Author: UFC News

UFC president Dana White confirmed today that UFC Live fighter Jeff Hougland is sidelined due to injury and will not be able to face Washington D.C.’s own Mike Easton this Saturday night at the Verizon Center. Stepping up on short notice will be Georgia-based Byron Bloodworth.

“Both bantamweights will be making their promotional debut in what is sure to be a fast-paced, high-energy battle.”

Fabio Maldonado Injured, Off UFC Live Card updated September 27
Brazilian brawler Fabio Maldonado is injured and out of his scheduled October 1 light heavyweight fight against Aaron Rosa, UFC president Dana White revealed today.

Wisniewski, Neer Return to UFC’s Welterweight Division updated September 6
“Two UFC veterans return to try to make a run in the welterweight division as Keith Wisniewski and Josh ‘The Dentist’ Neer have signed on to fight October 1st in Washington D.C,” said UFC president Dana White.

Also at that event, two new prospects enter the bantamweight division as Walel Watson will be taking on fellow newcomer Joseph Sandoval.

Battle Between Rosa and Maldonado set for Oct. 1st updated August 17
Expect a fight to remember when 205-pound bangers Aaron Rosa and Fabio Maldonado meet on October 1st.

“Two exciting light heavyweight sluggers have verbally agreed to throw down October 1st in Washington D.C. as Aaron Rosa takes on Fabio Maldonado,” said UFC President Dana White.

Grant Moves to 155, Faces Roller on October 1st
Canadian standout TJ Grant will make his lightweight debut against Shane Roller in an October 1st bout verbally agreed to today. The match will take place at Verizon Center in Washington D.C.

Edwards vs. Oliveira in DC October 1st
Lightweight veterans Yves Edwards and Rafaello Oliveira will square off in Washington DC on October 1st in a quest to get back in the win column after recent losses to Sam Stout and Gleison Tibau, respectively. This bout on the UFC Live card was verbally agreed to today.

“The Hulk” Easton Makes UFC Debut against Hougland in October

Winner of five in a row, bantamweight prospect Mike “The Hulk” Easton will return to competition for the first time since 2009 and he will do it in the UFC Octagon as he makes his debut in the organization against Jeff Hougland on October 1st’s UFC Live on Versus card in Washington D.C. Easton, a stablemate of 135-pound champ Dominick Cruz, will be in tough against Hougland, who was successful in his UFC debut in July, defeating Donny Walker.

Skyscraper vs. Pat Barry at UFC on Versus

“Verbal agreements are in for a titanic battle between Stefan ‘Skyscraper’ Struve and Pat ‘HD’ Barry October 1st on UFC Live On Versus,” said UFC president Dana White. At 6’11”, Struve is the tallest fighter among UFC heavyweights, while Barry, a full foot shorter, clocks in as the division’s shortest.

Cruz Defends Bantam Belt Against “Mighty Mouse” on Oct. 1 updated July 21
Following his exciting five round win over Urijah Faber in July that allowed him to avenge the only loss of his pro career, UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will jump right back into the fire on Saturday, October 1st, as he defends his crown against number one contender Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. The bout, the first championship fight aired on free cable television since the UFC 75 match between Rampage Jackson and Dan Henderson in 2007, will be televised on Versus.

Sass-Johnson added to UFC on Versus 6
“Verbal agreements are in for a lightweight bout featuring English submission specialist Paul Sass vs. powerful wrestler and TUF 12 finalist Michael ‘The Menace’ Johnson,” said UFC president Dana White today.

Brenneman-Johnson and Danzig-Wiman Set for UFC on Versus updated July 16
Coming off of his amazing late-notice victory over highly regarded Rick Story, Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman has verbally agreed to face one of the most powerful men in the welterweight division, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. The bout will occur at this fall’s UFC on Versus 6 event – the date and location will be announced in the coming weeks.

Brenneman was originally on the June 26 UFC Live undercard and bumped to the co-main event on one day’s notice when Nate Marquardt was unable to compete. He then fought and beat Story, who had been brought in weeks before to replace Johnson, the original headliner.

Plus, in a rematch of their controversial fight from UFC 115, Ultimate Fighter winner Mac Danzig and “Handsome” Matt Wiman have agreed to fight on that same card, UFC president Dana White confirmed today.

The lightweights’ first outing ended prematurely after the referee mistakenly thought
Danzig had been rendered unconscious by a choke and
halted the bout. The rematch was originally set for last fall, but both men were forced to pull out due to injuries.

Mike Easton will make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut Saturday as the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization makes its District debut at Verizon Center.

But this won’t be the Southeast D.C. native’s first fight: “My first opponent was death.”

Read full article 

ALSO:
SAN JOSE’S CUNG LE vs. WANDERLEI SILVA
SACRAMENTO’S URIJAH FABER vs. BRIAN BOWLES
RICK STORY vs. MARTIN KAMPMANN
STEPHAN BONNAR vs. SAN JOSE’S KYLE KINGSBURY

UFC® 139: SHOGUN vs. HENDERSON
Saturday, Nov. 19
From HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
Live on Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, SEPT. 30

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Two powerhouses of the light heavyweight division will collide on Saturday, Nov. 19 for a chance to prove that they deserve at shot at the sport’s ultimate prize – the UFC® world championship. Former PRIDE® and STRIKEFORCE® champion Dan Henderson returns to the Octagon® at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. to take on former UFC light heavyweight champion and international superstar Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The winner looks to earn a coveted shot at the UFC light heavyweight crown next year.

Plus, San Jose’s own Cung Le makes his UFC debut when he battles mixed martial arts legend Wanderlei Silva in middleweight action. In addition, Sacramento’s “The California Kid,” Urijah Faber, takes on former world champion Brian Bowles in bantamweight action, while welterweights Rick Story and Martin Kampmann collide in a pivotal 170-pound bout. The loaded Nov. 19 card will also feature San Jose’s Kyle Kingsbury battling 205-pound star Stephan Bonnar.

“The UFC light heavyweight division is arguably the deepest division in the sport and Dan Henderson and ‘Shogun’ are fighting to prove that they deserve to be next in line for a shot at the title,” UFC President Dana White said. “Both of these guys want to earn the right to be called the best 205-pound fighter in the sport. These guys both have incredible power and I expect a great fight on Nov. 19.”

Tickets for UFC®139: SHOGUN vs. HENDERSON go on sale Friday, Sept. 30 at
10 a.m. PT and are priced at $400, $300, $225, $150, $75 and $50.
Tickets are available at the HP Pavilion ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone 800-745-3000.

UFC®
Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to
this event Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10 a.m PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com.Non-members may take advantage of the pre-sale by buying at Ticketmaster. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Sept. 29, starting at 10 a.m. PT.

Official UFC VIP packages are also available at http://vip.ufc.com.
These packages include tickets to UFC 139, 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®139: SHOGUN vs. HENDERSON 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.

Fresh off a massive knockout victory over rival Forrest Griffin in August, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) is as motivated as ever to reclaim the title. The 29-year-old, a Muay Thai ace known for being the only man to ever knock out Lyoto Machida, also owns victories over the likes of Chuck Liddell, Mark Coleman and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. In November, he hopes to add Henderson’s name to his list of victims and prove to the world that he is ready for a return shot at the belt.

“I’m very happy to have a chance to fight Dan Henderson, who is a legend of the sport,” Rua, owner of a 20-5 record, said. “His career speaks for himself, and to be able to keep fighting at a high level for so long speaks volumes about him as a fighter. This is a fight that could have happened long ago in PRIDE, and I’m very happy to have a chance to compete against him in such an important time in our careers. Every time Dan Henderson fights, much like me, he comes to fight and is always trying to finish, so I expect a very tough fight that the fans will love!”

One of the sport’s most accomplished stars returns to the Octagon for the first time since UFC 100, as former two-division PRIDE champion Dan Henderson (fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) begins his quest to capture the UFC light heavyweight title. The former STRIKEFORCE champion, who has won three straight, including a devastating knockout victory over Fedor Emelianenko in July, heads to San Jose on Nov. 19 with his sights set firm on “Shogun.” Henderson (28-8) believes a win at HP Pavilion will springboard him toward a chance to secure his first UFC world championship.

“This is a fight that the hardcore and old-school PRIDE fans have been waiting for,” Henderson said. “Shogun is a tough opponent and this is a fight that I’m excited about. The fans are in for an explosive bout.”

Hometown hero Cung Le (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) makes his UFC debut on Nov. 19 in a familiar location – the HP Pavilion. The once-beaten former San Shou world champion has fought all eight of his professional mixed martial arts bouts at the building known as “The Shark Tank.” On Nov. 19, Le (7-1), who owns wins over the likes of Frank Shamrock and Scott Smith, faces the toughest test of his career when he battles mixed martial arts legend Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.). The 35-year-old former PRIDE 205-pound champion is known as one of the most fearless competitors to ever grace the cage. Owner of wins over Michael Bisping, Rampage Jackson and Dan Henderson, Silva (33-11-1, 1 NC) continues his quest at middleweight when he meets Le in his opponent’s backyard.

A pioneer in the lighter weight classes, Urijah Faber (fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) looks to earn another shot at the bantamweight crown when he locks horns with former 135-pound titleholder Brian Bowles (fighting out of Athens, Ga.). The 32-year-old Faber is fresh off a thrilling five-round war with champion Dominick Cruz. He believes a win in his native Northern California on Nov. 19 will secure him the rubber match he so highly covets. Standing in his way is the hard-charging Bowles (10-1), who has won two straight since dropping the title to Cruz in March of 2010. Equally hungry to earn another crack at the champion, expect the 31-year-old to press the action against “The California Kid” when the two meet in a pivotal bantamweight matchup.

At just 27 years old, welterweight Rick “The Horror” Story (fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) has won six out of his last seven fights in the UFC en route to becoming one of the division’s hottest prospects. Now, the hard-hitting former collegiate wrestler meets proven veteran Martin Kampmann (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) in what is sure to be an all-out war. With memories of his Fight of the Year candidate with Diego Sanchez from March still fresh on fans’ minds, Kampmann (17-5), a 29-year-old Danish slugger, hits San Jose with a ton of steam. Owning wins over notables such as Paulo Thiago, Jacob Volkmann and Carlos Condit, expect “The Hitman” to come out swinging when he meets Story (13-4) at HP Pavilion.

Exciting light heavyweights Stephan Bonnar (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) and Kyle Kingsbury (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) fight on Nov. 19 with the winner expected to move into the 205-pound title picture. The 34-year-old Bonnar (16-7) is a Carlson Gracie black belt known for his legendary fight with Forrest Griffin in 2005 that helped launch the UFC to what it has become today. Riding back to back wins over Igor Pokrajac and Krzysztof Soszynski, “The American Psycho” gears up for an intense battle with the 29-year-old Kingsbury (11-2, 1 NC), winner of four straight.
    
All bouts live and subject to change.

After the main event of UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage in Denver, the night’s big names met with the media for a rundown.

Dana White announced the winners of the post-fight bonuses. Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson earned Fight of the Night for their light heavyweight bout that waded into the championship rounds. Knockout of the Night went to Josh Koscheck for his first-round finish of UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. Nate Diaz scored Submission of the Night for his armbar-by-way-of-triangle-choke finish of Takanori Gomi. Each bonus was $75,000.

Video highlights of the following fighters are linked below:
Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson
Josh Koscheck and Nate Diaz
Rampage Jackson’s best one-liners

In advance of UFC’s return to the Bay Area on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., the Ultimate Fighting Championship® will host a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. PT featuring the stars of the upcoming card. The press conference will be held at the San Pedro Square Market at 175 West St. John Street in San Jose.

The event will be free and open to the public.

In attendance will be former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and his opponent, former two-division PRIDE® champion Dan Henderson, as well as co-main event fighters Wanderlei Silva and San Jose’s own, Cung Le. The press conference will be hosted by UFC President Dana White.

Tickets for UFC®139: SHOGUN vs. HENDERSON go on sale Friday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $400, $300, $225, $150, $75 and $50. Tickets are available at the HP Pavilion ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone 800-745-3000.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10 a.m PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com.Non-members may take advantage of the pre-sale by buying at Ticketmaster. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Sept. 29, starting at 10 a.m. PT.

Official UFC VIP packages are also available at http://vip.ufc.com. These packages include tickets to UFC 139, 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®139: SHOGUN vs. HENDERSON 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.

Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that MusclePharm® will serve as the official nutritional supplement supplier of the UFC® in the U.S. and Canada. The Denver-based company, which also sponsors Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds and NFL superstar Michael Vick among other notable athletes, will be featured in a variety of UFC programming elements ranging from national television broadcasts to Pay-Per-Views. In addition, MusclePharm will be featured prominently across UFC’s digital platforms and in the hallowed Octagon®. Various retail promotions around major UFC events are also planned.

MusclePharm has sponsored numerous UFC athletes in recent months, including UFC 135 headliner Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. The 33-year-old Jackson, who will challenge light heavyweight champion Jon Jones on Sept. 24 at Pepsi Center in Denver live on Pay-Per-View, has been training for the bout at MusclePharm’s 35,000 square foot Sports Science Center in Colorado. It’s this type of commitment to the sport of mixed martial arts and its athletes that made MusclePharm an ideal sponsor for UFC.

“We’re excited to have MusclePharm as the official nutritional supplement supplier of the UFC,” UFC President Dana White said. “The team at MusclePharm is committed to helping grow the sport of mixed martial arts. Having them on board as a sponsor of UFC is great for our fans and athletes.”

“I am proud to announce that MusclePharm is now the Official Nutritional Supplement provider of the UFC,” said Jeremy DeLuca, MusclePharm President. “This strategic partnership with the prestigious UFC organization is the ideal platform and opportunity for both MusclePharm and UFC athletes, as our company offers a full line of cutting-edge products line that fuels athletes both safely and effectively.  We are thrilled about this opportunity and I would like to personally thank the entire UFC family for their enthusiasm and continued commitment to our brand.”