Author: UFC News

Continuing to impact the way people approach fitness, giving individuals the opportunity to achieve results they never thought possible, UFC® GYM™ is unveiling a third location in Corona, Calif., this Saturday, May 14, beginning at 10 a.m. PT.

UFC superstars Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn, Urijah Faber, Donald Cerrone, Phil Davis, Leonard Garcia, UFC Octagon Girl® Arianny Celeste and Best of PRIDE® host Kenda Perez will be in attendance.  UFC® executives and officials from the city of Corona will kick off the event with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m, followed by a special announcement.

GRAND OPENING FULL SCHEDULE
Saturday, May 14th
*times subject to change

10:00AM        GRAND OPENING EXPO Officially Begins

10:15-10:30AM    OFFICIAL RIBBON CUTTING featuring Chuck Liddell, Reed
Harris                                                 NeV Executives,
Adam Sedlack and Corona City Officials

10:30-10:35AM    EXPO KICK OFF featuring Reed Harris & Chuck Liddell

11:30-11:50AM    Q&A – STAGE: Urijah Faber

12:00-1:45PM                 AUTOGRAPH SIGNING I BEGINS:
    INSIDE: Chuck Liddell, Arianny Celeste
    OUTSIDE: Urijah Faber & Leonard Garcia

1:00-1:20PM    Q&A – STAGE: Phil Davis   

1:35-2:00PM    Q&A – STAGE: Donald Cerrone & Kenda Perez   

2:15-4:00PM    AUTOGRAPH SIGNING II BEGINS:
    INSIDE: Phil Davis
    OUTSIDE: Donald Cerrone & Kenda Perez

3:10- 3:30PM    Q&A – STAGE: Leonard Garcia & Arianny Celeste

5:00-10:00PM             Music – Food & Fun!

The day-long festivities will be action-packed and feature autograph signings and Q&A sessions with some of the biggest names in the UFC. In addition, there will be exciting activities, including class demonstrations and participation from local vendors and partners such as the U.S. Marine Corps. To top it all off, UFC Gym will hold a raffle at 8 p.m. in which attendees will have the chance to win tickets to UFC 130 in Las Vegas and other great prizes. Individuals are invited to RSVP to the Grand Opening Celebration beforehand by visiting Ufcgymcorona.eventbrite.com.

“We’re excited to open our third UFC Gym in Corona and continue to raise the bar in the fitness industry,” UFC President Dana White said. “With the success of our first two gyms in Concord and Rosemead, we have proven that the UFC Gym experience is second-to-none. Now, we’re creating the ultimate fitness destination for residents of the Inland Empire.”

“Corona is our biggest gym yet, fusing together the best of fitness and MMA in one location,” Adam Sedlack, UFC Gym Senior Vice President, said. “We look forward to highlighting the innovative features of our facility with this Grand Opening celebration where families, local businesses and the entire community can experience what UFC Gym is all about. We are not what you expect, and more than you could imagine!”
 
The 45,000 square-foot facility offers everything you would find in a traditional fitness club plus cutting-edge training techniques including progressive group fitness classes, Muay Thai, kickboxing, jiu jitsu, self-defense instruction, and offerings such as a 32-foot Octagon®, UFC Kids’ Gym, youth training, and High-Octane Conditioning. The Corona facility features over 5,000 square-feet of space dedicated specifically to kids, bringing families together in a fun atmosphere. With a wide range of activities for youth, from MMA classes, to birthday parties, UFC Gym makes health and fitness fun for the whole family.

For more information on the latest UFC Gym, please visit UFCgym.com.

New York, NY, May 11, 2011 – Spike TV will debut UFC® In The Moment: Rampage Jackson on Wednesday, May 25 at 10 PM ET/PT.  This half-hour special chronicles 32-year-old former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s life as he prepares for his headlining bout with Matt Hamill at UFC 130.

Jackson, a Memphis, TN native, has become one of the preeminent superstars in the UFC due to his powerful strikes and takedowns inside the Octagon®, and larger than life personality outside of it.  In this all-access program, fans can follow him every step of the way as he gears up for his encounter with Hamill.  From his training sessions, to his media appearances, to his everyday life at home, viewers get an inside look at the Jackson’s life as he prepares to take the next step in reclaiming the UFC light heavyweight championship.

The show is produced in near real time, from the subject’s point-of-view, with no narration.  
UFC® 130: RAMPAGE VS. HAMILL airs LIVE on UFC.TV and Pay-Per-View on Saturday, May 28 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT.

Stephan Bonnar will put his two fight winning streak on the line this August when he battles European standout Karlos Vemola on that month’s UFC on VS Event.

“Verbal agreements are in for an August matchup between Karlos Vemola and Stephan Bonnar,” said UFC President Dana White. “Vemola is an extremely powerful wrestler with heavy hands while Bonnar is very well rounded and known for his incredible ability to take punishment and keep coming forward.”

Two Announced for UFC on VS Event in August
This August’s UFC on Versus event is starting to take shape, with UFC President Dana White announcing two bouts that have been verbally agreed to for the show, which will take place on a date and at a venue to be announced.

“A match that has a shot at being ‘Fight of the Night’ has been verbally agreed to for UFC On Versus this August, as Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig and Ultimate Fighter winner Amir Sadollah will throw down,” said White. “Verbal agreements are also in for a battle of submission specialists as ‘The Spider’ TJ O’Brien will face Cole ‘Magrinho’ Miller.”

Las Vegas, Nevada – Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand, announced today that nearly 350 UFC® and STRIKEFORCE® independent contractor athletes will now be eligible for customized accident insurance coverage. The coverage will be underwritten by Houston Casualty Insurance Company and complement existing event coverage the company already provides its athletes. Never before has a combat sports promoter provided coverage to nearly 350 athletes, and this unprecedented policy will cover accidental injuries suffered by athletes while training, as well as non-training incidents such as automobile accidents.

To date, Zuffa event-related insurance has always met or exceeded Athletic Commission requirements and has covered all injuries sustained during competition. After exploring the purchase of “training insurance” for its athletes for several years – much of which was met with difficulty in finding an insurance company willing to insure mixed martial artists – Zuffa officials were able to secure a comprehensive plan through A+ rated Houston Casualty.

The new policy adds 24-hour worldwide medical life insurance and dental coverage, as well as emergency medical evacuation. Zuffa will pay 100 percent of the premiums for its athletes and have an employee dedicated to handling and filing all claims.

“Our athletes are some of the very best in the world and we’ve committed significant financial resources to provide them with insurance that complements the gold standard we have set for event-related coverage,” UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said. “We’re pleased to provide coverage that enables our athletes to seek and receive treatment for injuries sustained while preparing for bouts.”

“As this sport continues to grow, we have been working hard to secure additional insurance coverage so that our athletes can perform at the highest levels,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’re proud to give our athletes access to this type of insurance.”

For more information, or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com.

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 135 countries and territories, reaching 597 million homes worldwide, in 21 different languages.

UFC® also boasts a powerful presence online, with UFC.com attracting over six 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 five million fans on Facebook and over 250,000 followers on Twitter.  In addition, UFC President Dana White is one of the most accessible and most followed executives in sports with over 1.4 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.

Corona, Calif. (USA) – UFC® GYM™ will celebrate the opening of its third facility by holding the official Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Expo in Corona on Saturday, May 14 beginning at 10 a.m. PT. The Grand Opening celebration will feature special appearances by UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, who was recently named UFC Executive Vice President of Business Development, as well as New Evolution Ventures (NeV) founders and UFC Gym partners Mark Mastrov and Jim Rowley.

UFC superstars Urijah Faber, Phil Davis, Donald Cerrone and Leonard Garcia are also scheduled to attend. In addition, the festivities will feature appearances by UFC Octagon Girl® Arianny Celeste and Best of PRIDE® host Kenda Perez.

The UFC Gym Grand Opening celebration will include the ultimate fan experience with autograph signings, live fitness demonstrations, meet-and-greets and other exciting activities.

WHERE:
UFC GYM
470 MCKINLEY STREET
CORONA, CA 92879

WHEN:                    
SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2011 – 10 A.M.
*UFC FIGHTER AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS TO TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE DAY   

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Over four years removed from their first clash, UFC® stars Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber are set to meet again – this time for the UFC bantamweight championship. Ultimate Fighting Championship® officials announced today that on Saturday, July 2 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Cruz will defend the UFC bantamweight title against his heated rival Faber in one of the most anticipated title bouts of the summer. The 26-year-old Cruz is out to avenge a 2007 featherweight title loss to “The California Kid” and now looks to settle the score in the highly-entertaining 135-pound division.

UFC® 132: CRUZ vs. FABER will also feature an outstanding middleweight clash between Chris “The Crippler” Leben and Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva, a lightweight contest pitting rising contender Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman, a light heavyweight bout between Ryan Bader and former champion Tito Ortiz, and an explosive welterweight bout between Dong Hyun Kim and Carlos Condit.

“There is no love lost between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber and they are both fired up to not only fight again, but to fight for the UFC bantamweight title,” UFC President Dana White said. “The bantamweight division is one of the most exciting weight classes in this sport and Dominick and Urijah will both bring it for five rounds.

“Wandy came and asked for this fight and Leben wanted it just as bad,” White continued. “This is gonna be fun! When you add in the Siver-Wiman and Kim-Condit fights, and the fact that Tito will be fighting Ryan Bader to keep his career alive, it’s hard not to get excited for UFC 132.”

Tickets for UFC® 132: CRUZ vs. FABER go on sale Saturday, May 7 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $800, $600, $400, $250, $125, and $75. Tickets are 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.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are subject to convenience and service fees.

UFC Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, May 5 at 10 a.m. PT via the website ufcfightclub.com. Non-members may take advantage of the pre-sale by joining at Ticketmaster. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, May 6 starting at 10 a.m. PT.  To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com by entering their email address where it says “Join Newsletter” at the very top of this page.

UFC® 132: CRUZ vs. FABER, which is presented by Bud Light Lime®, 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.

Undefeated in the bantamweight division, Dominick Cruz (fighting out of San Diego, Calif./17-1) offers one of the most complete skill sets in all of mixed martial arts. With unorthodox footwork, precision striking and tremendous wrestling, “The Dominator” has defeated the likes of Brian Bowles, Joseph Benavidez (twice) and Scott Jorgensen. Now, the champion sets out to prove that his loss to Faber in 2007 was nothing more than a minor hurdle on the path to becoming the best 135-pound fighter in history.

“This fight is going to be different because I’ve become a complete fighter,” Cruz said. “Before, it was my very first training camp. He’s made some changes since that fight, but I’m a completely different fighter. The bottom line is all of Urijah’s losses have come from guys that he can’t take down and guys who out-strike him. He can’t take me down and he can’t out-strike me. I win this fight.”

A former featherweight champion who has since won back-to-back fights at his new weight of 135 pounds, Urijah Faber (fighting out Sacramento, Calif./25-4) is a pioneer in the lighter weight classes. “The California Kid” holds victories over the likes of Eddie Wineland, Takeya Mizugaki and Jens Pulver (twice), and believes he’ll score a second victory over his bitter rival on July 2. By doing so, he hopes to earn his second title in two different weight classes.

“I’m super excited for my UFC title shot,” Faber said. “I’ve been waiting my entire career for this and I’m not going to let Dominick get in my way. It’s a great matchup for me and I’m taking the UFC belt back to Sacramento!”

Known for his warrior spirit and heavy hands, Chris Leben (fighting out of Oahu, Hawaii/21-7) has been vocal in his desire to fight Wanderlei Silva (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev./33-10-1, 1 NC). On July 2, the man who holds wins over notables such as Yoshihiro Akiyama, Aaron Simpson and Jorge Santiago finally gets his date with “The Axe Murderer.” No stranger to all-out wars, the 36-year-old Curitiba native will look to add to his impressive resume with a win over “The Crippler.”

Riding a three-fight winning streak, Matt Wiman (fighting out of Denver, Colo./13-5) looks to climb one step closer to a shot at the lightweight title with a win this July. To do so, the gritty 27-year-old must best fierce kickboxer Dennis Siver (fighting out of Mannheim, Germany/18-7). The 32-year-old, who defeated the fast-rising George Sotiropolous at UFC 127 in February to extend his win streak to three, is a devastating body striker and can finish fights in a hurry. Expect an exciting bout when he meets Wiman in Las Vegas.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz (fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif./16-8-1) returns to Las Vegas hoping to keep his illustrious career alive when he meets wrestling powerhouse Ryan Bader (fighting out of Tempe, Ariz./12-1). A vicious ground and pound artist, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” owns wins over some of the sport’s all-time best, including Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort and Forrest Griffin. To fuel another run in the UFC’s talented 205-pound division, the 36-year-old finds himself in a must-win situation against the heavy-handed Bader, a two-time Division I All-American.

Welterweight standout Dong Hyun Kim (fighting out of Busan, South Korea/14-0-1, 1 NC) battles Carlos Condit (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M./26-5) in a pivotal 170-pound collision at UFC 132. The 29-year-old South Korean remains unbeaten in his UFC career and holds wins over the likes of Nate Diaz and Amir Sadollah. He’ll be in for his toughest bout yet when he meets Condit, a winner of three straight who most recently knocked out Dan Hardy at UFC 120 last October.