Author: UFC News

145-Las
Vegas, Nevada –The Ultimate Fighting Championship^®, the
world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, announced today that it will
return to Atlanta with a championship card at Philips Arena on Saturday, April
21. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones will defend his 205-pound
crown in the night’s main event.

The event marks UFC’s first time back in the city since UFC
88 on Sept. 6, 2008, when nearly 15,000 fans packed Philips Arena to watch
Rashad Evans knock out UFC legend Chuck Liddell.

“Fans in Atlanta have been
tweeting me and telling me over and over again to bring the UFC back to their
city,” UFC President Dana White said. “Well guess what Atlanta? The UFC is
coming back to Atlanta with the sport’s fastest-rising star, Jon Jones,
defending his light heavyweight title!”

“We are thrilled to welcome the Ultimate Fighting
Championship organization back to Philips Arena for UFC 145,” stated Trey
Feazell, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Philips Arena. “The
2008 UFC 88 event featuring Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans was an incredible
night and remains a highpoint in Philips Arena’s 13 year history.”   

Tickets for UFC^®145, presented by
MetroPCS, go on sale Friday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are
available through Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone (800) 745-3000, at all
Ticketmaster Outlets, and the Philips Arena Box Office. Ticket prices will be
announced in the days to come.

UFC^® Fight Club^™ members will have the
opportunity to purchase tickets to this event on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. ET
via the website www.ufcfightclub.com.
A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter
subscribers on Thursday, Feb. 16, starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this
presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Official UFC VIP packages are
also available at http://vip.ufc.com.
These packages include tickets to UFC 145, 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^®145 will be available live on
Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH
Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on 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.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.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^® is the world’s premier MMA organization and
produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually around the
globe. This year, FOX will broadcast four fight cards annually. In spring
2012, The Ultimate
Fighter^®, UFC’s signature weekly reality TV show, debuts on
FX. UFC content is also distributed commercially to U.S. bars and restaurants
through Joe Hand Promotions.

Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in 150 countries,
territories and jurisdictions, reaching over one billion 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
over 475,000 followers on Twitter.  In addition, UFC President Dana White
is one of the most accessible and most followed executives in sports with nearly
1.9 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 best-selling DVDs, UFC Magazine,
the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC
GYM^®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo^® festivals,
UFC branded apparel, trading cards, and articulated action figures.

About Philips Arena

Named for founding partner Philips, Philips Arena is
consistently ranked among the top 10 concert and event venues in the world. In
April 2009, Philips Arena became the first NBA arena to achieve LEED
certification for an existing building as specified by the United States Green
Building Council (USGBC).  Philips Arena is online at www.PhilipsArena.com

Seven fighters attended the UFC
on FOX post-fight press conference: Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen,
Michael Bisping, Mike Russow,  Chris Weidman and Lavar Johnson.

The event’s Fight of the Night bonuses went to Evan Dunham and Nik Lentz. The
two lightweights entertained the crowd in a slugfest that ultimately went to
Dunham after the cageside doctor stopped the fight due to a Lentz injury.

KO of the Night went to “Big” Johnson, who handed Joey Beltran his first KO
loss inside the Octagon.

Charles Oliveira earned Submission of the Night for his
rarely-seen calf crusher submission of newcomer Eric Wisely. The submission proved
Oliveira made the right choice by dropping from lightweight to featherweight.

Each bonused fighter received $65,000.

Watch the UFC on FOX post-fight press conference

Red tape has put a stranglehold on one of the planned fights for the UFC on FOX card in Chicago: The bantamweight bout between Johnny Bedford and Mitch Gagnon has been pulled due to visa issues.

FOX Changes – Sonnen vs. Bisping, Maia vs. Weidman updated January 17
UFC’s second show on Fox has seen a major change, as UFC President Dana White announced today that Mark Munoz is out of his January 28th bout against Chael Sonnen due to injury. Stepping in for Munoz will be “The Count,” Michael Bisping, with the winner squaring off against middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Fans who expected verbal fireworks between these two notorious jawers didn’t have to wait long for the jibes to start.

“This isn’t the new co-main, because I sold all the tickets. This is the new main event,” said Sonnen. “I am going to knock the teeth out of this snot-nosed Brit who calls a Count. I am MMA royalty and America will tune into the Chael Sonnen show next Saturday on FOX.”

Never one to turn the other cheek, Bisping offered some opening remarks on his opponent: “He’s been kicked out of politics, he has been kicked out of the real estate business, and I am going to kick him out of the middleweight division.”

Stepping in to face Bisping’s original foe, Brazilian submission ace Demian Maia, will be unbeaten New Yorker Chris Weidman, who is coming off an impressive first round finish of Tom Lawlor at UFC 139 last November.

Roller in for McKenzie in Chi-Town updated January 5th
Guillotine specialist Cody McKenzie has been injured and forced to withdraw from the UFC on FOX event later this month. Stepping in on short notice to face TUF runner-up Michael Johnson in the lightweight affair is blue-chip wrestler Shane Roller, who has verbally agreed to the newly-made bout.

Mitch Gagnon to Make UFC Debut in Chicago updated December 28
With Eddie Wineland sidelined, one of Canada’s very best bantamweights, Mitch Gagnon, has stepped in to fill the spot against Johnny Bedford at the UFC on Fox event January 28th in Chicago. Verbal agreements are in for the bout between Bedford, a TUF 14 standout, and the 8-1 Gagnon, who will look to extend his six-fight win streak.

Injuries Waylay Chicago Fight Card updated December 26
A pair of injuries has required change-ups to the January 28th Chicago fight card.

Brit submission specialist Paul Sass has been injured and forced to withdraw from his bout against Evan Dunham. Stepping in will be Nik Lentz, looking to bounce back from his recent loss at UFC 140. Verbal agreements are in for this lightweight tilt.

In bantamweight action, former champion Eddie Wineland has also suffered an injury and is now out of his bout against TUF 14’s Johnny Bedford. A replacement will be named soon. Wineland was originally slated to face Demetrious Johnson, who was pulled from the fight to appear in the UFC’s first-ever flyweight matchup on March 3.

City of Broad Shoulders Gets Heavyweight Match-Up updated December 20
Heavyweight sluggers have verbally agreed to battle at UFC on FOX 2 as Strikeforce alum Lavar “Big” Johnson will face fan favorite Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran, UFC president Dana White announced today.

Brutal Bedford Gets Bout Against Wineland updated December 13
“With Demetrious Johnson joining the flyweight division, former bantamweight champ Eddie Wineland will now be facing TUF 14 standout Johnny Bedford on January 28th in Chicago,” said UFC president Dana White today. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout.

More Middleweight Matchups for UFC on FOX 2 updated December 7
The televised card for UFC on FOX 2 was revealed today to be a triple-header, with last weekend’s TUF 14 Finale winner Michael Bisping returning to action January 28 against Demian Maia. The winner of that bout will be next in line for a middleweight title shot after the winner of Sonnen-Munoz, taking place the same night.

Another middleweight matchup has been verbally agreed to for the undercard of that event, as 6-1 Dustin Jacoby takes on 15-5 Chris Camozzi.

Seven Fights Set for UFC on FOX 2 updated December 5
The fight card for UFC </a>on FOX 2 is gathering steam as a number of bouts have been verbally agreed upon by the athletes, UFC president Dana White announced today.

In the night’s main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad
Evans battles the unbeaten Phil Davis to determine the next challenger
to the 205-pound title. Plus, in the night’s co-feature, controversial
middleweight contender Chael Sonnen takes on “The Filipino Wrecking
Machine” Mark Munoz in a bout that will decide which fighter gets the
next crack at champion Anderson Silva.

In lightweight action, 12-0 undefeated submission specialist Paul Sass will face 12-2 lightweight contender Evan Dunham. Plus, Ultimate Fighter veterans Michael “The Menace” Johnson will take on the freshly-shorn Cody McKenzie.

More bouts in the works include:
– Cub Swanson will take on the always-dangerous George Roop in the talent-packed featherweight division.
– One of the bantamweight division’s toughest competitors, Eddie Wineland, will meet one of the UFC’s fastest, Demetrious Johnson.
– UFC 131 Fight of the Night winner John-Olav Einemo will face Chicago’s 14-1 Mike Russow in a heavyweight throwdown

Las Vegas, Nevada
– The Ultimate Fighting Championship^®, in conjunction with Cinedigm
Digital Cinema Corp. (NASDAQ: CIDM)  and
NCM Fathom, announced that tickets for the first-ever live, 3-D broadcast of a
UFC^® Pay-Per-View event on the Big Screen are on sale now. The
championship fight card, UFC^® 143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT,
airs live and in 3-D in more than 100 theatres nationwide on Saturday, Feb. 4
at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

 

The night’s main event pits the fiery and unpredictable Nick
Diaz against hard-hitting knockout artist Carlos Condit for the interim UFC
welterweight title. An exciting co-main event features heavyweight Roy “Big
Country” Nelson battling submission ace Fabricio Werdum.

 

Tickets for UFC^® 143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT are
available for purchase now at www.ufc.com/3D, as well as at
theatre box offices across the country. Fans can visit the website for
information on which theatres will be carrying the event in their respective
regions.

 

“I know the fans love 3-D, so
I’m happy to give them this championship fight live and in 3-D in theatres
across the country,” UFC President Dana White said. “I cannot wait for this
fight between Diaz and Condit to determine the interim UFC welterweight
champion!”

 

For more information or current fight news, visit www.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^® is the world’s premier MMA organization and
produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually around the globe. This
year, FOX will broadcast four fights annually. In spring 2012, The Ultimate
Fighter^®, UFC’s signature weekly reality TV show, debuts on FX. UFC
content is also distributed commercially to bars and restaurants through Joe
Hand Promotions in the U.S.

Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in 150 countries,
territories and jurisdictions, reaching over one billion 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 over 475,000
followers on Twitter.  In addition, UFC President Dana White is one of the
most accessible and most followed executives in sports with more than 1.8
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 best-selling DVDs, a magazine,
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, and articulated action figures.

 

About Cinedigm

Cinedigm offers a new
business model to exhibitors by enabling theatres to present engaging
alternative programming including live 2-D and 3-D sporting events and
concerts, shorts, cartoons, live Q&As, as well as branded
entertainment.  Recent releases by
Cinedigm include the groundbreaking, LIVE 3-D broadcast of The Foo Fighters
performance, the worldwide LIVE

3-D broadcast of the
FIFA World Cup Championship, the BCS Championship in LIVE 3-D, the Dave
Matthews Band 3-D concerts, and the sold out 3-D PHISH concerts. Cinedigm has
also released the KIDTOONS series for the past six years, a weekly family
friendly matinee series that runs in over 165 theatres across the country.  Cinedigm also provides a number of powerful
software applications that enable exhibitors to enhance and streamline their
daily operations.  Additionally, Cinedigm
offers precision marketing tools to dramatically increase exhibitor marketing
effectiveness, including social media initiatives, targeted advertising and
strategic public relations.  Cinedigm™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp™ are
trademarks of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. www.cinedigm.com [CIDM-G]

 

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 advertising network covers 176 Designated Market Areas®
(49 of the top 50) and includes over 18,300 screens (17,300 digital). During
2010, approximately 700 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in
which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place.  The NCM Fathom Events broadcast network is comprised of nearly
700 locations in 165 Designated Market Areas® (all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive
Network offers 360-degree
integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 42
entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications.  National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns
a 48.7% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com.

Bantamweight Nick Denis made quite an impression in his UFC® debut. The Canadian nicknamed “The Ninja of Love” showed no love to opponent Joseph Sandoval, finishing him with elbow strikes just 22 seconds into the first round. For his performance, Denis earned Knockout of the Night honors.

Headliner Jim Miller earned Submission of the Night for his rear naked choke over Melvin Guillard. After finding himself on the receiving end of some powerful strikes from Guillard, Miller got the fight to the floor. From there, Miller used his superior ground skills to earn the tapout 2:02 into the first round.

Pat Barry and Christian Morecraft opened the main card with an entertaining one-round scrap that earned both men Fight of the Night honors. Morecraft had several submission attempts, but Barry was able to show off an improving ground game before stopping Morecraft with punches.

Each bonus winner recived $45,000.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship released a statement today regarding the outcome of UFC 142’s welterweight bout between Erick Silva and Carlo Prater. Silva was disqualified during the bout for landing what the referee deemed to be illegal strikes. Marc Ratner, UFC Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, issued the following statement:

“Based on the referee’s verbal warnings and his determination that the blows were intentional and a disqualifying foul, this is not the type of decision that can be reviewed. Therefore, the decision stands. Recently, Zuffa has decided to implement the use of instant replay at all international events that are self-regulated, and to encourage all regulators to consider the feasibility and effectiveness of instant replay in the sport of MMA. While instant replay would not have reversed the call in the Silva-Prater bout, we believe that it could be valuable to referees and the sport in the future.”

Zuffa also noted that Silva was awarded his potential Win Bonus following the contest.