ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® ANNOUNCES THREE TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS FOR UFC® FAN EXPO
FANS GIVEN THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN WITH LIDDELL, PENN AND PETTIS
Press Release – LAS VEGAS, NV – March 30, 2011: The chance to train alongside a UFC Hall of Famer, a former two-division champion and one of the most dynamic strikers in history is presented at the UFC® Fan Expo at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto on April 29 and 30. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, former UFC two-division champion BJ Penn and the last WEC lightweight champion, Anthony Pettis will host Training & Development sessions at the festivities in Ontario.
“This is the ultimate opportunity for fans to train alongside three of the UFC’s biggest stars,” UFC President Dana White said. “Liddell, Penn and Pettis are some of the most gifted athletes we’ve ever seen in the Octagon and we’re really excited to give fans the chance to learn from them at the UFC Fan Expo.”
Liddell’s session, which will focus on takedown defense and striking techniques, will be held on Friday, April 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, “The Prodigy” BJ Penn will lead students through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts training on Saturday, April 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.
Pettis, who gained worldwide recognition in December for landing one of the most devastating and acrobatic kicks in the sport’s history, will be joined by renowned coach Duke Roufus in a Training & Development session on Saturday, April 30 from 2 p.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET. The fighter nicknamed “Showtime” will teach attendees the exciting and effective kickboxing skills that helped him earn the WEC lightweight championship.
Space for each Training & Development Session is limited and tickets will be sold to the first 100 registrants at $150.00* (CAD) per session. *Note: Pricing is inclusive of all local sales tax.
All the UFC® Fan Expo activities will be planned in conjunction with the sold out UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS event, which takes place in front of 55,000 fans at Rogers Centre on Saturday, April 30. Headlined by a welterweight title bout between champion Georges St-Pierre of Montreal and challenger Jake Shields, UFC 129 also features Jose Aldo defending the featherweight crown against tough Ontarian Mark Hominick. The event has already broken all UFC attendance and gate records, while also setting the highest gate mark for a single-day event in Rogers Centre history.
For more information on UFC Fan Expo and to purchase tickets, visit www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter visit www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email [email protected]. Don’t wait, space is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fans can bypass the autograph lines at the event by purchasing an Ultimate VIP Ticket at www.ufcfanexpo.com/VIP. A limited number of these exclusive packages are still available and grant fans a wide variety of incentives all tailored around enhancing their Ultimate Fan Experience at the premiere event. Standard VIP packages and general admission tickets are also available online at www.ufcfanexpo.com. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets now and save, as ticket pricing will increase at the door.
Ultimate Fighting Championship® – www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events 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 145 countries and territories, reaching 354 million homes worldwide, in 19 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over six million unique visitors per month, 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.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon® and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.
About Reed Exhibitions
The UFC Fan Expo is operated by Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading events organizer, with over 470 events in 37 countries. In 2008, Reed brought together over seven million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today, Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organized by 38 fully staffed offices.
Reed organizes a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses and meetings. Its portfolio of over 470 events serves 44 industry sectors, including: Aerospace & aviation, automobiles, broadcasting, building & construction, electronics, energy, oil & gas, engineering, manufacturing, environment, food service & hospitality, gifts, healthcare, interior design, IT & telecoms, jewelry, life science & pharmaceuticals, machinery, medical education, printing & graphics, property & real estate, security & safety, sports & recreation, and travel. Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations and government departments Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.