancillary businesses include 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 bimonthly magazine.

 

The UFC 135 card in
Denver on September 24th will see a change in the co-main event, as UFC
President Dana White announced Monday via Twitter that Diego Sanchez has been forced out of his bout with Hall of Famer Matt Hughes due to injury.

“Diego Sanchez broke his hand. Looking for a replacement for Hughes,” tweeted White.

That replacement was found quickly, as former title challenger and current contender Josh Koscheck eagerly accepted the short notice bout against the welterweight legend.

In the UFC 135 main event, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones defends his crown against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

New Featherweight Fight for the Mile High City updated August 31
The UFC 135 featherweight battle between Diego Nunes and Manny Gamburyan has been retooled as both men suffered injuries forcing them to withdraw from the card. Instead, UFC veteran Junior Assuncao will return to the Octagon to fight promotional debutant Eddie Yagin at featherweight.

Additionally, the Kid Yamamoto vs. Damacio Page bout on that card has been scrapped because both athletes are injured.

Nunes-Gamburyan, Escovedo-Mizugaki Slated for UFC 135 updated July 22
Four of the UFC’s lighter weight warriors will be back in the Octagon for September 24th’s UFC 135 card in Denver, as verbal agreements are in for a featherweight bout between Diego “The Gun” Nunes and Manny Gamburyan, and a bantamweight scrap pitting Cole Escovedo against Takeya Mizugaki.

Ring Faces “The Barbarian” on September 24

Unbeaten in two UFC bouts thus far, The Ultimate Fighter’s Nick Ring will get his toughest Octagon test to date on September 24th when he squares off against “The Barbarian,” Tim Boetsch, in a middleweight battle verbally agreed to on Tuesday.

Denver gets Romero vs. Te Huna Clash
Hard-charging light heavyweights Ricardo Romero and James Te Huna will meet in a high stakes battle on September’s UFC 135 card in Denver. Both 205-pounders are looking to rebound from recent losses.

TUF Winner Ferguson Meets Riley in Denver
Following his stirring knockout of Ramsey Nijem earlier this month to win the Ultimate Fighter season 13 crown, Tony Ferguson will waste little time returning to the Octagon, as he will take on veteran Aaron Riley at UFC 135 in a new division, lightweight.

“Ultimate Fighter winner Tony ‘El Cucuy’ Ferguson has verbally agreed to drop down to the lightweight division to take on relentless veteran Aaron Riley September 24 in Denver, Colorado,” said UFC President Dana White.

Gomi Faces His Second Diaz at UFC 135
September’s big UFC 135 card in Denver just got bigger with the addition of a lightweight clash between former PRIDE champ Takanori Gomi and Nate Diaz, who is returning to the 155-pound weight class after a stint at welterweight.

“Verbal agreements are in for an explosive lightweight matchup, as the “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi takes on Nate Diaz at UFC 135,” said UFC President Dana White. “Gomi had an amazing battle with Nick Diaz in PRIDE and is looking for some payback against his brother.”

UFC 135 Gets Title, HWT Bouts
An electrifying title fight has been confirmed as the main event of UFC 135, taking place in Denver this September.

Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former light heavyweight boss Rampage Jackson have verbally agreed to the clash, said UFC president Dana White. Both men are coming off successes at UFC 128 and UFC 130, respectively, and after treating possible injuries, both have been medically cleared to compete.

MMA’s breakout star, Jones stunned the world in March with his third
round TKO of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to win the 205-pound belt. Jackson,
who owned the title from 2007 to 2008, has put together back-to-back
wins over Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill to earn his long-awaited shot at
regaining the crown.

Another big-boy rumble in the Rockies has also been added to the event, with Travis “Hapa” Browne fighting Rob “The Bear” Broughton. “Undefeated heavyweight Browne has verbally agreed to face Broughton, who is on a five-fight win streak,” said White. Browne is coming off a KO of the Night victory over Stefan Struve at UFC 130, while Broughton last competed at UFC 120.

Hunt Battles Rothwell at UFC 135 updated June 14
Fresh from his KO of the Night performance against Chris Tuchscherer in February, Mark Hunt returns to the Octagon to face Ben Rothwell at UFC 135 this September.

“Verbal agreements are in for a battle between heavyweights as devastating striker Mark ‘The Super Samoan’ Hunt faces the 6’ 4” powerhouse Ben Rothwell on September 24 in Denver, Colorado,” said UFC President Dana White.

Yamamoto vs. Page in Denver

Dana White confirmed today that Damacio Page and ‘Kid’ Yamamoto have verbally agreed to fight at UFC 135 in September. Expect fireworks – “These are two of the most aggressive sluggers in the always-exciting bantamweight division,” said White.

Diego Sanchez to face Hall of Famer Matt Hughes updated April 28
Welterweight contender Diego Sanchez has never been shy in expressing his desire for a fight with UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. This fall, Sanchez will get his wish, as he faces the legendary two-time welterweight champ on a date and at a venue to be announced.

“A matchup between two welterweight fan favorites has been verbally agreed to as Diego “The Dream” Sanchez will face former UFC welterweight champion and Hall of Famer Matt Hughes,” said UFC President Dana White. “Sanchez is coming off of a Fight of Night winning performance against Martin Kampmann and Hughes is looking to add another great victory to his incredible UFC career.”