UFC® HITS MILWAUKEE FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH AN OUTSTANDING CARD HEADLINED BY HARDY vs. LYTLE
Sunday, Aug. 14
From Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI.
Live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
Press Release – Las Vegas, NV (USA) –British welterweight star Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy made it no secret that he wanted his next fight to be against fellow knockout artist Chris “Lights Out” Lytle. On Sunday, Aug. 14, live from Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Hardy gets his wish, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today its first-ever card in Wisconsin.
Hardy and Lytle, two of the 170-pound division’s most devastating strikers, will collide in the main event, while lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Ben “Smooth” Henderson go to war in a bout that will determine which fighter moves one step closer to a shot at the title. Plus, light heavyweight star Stephan Bonnar returns to the Octagon® to battle the menacing Karlos Vemola and Amir Sadollah and Duane Ludwig engage in an exciting welterweight bout.
“Dan Hardy and Chris Lytle want to stand toe-to-toe until someone falls and that’s a recipe for an outstanding fight,” UFC President Dana White said. “This is the fight both guys wanted, so the fans in Milwaukee are in for a treat. The Miller-Henderson fight should be equally exciting since both guys love to come forward and press the action. We can’t wait to host our first event in Wisconsin this summer.”
Tickets for UFC® LIVE go on sale Saturday, June 11 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $250, $125, $75, and $50. Tickets are available at the Bradley Center Ticket Office, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster Outlets, or by phone at 800-745-3000. Tickets are subject to applicable convenience and service fees.
UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event on Thursday, June 9 at 10 a.m. CT via the website ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers on Friday, June 10 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.
UFC® LIVE will be broadcast live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Originally from Nottingham, England, Dan Hardy (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) earned his stripes in the UFC thanks to his devastating power and a fearless approach inside the Octagon®. Holding wins over the likes of Mike Swick, Marcus Davis and Rory Markham, the 28-year-old finally gets his much-desired bout with Lytle in Milwaukee.
“This is the fight I’ve wanted and it’s the fight the fans wanted,” Hardy, who recently moved to Las Vegas for training, said. “Fans don’t like boring fights. They want two guys in there who are willing to go to battle. Chris Lytle always comes to fight, so this won’t be a boring fight. I can guarantee that.”
A winner of four out of his last five bouts, Chris Lytle (fighting out of Indianapolis, Ind.) has developed a reputation for giving the fans their money’s worth. Known for his heavy hands and free-swinging approach, the 36-year-old former pro boxer wanted nothing more than a knock-em-out, drag-em-out bout against Hardy this summer.
“I don’t like to take a fight unless I know it can potentially be the best, most exciting one of my career,” Lytle, who owns a record of 40-18-4, said. “This fight has the potential to be that and more. I’m on a seek-and-destroy mission and I know that Dan is, too. I’m really excited for this fight.”
Another contender in the crowded lightweight division will emerge on Aug. 14 when Jim Miller (fighting out of Whippany, N.J.) takes on former WEC champion Ben Henderson (fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.). Seven straight victories have fueled Miller’s ascension up the 155-pound ranks, including a brutal knockout win over previously unbeaten Kamal Shalorus in March. To secure an eighth victory and potential slot in a title fight, the 20-2 fighter must defeat Henderson (13-2), a well-rounded battler who soundly defeated Mark Bocek in his UFC debut in April.
One of the sport’s most charismatic stars returns on Aug. 14 as “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) hits Milwaukee for a light heavyweight bout with Karlos Vemola (fighting out of London, England). Known for his sport-defining clash with Forrest Griffin during season one of The Ultimate Fighter®, the 34-year-old Bonnar (16-7) is still making waves six years later and is riding back-to-back wins over Krzysztof Soszynski and Igor Pokrajac. To earn his third straight win, he must best 25-year-old Vemola (9-1). Originally from the Czech Republic, Vemola is fresh off a knockout victory over Seth Petruzelli at UFC 122 and has his sights set on earning the biggest win of his career at Bradley Center.
A compelling welterweight bout pits the season seven winner of The Ultimate Fighter®, Amir Sadollah (fighting out of Richmond, Va.), against the fearless Duane “Bang” Ludwig (fighting out of Denver, Colo.). The 30-year-old Sadollah (6-2) has won two consecutive fights, while the 32-year-old Ludwig defeated Nick Osipczak by decision in his last fight on UFC 122. Given both fighters’ penchants for exciting fights, the Sadollah-Ludwig bout should deliver when the UFC arrives in Milwaukee in August.