BAMMA Signs British Middleweight Leeroy Barnes To Multi-Fight Deal

Press Release – (January 7th.13) The UK’s premier Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA, is proud to announce that British Middleweight Leeroy Barnes has signed to an exclusive multi-fight deal ahead of BAMMA 12, which takes place at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena on Saturday 9th March 2013. Leeroy Barnes is a BAMMA fan favourite who has […]

Press Release – (January 7th.13) The UK’s premier Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA, is proud to announce that British Middleweight Leeroy Barnes has signed to an exclusive multi-fight deal ahead of BAMMA 12, which takes place at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena on Saturday 9th March 2013.

Leeroy Barnes is a BAMMA fan favourite who has been on a roll since BAMMA 8: His imposing offensive against Jack Marshman saw him take the former British champion the full distance. Barnes returned at BAMMA 9 to submit UK veteran, Matt Ewin, after a late injury withdrawal saw Barnes facing a dramatically more experienced opponent. BAMMA 10 saw Barnes take another well weathered fighter the distance, losing on decision to top 10 ranking Denniston Sutherland.

Leeroy Barnes said:

“I’m really happy with the deal. BAMMA have looked after me in the past and it only made sense to sign with, in my opinion, the top European promotion so I can fight the top guys and put on exciting fights that the fans want to see. I’m really happy with the deal that my management, Elite MMA Agency, and BAMMA have struck up and I’m sure BAMMA are happy to boast having the UK’s most handsome MMA fighter under contract.”

BAMMA’s Managing Director, Ashley Bothwell, said:

“It’s great to have Leeroy continue on our roster. He’s a dedicated and tenacious athlete, who never backs down from a challenge and always looks to take tough fights against challenging opponents. This and his aggressive style in the cage make him an exciting fighter to watch. He’s also an entertaining character that always comes to fight and who the fans love.

Follow @LeeroyBarnes and @BAMMAUK on Twitter.

BAMMA 12 FIGHT CARD

WITH MORE FIGHTS TO BE ANNOUNCED

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

MATT VEACH VS. JIM WALLHEAD

BAMMA LONSDALE BRITISH LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE BOUT

CURT WARBURTON VS. STEVIE RAY

BRITISH WELTERWEIGHT TITLE CONTENDERS FIGHT

BOLA OMOYELE VS. WAYNE MURRAY

LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT

LUKE NEWMAN VS. RYAN SCOPE

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

DARREN TOWLER VS. CALLUM COOK

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

KEVIN THOMPSON VS. SCOTT ASKHAM

About BAMMA:

BAMMA (The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) is a premier European MMA organization that launched in June 2009 with the aim of delivering Mixed Martial Arts events that fully capture the entertainment and sporting prowess on display in the world’s fastest growing sport. To achieve this aim, BAMMA brought together a team of skilled individuals with a wealth of combined experience across Television Production, Event Organisation and Mixed Martial Arts. BAMMA’s combination of arena sized venues, stunning fight cards and exceptional production values has led to BAMMA’s position as one of Europe’s most recognisable MMA brands. With a highly experienced team each BAMMA event always delivers a highly anticipated and unique Mixed Martial Arts experience.

About Lonsdale:

Firmly established as the leading brand of fight sports equipment and clothing, Lonsdale is steeped in over 50 years of fight history. From humble London origins the Lonsdale brand quickly became the hallmark of both boxing and MMA champions throughout the world, with its legendary quality and authenticity.

It is no coincidence fights legends Tom ‘Kong’ Watson, Muhammad Ali, “Marvellous” Marvin Hagler, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton have all trained and fought in Lonsdale.

About Safe MMA

SAFE MMA is a not for profit organisation established to improve the safety of MMA fighters in the UK. Under the Safe MMA banner, the medical centre provides a secure, centralised and confidential database for fighter medical records; and coordinates affordable, standardised blood and medical tests for all registered fighters. Additionally, SAFE MMA members will have access to advice from leading world experts in sports medicine.

UK promotions Cage Warriors, BAMMA and UCMMA united to help found the project and have agreed that from 1st January 1013 all fighters on their cards must be registered to SAFE MMA and undergo annual medical tests and bi-annual blood tests. The promotions have agreed only to use fighters that are deemed medically safe to fight under the SAFE MMA (green light) system and not to use fighters that are suspended due to injuries, such as concussion, or who are overdue for blood tests, for example. Additionally, the promotions have pledged to have medical professionals carry out pre- and post-fight tests with all results to be submitted to the confidential medical database at 76 Harley St. Medical data will never be transmitted to anyone but SAFE MMA will be able to give a rapid and all-hours service to inform authorised promotions of who is medically safe to fight and who needs to be rechecked, at the time of enquiry. Visit www.safemma.co.uk for further information.

Tickets For UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Melendez On Sale Friday

Press Release – Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC® lightweight champion Benson Henderson will defend his title in a long-awaited showdown with Gilbert Melendez, the last man to hold the Strikeforce® lightweight title, on Saturday, April 20 when the Ultimate Fighting Championship® brings the Octagon® back to HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The 29-year-old Henderson […]

Benson Henderson reacts after defeating Frankie Edgar at UFC 150 inside Pepsi Center on August 11, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Nick Laham via UFC.com)

Press Release – Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC® lightweight champion Benson Henderson will defend his title in a long-awaited showdown with Gilbert Melendez, the last man to hold the Strikeforce® lightweight title, on Saturday, April 20 when the Ultimate Fighting Championship® brings the Octagon® back to HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

The 29-year-old Henderson is 6-0 in the UFC, including two consecutive title defenses over Nate Diaz and Frankie Edgar. He’ll look to cement his status as the world’s best 155-pounder when he meets Melendez, a San Francisco resident riding a seven-fight winning streak.

“Benson Henderson wants to beat Gilbert Melendez to prove once and for all that he’s the best lightweight in the world,” UFC President Dana White said. “Gilbert was a champion in Strikeforce and he’s been on an incredible tear. Benson wants this fight badly and I’m excited that it’s headlining such a stacked card.”

In addition, this outstanding card also features:

· Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir vs. highly touted Olympic wrestler and winner of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, San Jose’s Daniel Cormier.
· Stockton’s Nate Diaz vs. San Jose’s Josh Thomson in lightweight action
· A welterweight collision between Dan Hardy and Matt Brown

The main card airs live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, preceded by the prelims on FX at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. FUEL TV previews the card the week before on signature shows UFC TONIGHT and UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER, and also carries the WEIGH-IN SHOW on Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and provides post-event analysis.

Tickets forUFC® on FOX: HENDERSON vs. MELENDEZ go on sale Friday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $250, $150, $100, $75, and $50. Tickets are available at the HP Pavilion Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Feb. 14, starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 169 countries and territories, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

About HP Pavilion at San Jose
HP Pavilion at San Jose is the premier sports and entertainment venue in Northern California. Home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League and SAP Open men’s professional tennis tournament, HP Pavilion also hosts a multitude of events annually including concerts, family shows and civic events. HP Pavilion offers patrons first-class amenities which contribute to the building’s reputation as one of the finest facilities in the United States.

Champ Pat Curran To Face Daniel Strauss On April 4th In Bellator 95 Main Event

Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (February 6, 2013) – After nearly five years in the making, Bellator MMA made its long awaited debut on Spike TV in January as Bellator Featherweight Champion Pat Curran opened the night with a dominant win over star Brazilian striker Patricio Pitbull, reaching over 1.2 million viewers in the […]

Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (February 6, 2013) – After nearly five years in the making, Bellator MMA made its long awaited debut on Spike TV in January as Bellator Featherweight Champion Pat Curran opened the night with a dominant win over star Brazilian striker Patricio Pitbull, reaching over 1.2 million viewers in the process. On April 4th, Bellator will close out its eighth season from Ovation Hall at Revel in Atlantic City, NJ as Curran once again puts his Bellator Featherweight Title on the line against relentless Daniel Straus live on Spike TV. The night will also feature the return of Tiger Schulmann products Lyman Good and Munah Holland, as well as the Bellator debut of New Jersey fan favorite Tom DeBlass.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 8th at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and by calling 800-745-3000. The Main Card will broadcast LIVE starting at 10 p.m. EST on Spike, as well as in Spanish language on mun2. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com, with doors to event opening at 6:30pm EST.

Widely regarded as one of the top two featherweights in the world, Curran brings a dominating 18-4 record into his latest title defense, including victories over Marlon Sandro, Roger Huerta, Mike Ricci, and Straus himself, as Curran collected a knock out win over Straus early in both of their careers. Even with the victory over Straus in his back pocket, Curran is well aware both fighters have grown tremendously over the last four years.

“This may end up being the most challenging fight I’ve faced up this point,” Curran said. “Daniel is going to make for a very tough challenge, but I know what I’m capable of. I feel like I’m always growing as a fighter, and the sky is really the limit for me. I’ve got the belt, and I’m not letting anyone take it away from me.”

Currently riding a five fight win streak into his April 4th showdown, Straus brings a suffocating fight style into the cage that always presents a unique challenge to his opponents. While that fact won’t change at Revel Resort & Casino, Straus is cognizant of the magnitude this title fight brings.

“Fighting for the Bellator Featherweight Title against Pat just signifies how my career has come full circle,” Straus said. “It was my loss to Pat that motivated me to become a better fighter. Now I get to see how much better I’ve actually gotten. Getting a chance to show my skills on Spike TV is a huge opportunity for me. The stage keeps getting bigger and the viewers and eyes are growing. I welcome the challenge to perform well in front of millions against one of the world’s best featherweights. I feel I have a lot to provide in this fight and I intend on doing so.”

“We’re incredibly excited to be able to bring Bellator MMA to a world class venue like Revel,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “This fight card is going to be a great way to close out our first season on Spike TV and I couldn’t think of a better place to host it than a classic fight town like Atlantic City.”

The night will also feature the return of New York native and former Bellator Welterweight World Champion as Lyman Good battles Renzo Gracie product and fellow New Yorker Dante Rivera. Both have strong followings in the Tri-State area and should have a strong show of support inside Revel.

Currently ranked as the world’s top ranked 125 pound female fighter, Jessica “Evil” Eye returns to the Bellator cage when she takes on Tiger Schulmann’s own Munah Holland on April 4th live on Spike TV. Eye is coming off the biggest win of her young career with a dominating performance over Zoila Gurgel and is looking to keep the momentum with another victory.

“As a woman in this sport you’re given very little, so that’s why when I fight we always need to deliver,” Eye said. “I think Munah is a great fighter and have always admired her striking ability, but I won’t let my admiration stand in front of my determination. This is my golden year, and this fight is just the beginning.”

The preliminary card will be highlighted with a middleweight showdown between New Jersey star Tom DeBlass and New York native Carlos Brooks as the two look to collect their first Bellator victory. After announcing his retirement in 2012, DeBlass has returned to the cage and will make his highly anticipated return April 4th inside Revel.

“I’m very excited to be fighting for Bellator right in my backyard,” DeBlass said. “All of my friends, family, students, and many fans will get to see me live. I’m coming back and making a statement, you can count on that.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 107 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 150 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California.

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About mun2

mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34. From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform. Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.

About Revel

Revel is smoke-free and features more than 1,800 rooms with sweeping ocean views. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, the resort houses a 130,000-square-foot casino with more than 2,000 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, electronic tables and a Poker Room. Designed to embrace its natural surroundings, Revel curates a collection of daylife and nightlife experiences crafted to bring the outside in and the inside out. Indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, lounges, and a 32,000-square-foot spa provide guests with a relaxing resort, while an outstanding collection of 14 restaurant concepts from award-wining chefs and restaurateurs, live entertainment featuring marquee acts and international artists, nightclubs, a casino that feels like a theatre and a collection of boutiques in The Row tailor to each guest’s passions. Revel was most recently named one of the Best Hotels in the Northeast by Amtrak’s Arrive magazine and one of the Top 10 Best New Hotels in the U.S. by Gayot.com.

To start your Revel journey, visit www.revelresorts.com. To receive the latest updates on Revel, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and Instagram. Revel is located on the Boardwalk at Revel Blvd in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Bryan Baker Replaces Injured Brent Weedman In Bellator Welterweight Semi-Finals, Faces Douglas Lima At Feb. 21 Event

Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (February 5, 2013) – After nearly capturing his first Bellator MMA Welterweight Tournament crown, “The Beast” Bryan Baker will get another shot at glory when he replaces an injured Brent Weedman in the Season 8 Bellator MMA Welterweight Tournament on February 21st from Utah’s Maverik Center live on Spike […]

Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (February 5, 2013) – After nearly capturing his first Bellator MMA Welterweight Tournament crown, “The Beast” Bryan Baker will get another shot at glory when he replaces an injured Brent Weedman in the Season 8 Bellator MMA Welterweight Tournament on February 21st from Utah’s Maverik Center live on Spike TV. Baker will face “The Phenom” Douglas Lima, while Ben “Killa B’ Saunders takes on fellow Florida native Raul Amaya for a spot in the Welterweight Tournament Finals.

Tickets for the event start as low as $40 and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com, Bellator.com and the Maverik Center Box Office. The event will broadcast LIVE starting at 8 p.m. MST on Spike, as well as in Spanish language on mun2. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com starting at 6 p.m. MST.

Only 27, Baker brings a wealth of experience to the cage, compiling an 18-4 record in his impressive career including victories over Ben Saunders, Jeremy Horn, Joe Riggs and Matt Horwich. Already a veteran of The Toughest Tournament in Sports, “The Beast” is fully aware of what’s at stake.

“When I got the call, I was ready to rock & roll,” Baker said. “I look at this opportunity as an absolute blessing. With our new child in the picture, this is an opportunity to make my family proud, show everyone what I’ve been working on, and let The Beast go at it like he always does. Douglas is a strong, powerful guy but I’m going to use my reach advantage and show my strength. This is my destiny.”

“You never like to see anyone suffer an injury, especially a quarterfinal winner, but when we learned of Brent’s injury, Bryan was the first guy we had in mind, and like a true professional he jumped at the opportunity,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney.

The night will also feature a $100,000 Featherweight Tournament Finals fight between Utah’s Own Rad Martinez battles the dynamic Russian striker Shahbulat Shamhalaev, while King Mo battles “The Hardcore Kid” Emanuel Newton for a spot in the Light Heavyweight Finals.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 107 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 150 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California.

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About mun2

mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34. From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform. Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.

Invicta FC Signs Zoila Gurgel To Multi-Fight Deal, Set To Debut This April

Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Feb. 5, 2012) – Flyweight (125 pounds) superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) of Cincinnati, Ohio has signed a multi-fight contract with Invicta Fighting Championships and will make her debut for the women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion at its next event on an April date to be […]

Zoila Gurgel

Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Feb. 5, 2012) – Flyweight (125 pounds) superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) of Cincinnati, Ohio has signed a multi-fight contract with Invicta Fighting Championships and will make her debut for the women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion at its next event on an April date to be announced soon.

Frausto Gurgel will square off with submission expert Jennifer Maia (6-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil.

“We are thrilled to welcome Zoila, an established superstar in the sport, to the Invicta FC roster and are looking forward to seeing her compete in our rapidly growing flyweight division,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “Zoila has turned in a number of thrilling performances while rising through the ranks of fighters over the last few years, and we are confident that she will help raise the bar of competition even further in the Invicta FC cage.”

The 29-year-old Frausto Gurgel, the wife of former UFC and Strikeforce competitor Jorge Gurgel, is coming off a sensational, 6-1 run in Bellator Fighting Championships action that included victories over rival superstars Rosi Sexton, Jessica Aguilar and submission wizard Megumi Fuji, who entered the Oct. 28, 2010 matchup with Frausto Gurgel with a perfect 22-0 record. Frausto Gurgel edged out a split decision to snap Fuji’s unbeaten run that began in 2004, and become the first Bellator women’s strawweight (115 pounds) champion in history.

During the Bellator stint, Frausto Gurgel also handed Jessica Penne the only defeat of her career before Penne went on to become the first-ever Invicta FC champion at atomweight (105 pounds).

“I am excited to join Invicta FC, where the best women fighters in the world are competing,” ! said Frausto Gurgel, whose 22-year-old sister Stephanie Frausto, also fights for Invicta FC as an atomweight. “Invicta FC has become more than just a promotion – it’s evolved into an entire movement for women’s MMA, and I’m proud to represent that movement while continuing to fight and beat the best opponents out there.”

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competito! rs and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

Tickets For UFC on FUEL TV 9 On Sale This Week For Sweden Event

Press Release – Stockholm, Sweden – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) returns to Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday, April 6 for UFC STOCKHOLM 2013: GUSTAFSSON vs. MOUSASI. Rising Swedish light heavyweight Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson will headline the five-round main event, taking on former STRIKEFORCE® light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi, of the […]

Alexander Gustafsson – image via UFC.com

Press Release – Stockholm, Sweden – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) returns to Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday, April 6 for UFC STOCKHOLM 2013: GUSTAFSSON vs. MOUSASI. Rising Swedish light heavyweight Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson will headline the five-round main event, taking on former STRIKEFORCE® light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi, of the Netherlands, on FUEL TV.

This will mark the UFC’s second trip to Sweden. History was made last April during UFC® Sweden, also headlined by Gustafsson, selling out in less than three hours and breaking Ericsson Globe Arena’s attendance record for sporting events.

Gustafsson (15-1) has only been defeated once in his 16-fight career. Currently on a six-fight win streak, Gustafsson recently triumphed over the accomplished Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Thiago Silva. Mousasi (33-3-2) also unbeaten in his last six fights, holds notable wins over Hector Lombard and has been one of the most dominant light heavyweights outside the UFC. On April 6, two of the sport’s best strikers will square off in a match-up with title implications on the division.

The highly anticipated event will also feature Sweden native Akira Corassani taking on 145-pound prospect Robbie Peralta. Corassani (10-3, 1 NC) a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter® , made his long-awaited UFC debut with a split decision victory over Andy Ogle last September and has finished four of 10 victories. Peralta (16-3, 1 NC) is on a 10-fight unbeaten streak and coming off a 24-second knockout of Jason Young.

A welterweight must-win battle will also take place between Swedish up-and-comers Papy Abedi (8-2) and Besam Yousef (6-1), both of whom are looking for their first Octagon® victory this April.

Tickets for UFC® STOCKHOLM 2013: GUSTAFSSON vs. MOUSASI will go on sale to the public on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. CET, and tickets are priced at SEK 600, SEK 800, SEK 1110, SEK 1510, SEK 1765 and SEK 2270. Tickets will be available via UFC.com, globearenas.se and http://www.ticnet.se. UFC Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. CET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers on Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. CET. To access this pre-sale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 30 differentlanguages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.