Tag: Press Release

Shark Fights Three Man Commentating Team For Sept. Event

Shark Fights promotions made it’s announcing team for it’s upcoming “Sharkfights 13″ pay-per-view event, which is set for Sept. 11.
A team of three announcers will share duties on the microphone as Bas Rutten, Don Frye, and Ron Kruck will sit ringside for the show.
Here’s the full Shark Fights Press Release.
The commentating team, as the intermediary […]

Shark Fights 13 posterShark Fights promotions made it’s announcing team for it’s upcoming “Sharkfights 13″ pay-per-view event, which is set for Sept. 11.

A team of three announcers will share duties on the microphone as Bas Rutten, Don Frye, and Ron Kruck will sit ringside for the show.

Here’s the full Shark Fights Press Release.

The commentating team, as the intermediary between the fight action and viewers, is vital to the success of televised mixed martial art events. Understanding the importance of the broadcasters, Shark Fight Promotions has recruited a world-class commentating team. The unique and talented three-man lineup consists of two MMA legends: Bas Rutten and Don Frye, as well as popular HDNet television personality Ron Kruck. This team of entertaining and dynamic personalities will ensure a first-rate experience for fans tuning into the Shark Fights Pay-Per-View broadcast on September 11.

According to Brent Medley, president of Shark Fight Promotions, “We have put together what we refer to as our ‘Commentating Dream Team’ to call the action during our September 11 Pay-Per-View event. It was extremely important to us to secure a credible commentating team that is not only knowledgeable, but also exciting and entertaining to watch. We feel we have accomplished that. We are confident that Bas Rutten and Don Frye will prove to be one of the best, and most entertaining, color commentating teams that the MMA community has ever experienced.”

Don Frye and Bas Rutten, known for their unpredictable humor and first hand knowledge of the sport, boast a laundry list of impressive career accolades that reach far beyond their legendary fight status. They are both popular and highly respected MMA personalities recognized worldwide . Now, for the first time ever, Rutten and Frye will be a part of the same color commentating team. MMA fans should expect the unexpected, and prepare to be thoroughly entertained.

Bas Rutten has been involved in the fight industry, in some capacity, for more than 20 years. He was the UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three time King of Pancrase, and finished his fight career on a twenty-two-fight win streak. He is also a well-recognized color commentator, accredited actor, television host, coach and entrepreneur. Millions have watched Rutten on television and in major motion pictures such as “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” and “Sinners & Saints”. Most recently, his voice can be heard in MGM’s live-action comedy, “The Zookeeper,” along with the voices of Adam Sandler, Cher, and Sylvester Stallone. Rutten is also a fitness advocate on the Cartoon Network and a popular host on HDNet’s “Inside MMA.” As a coach, he has trained celebrities and some of the top athletes in the world. He also has a popular line of self-defense, training, and fitness videos, and is the creator of one of the most effective mixed martial arts training tools on the market, the Body Action System.

Don Frye, also known as “The Predator,” is considered a pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts. Along with his collegiate wrestling experience, Frye holds a second degree black belt in Judo, has a professional boxing record, and has fought for the most prestigious fight promotions in the world. Frye is best known for his success in Pride, K-1 and The Ultimate Fighting Championships, but has also added coach, writer, radio personality, color commentator and accredited actor to his long list of impressive accolades. Frye has made appearances on popular television shows such as: “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Miami Vice,” “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” and “The Best Damn Sports Show Period.” He has starred in the major motion picture “Honor” and lent his voice for a children’s film, “The Ant Bully.” Frye’s most recent films include; Rob Schneider’s prison comedy “Big Stan,” “Public Enemies,” and “Salt” featuring Angelina Jolie.

Medley concluded with, “In addition to our dynamic color commentating duo, we took it one step further and engaged popular MMA reporter and television personality Ron Kruck to call the play-by-play action. We are extremely happy with the team that we put together and are confident that the fans will be to.”

Ron Kruck, also a well-respected personality within the industry, has covered practically every sport imaginable. Major sporting events he has covered beyond MMA include; the Stanley Cup playoffs, Major League Baseball playoffs, NBA playoffs, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Olympic Trials and the Fiesta and Orange Bowls. Kruck has worked for Mark Cuban’s high-definition network, HDNet, since 2003 and is the lead reporter / news anchor for the popular program “Inside MMA” along with Bas Rutten and host Kenny Rice. Kruck also produces and hosts a weekly segment on the show titled “Kruck’s Korner,” which showcases unique people and stories from the MMA world. Kruck currently spends most of his time reporting from the ring of “HDNet Fights.” In addition to conducting pre- and post-fight interviews, Kruck is known for his informative and insightful play-by-play announcing.

Shark Fights MMA: Jardine vs. Prangley, will take place on Saturday, September 11 at the Amarillo Civic Center Coliseum. Doors open at 6:00pm CT. Fights start at 7:00 pm CT. PPV airs at 10:00pm ET. Tickets are on sale now! To purchase event tickets please go to www. Sharkfights.com, www.Panhandletickets.com, or visit any Panhandle ticket outlet.

Shark Fights MMA: Jardine vs. Prangley will be available live on Pay-Per-View on iN DEMAND, Bell TV and Viewers Choice Canada for just $29.99! Contact your cable provider for details. For additional information on Shark Fight Promotions, please visit www.sharkfights.com.

About Shark Fight Promotions:
Shark Fight Promotions, an innovative fight promotion company based out of Amarillo Texas, is dedicated to driving the growth of mixed martial arts through the production of high quality MMA events and by effectively showcasing MMA fighters. The organization takes pride in putting the fans and fighters first; therefore they strive to make each Shark Fight event more exciting than the last. Executives within the organization are committed to producing impressive fight cards with extremely competitive match-ups. They are also passionate about their philanthropic endeavors. Shark Fight Promotions stays involved in charity causes by partnering with, and contributing to, non-profit organizations in each city that hosts a Shark Fight Promotions event.

Mike Nickels Steps In To Replace Wilson Gouveia At MFC 26

Press Release
Mike Nickels, co-winner of the 2009 Maximum Fighting Championship’s Fight of the Year, is stepping in to replace an injured Wilson Gouveia for a showdown against Dwayne Lewis at MFC 26: Retribution.
The owner of the Colorado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy returns to the MFC fold for the first time since he squared-off against David Heath […]

Mike Nickels Rolls into MFCPress Release

Mike Nickels, co-winner of the 2009 Maximum Fighting Championship’s Fight of the Year, is stepping in to replace an injured Wilson Gouveia for a showdown against Dwayne Lewis at MFC 26: Retribution.

The owner of the Colorado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy returns to the MFC fold for the first time since he squared-off against David Heath at MFC 22 last October. A surprising stand-up war electrified the sold-out crowd and earned the nod as the organization’s best bout of the year. Nickels eventually posted the victory, coaxing a third-round submission out of Heath via rear-naked choke.

Nickels (8-3) is a renowned jiu-jitsu practitioner, earning six of victories via tapout. The six-foot-four Denver native, who holds a brown belt in BJJ, won gold at the 2005 Pan-Am Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships.

Lewis (11-5), a product of Fort McMurray, Alberta, and one of the MFC’s most popular fighters, had his seven-fight winning streak stopped at MFC 25 in May when he dropped a unanimous decision to former MFC light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton. Prior to that loss, Lewis’s run of success had included a savage first-round knockout of veteran Marvin Eastman.

Gouveia steps aside due to a back injury.

“I’m disappointed that Gouveia had to pull out but the MFC did an excellent job with a replacement. Nickels is a tough opponent and stylistically we match up great,” offered Lewis.

“But that being said . I will still knock him out.”

Tickets for MFC 26: Retribution slated for Friday, Sept. 10 at the River Cree Resort and Casino are on sale now via the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 and via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000 and claiming to be www.ticketmaster.ca.

Court McGee Returns To Spike TV With UFC 121 Prelims

“The Ultimate Fighter” season 11 winner Court McGee (10-1) makes his return to Spike television as part of the broadcasters “UFC Prelims” special preceding the “UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velazquez” pay-per-view.
McGee will step into the octagon for the first time since earning the TUF contract in June, to face Ryan Jensen (15-6). Joining them […]

Court McGee TUF 11“The Ultimate Fighter” season 11 winner Court McGee (10-1) makes his return to Spike television as part of the broadcasters “UFC Prelims” special preceding the “UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velazquez” pay-per-view.

McGee will step into the octagon for the first time since earning the TUF contract in June, to face Ryan Jensen (15-6). Joining them will be fellow UFC middleweights Patrick Côté (13-6) and Tom Lawlor (6-3) who square off in a bout that could cost the loser his job.

UFC 121 is set to go down on October 23 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The main event features a UFC heavyweight title bout between champion Brock Lesnar who takes on top contender Cain Velasquez.

Here’s today’s Press Release from the UFC.

New York, NY, August 19, 2010 – Spike TV will showcase three former cast members of “The Ultimate Fighter,” including the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 11,” Court McGee, in live undercard bouts from “UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velazquez” on Saturday, October 23 at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT from the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. In the evening’s first televised bout, “The Ultimate Fighter 4” finalist Patrick “The Predator” Cote will battle season 8’s Tom Lawlor. Following that bout, McGee, in his first fight since winning “The Ultimate Fighter” crown this past June, takes on veteran Ryan Jensen.

Two middleweights in need of a win will meet inside the Octagon™ to start the night’s action, as Cote (14-6) battles Lawlor (6-3, 1 NC) in a pivotal 185-pound clash Fighting out of Quebec, the 30 year-old Cote enters this bout having won four of his last six fights in the UFC, including a first round knockout win over Kendall Grove at UFC 74 and a decision victory over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86, the former of which garnered him “Knockout of the Night” honors, and the latter of which earned him a title shot against Anderson Silva. In the third round of his bout with Silva in October of 2008, Cote suffered a torn ACL after landing awkwardly while throwing a kick. After surgery and rehab, he proceeded to damage his MCL in the same knee while training, and did not return to the Octagon until this past May, where he broke his hand in a loss to Alan Belcher at UFC 113. Cote hopes to put his tough luck behind him as he takes on Lawlor.

Fighting out of Orlando, FL, Lawlor, renowned for his exciting entrances into the Octagon, is one of the most colorful and charismatic personalities in the UFC. He began his UFC career with a win over Kyle Kingsbury at the “The Ultimate Fighter 8” finale in December 2008, and followed that victory up with a first round submission of CB Dollaway via guillotine that earned him “Submission of the Night” honors at UFC 100 in July 2009. In his next bout, Lawlor dropped a split decision to Aaron Simpson at UFC Fight Night 20 this past January that was named “Fight of the Night,” but Lawlor was unable to bounce back with win from that defeat, as he lost via submission to Joe Doerksen at UFC 113 in May. He looks to turn things around against the veteran Cote.

The evening’s second televised bout is also a middleweight contest, and pits McGee (11-1) against Jensen (16-5). Fighting out of Orem, UT, 25-year old Court McGee is aiming to continue one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the history of mixed martial arts. McGee is a former heroin addict who was actually once pronounced dead by EMTs when they arrived on the scene after an overdose in 2005. McGee emerged from a six day coma after the incident and went through an extensive physical rehab program, relearning basic motor skills such as walking. Wrestling, karate and jiu jitsu were a pipe dream at the time, yet five years later, McGee finds himself in the world’s preeminent mixed martial arts organization. He defeated Kris McCray to win this past season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” in June, submitting his opponent via rear-naked choke in the second round, garnering the “Submission of the Night” award. He looks to win his first bout since the show against veteran Ryan Jensen.

A competitor in mixed martial arts since 1997, Omaha native Ryan Jensen currently trains with Greg Jackson and the prestigious Jackson’s MMA team in Albuquerque, NM. He enters his bout with McGee having split his last four fights in the UFC, with submission wins against Steve Steinbeiss and Jesse Forbes (which earned him “Submission of the Night” honors at UFC 114). On October 23rd, he hopes to win his second straight against the rising star, McGee.

Other bouts on the card might air on Spike TV, to be determined by the length of the fights.

Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV 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

Wreck MMA: The Hammer vs. Showtime On August 20th!

Press Release
Due to some unforseen circumstances, the main event for Friday August 20th’s Wreck MMA: Bad Intentions has been changed. Wreck MMA and FitShop.ca are excited to announce that Markhaile ‘Showtime’ Wedderburn will be making his Wreck debut against the talented striker from Drummondville, Martin ‘The Hammer’ Grandmont.
Showtime is known as one of the most […]

wreck_mmaPress Release

Due to some unforseen circumstances, the main event for Friday August 20th’s Wreck MMA: Bad Intentions has been changed. Wreck MMA and FitShop.ca are excited to announce that Markhaile ‘Showtime’ Wedderburn will be making his Wreck debut against the talented striker from Drummondville, Martin ‘The Hammer’ Grandmont.

Showtime is known as one of the most controversial welterweights in Canada, but his talent and willingness to face the country’s best cannot to be forgotten. An excellent stand-up fighter who has shown flashes of brilliance on the ground, Showtime is coming back to Gatineau to entertain the fans. Grandmont is one of the best strikers in Canada and put those skills on display on many occasions throughout his MMA career. In his last trip to Gatineau, Grandmont KOed Ottawa’s own and UFC veteran, Mark ‘Boots’ Holst in dramatic fashion. Holst moved past the loss and into the UFC but Grandmont believes he deserves an opportunity in the biggest show in the world and is coming back to the place of his biggest victory to prove it. These two fighters are known for their exciting fights and a war is promised on August 20th.

In the co-main event of the evening, OAMA’s Stephane Bernadel once again fights in front of his home fans against one of the top prospects in eastern Canada, Jon ‘Judo’ Williams. Bernadel is one of the top strikers in the featherweight division and Williams is a talented grappler under Dana Dickeson and a member of BTT Canada. A classic striker vs. grappler battle, this fight will not make it to the judges as one of the two will ultimately impose their will.

In the tradition of supporting local causes, Wreck MMA will be supporting the Ottawa Food Bank at Wreck MMA: Bad Intentions. Many of the local martial arts gyms in Ottawa/Gatineau (including NX Martial Arts, 100% Martial Arts, Ottawa Japan Karate, N-1 Thai Boxing, and OAMA) will be collecting non-perishable food items and the gym that collects the most will be announced at the event. Also, the Ottawa Food Bank will be collecting other non-perishable food items at the event as well.

Wreck MMA: Bad Intentions is proud to be brought to you by FitShop.ca, your #1 online supplement shop and retail store located at 1383 Clyde Avenue in Ottawa. and tickets for this event are available via Ticketmaster.ca or by calling (613) 755-1111. Buy your tickets now as there are only 1200 seats available and this event will sell out!!

WRECK MMA: BAD INTENTIONS
Date: AUGUST 20TH, 2010
Venue: CASINO DU LAC-LEAMY
Location: GATINEAU, QUEBEC

MAIN EVENT
Markhaile ‘Showtime’ Wedderburn (Team Sufferaz, Toronto) vs. Martin ‘The Hammer’ Grandmont (Ultimeaction, Drummondville)
CO-MAIN EVENT
Jon ‘Judo’ Williams (Double D MMA/BTT Canada, Fredericton) vs. Stephane Bernadel (OAMA, Ottawa)

TBA vs. Cory MacDonald (FIT MMA, Kingston)
Chance Whalen (Team Knockdown, Moncton) vs. Remi ‘Bam Bam’ Morvan (OAMA, Ottawa)
Tannaya Hantelman (Titans MMA, Halifax) vs. Anna ‘Smiles” Barone (FIT MMA, Ottawa)
Nick Portieous (FIT MMA, Ottawa) vs. Jeffrey Laughren (RAMA, Rockland)
Lyndon Whitlock (Iron Tiger Muay-Thai, Stoney Creek) vs. Pablo Santos (Tapout Training Center, Gatineau)
Adil ‘Rambo’ Abbas (Adrenaline MMA, London) vs. Alex Ricci (M1 & Team Ricci, Toronto)
Kyle Vivian (Empire Red/Dragon’s Lair, Orillia) vs. Jeff Harrison (OAMA, Ottawa)
TJ Coletti (Team Tugboat, Toronto) vs. Wes Ranger (Florin’s Ultimate MMA, Kanata)

*** Subject to change ***

X-1 MMA In Hawaii Announces Full Card For “Heroes” Event Sept. 11

Press Release
Honolulu, HI (USA): Top Hawaiian fight promotion X-1 World Events today announced the full fight card for its next incredible event, entitled “HEROES.” This exciting fight card will feature a main event of X-1 World Middleweight Champion Falaniko Vitale putting his belt on the line against devastating KO artist Kala “Kolohe” Hose. Also taking […]

hawaii-mapPress Release

Honolulu, HI (USA): Top Hawaiian fight promotion X-1 World Events today announced the full fight card for its next incredible event, entitled “HEROES.” This exciting fight card will feature a main event of X-1 World Middleweight Champion Falaniko Vitale putting his belt on the line against devastating KO artist Kala “Kolohe” Hose. Also taking place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena that night will be the much-anticipated second round of the X-1 World Light Heavyweight title tournament, as the pairings have been set. Russia’s Vitaly Shemetov (7-7), coming off a brutal KO victory over Japanese MMA pioneer Shungo Oyama, will battle Hawaii’s own Poai Suganuma (10-3). Also coming off a big KO win is South Korea’s Sang Soo Lee (14-9), who will lock horns with California’s Roy Boughton (4-0), an undefeated submission specialist. “HEROES” will also showcase two world title fights, as well as a world kickboxing championship match.

Tickets for this incredible event will go on sale on August 7th at the Blaisdell Box Office at 9 AM, as well as all Wal-Mart, Kailua Sports Gear outlets, and on Tickemaster.com, or by calling (800) 745-3000. Prices are $200.00 for 1st row/cageside seats, $150.00 for 2nd row seats, $100.00 for floor seats, $50.00 for the risers/lodges, and $35.00 for the upper bowl. Tickets for all military, law enforcement, fire department, and EMT’s are available with ID at the Blaisdell Box Office for $10 off of the $50 and $35 seats, and $25 off the $200 floor seats, $150 2nd row seats, and $100 floor seats.

Falaniko Vitale (27-9, fifteen submissions) is one of the most respected Hawaiian combatants fighting today. An experienced athlete who recently celebrated ten years as a professional fighter, Vitale proudly represents the 808 Fight Factory, one of the toughest fight gyms on the Islands, and has fought for some of the most well-known promotions in the world. Fans of King of the Cage, Rage in the Cage, SuperBrawl, Icon Sport, the IFL, StrikeForce, and the UFC have all seen his skill set exhibited. In his most recent bout, he defended his coveted X-1 strap against former UFC competitor Kalib Starnes, finishing his controversial opponent via submission in the process. Niko, as he is known, has taken on top names in the sport, including “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler, former StrikeForce Middleweight title challenger Jason “Mayhem” Miller, MMA pioneer Jeremy Horn, StrikeForce/UFC veteran Trevor Prangley, and UFC fighter Frank Trigg. He has beaten notable fighters such as UFC vet Aaron Riley, former UFC Middleweight Champion Dave Menne, UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami, and the aforementioned Lindland.

Kala “Kolohe” Hose (7-3, seven KO/TKOs) is known for his devastating knockout power, and has garnered a reputation as one of the toughest Island fighters today. He claimed the ICON Middleweight title in August of 2008 with an exciting TKO victory over current UFC fighter Phil Baroni that was lauded by Island fight fans for its great action. Also a veteran of Superbrawl and EliteXC, Hose will look to add the X-1 Middleweight belt to his list of accomplishments. During his career, he’s faced UFC veterans such
as Baroni, “Mayhem” Miller, and Reese Andy. He will face what is probably the toughest opponent of his career in Vitale.

In addition, the second round of the heralded X-1 World Light Heavyweight tourney will commence at this event, as former EliteXC headliner and Hawaii native Poai Suganuma (10-3) will match up with “The Dancing Russian” Vitaly Shemetov (7-7), who brutalized respected veteran Shungo Oyama in the first
round of the tournament en route to a KO victory. Suganuma, for his part, defeated Greg Schmitt via unanimous decision on his way to advancing. The other semifinal matchup will feature Gracie-trained submission specialist Roy Boughton (4-0, four submissions), who tapped out Adam Akau with a first round guillotine choke to garner a place in the second round of the tournament, as he faces extremely tough South Korean SpiritMC veteran Sang Soo Lee (14-9). Lee knocked out Daniel Madrid with a beautiful right hand in order to move on in the tourney. Also featured will be a 145 lb. World Championship bout between Dave Moreno and Ricky Wallace, as well as a 135 lb. World Championship fight between Bryson Hanson and Russell Doane.

“I am very excited about this incredible card. Having two great Island fighters like Niko and Kolohe fight for the belt, along with the second round of the tournament, and throwing in two other title matches. What a card!” exclaimed Mike Miller, Owner/Promoter of X-1 World Events. “It’s going to be an amazing night of fights.”

The full fight card is as follows:

Main Event: 185 lb. World MMA Championship:

Falaniko Vitale vs. Kala “Kolohe” Hose

Light Heavyweight MMA Championship tournament (second round):
Poai Suganuma (HI) vs. Vitaly Shemetov (Russia)
Sang Soo Lee (S. Korea) vs. Roy Boughton (California)

145 lb. World MMA Championship:

Dave Moreno vs. Ricky Wallace

135 lb. World MMA Championship:

Bryson Hanson vs. Russell Doane

160 lb. World Kickboxing Championship:

Danilo Zanollini vs. Kaleo Kwan

155 lbs. – Bryson Kamaka vs. Herman Santiago

135 lbs. – Adrianna Jenkins vs. Kat Alendai

135 lbs. – Eddie Perrells vs. Mark Tajon

135 lbs. – Raquel Paaluhi vs. Colleen Schnider

170 lbs. – Anthony Torres vs. Thomas Sedeno

145 lbs. – Dustin Kimura vs. Chris Williams

185 lbs. – Caleb Price vs. Collin Mansanas

135 lbs. – Van Shiroma vs. Kazuki Kinjo

About X-1 World Events

Founded in 2004 by Mike Miller, X-1 World Events is a world-class mixed martial arts (MMA) promotional company based in Honolulu, HI. Locally-owned and operated, X-1 delivers exciting live arena-based entertainment events to fight fans all over the islands. The events feature some of the MMA world’s most talented fighters, including UFC, Pride, and Abu-Dhabi veterans such as former UFC champions Dan “The Beast” Severn and Ricco Rodriguez, UFC veterans Jeff Monson, Kimo Leopoldo, Chad “The Grinder” Reiner, “Sugar” Shane Nelson, Brandon Wolff, Wes “The Project” Sims, Ronald “The Machine Gun” Juhn, Wesley “Cabbage” Correira, and Falaniko Vitale, as well as Pride veterans Chris Brennan and Ron “H2O-Man” Waterman. X-1 World Events can be found online at http://www.x1events.com/

About Fight of Your Life Communications Fight of Your Life is the only company that focuses exclusively on communications within the sport of MMA. Through utilization of media relationships, sponsorship contacts, writing skills, and public relations experience, Fight of Your Life raises the profile of its clients, which increases awareness, draws revenue, and helps establish long-term viability. Current Fight of Your Life clients include fight promotions such as Gladiator Challenge, Jeff Curran’s XFO, X-1 World Events, MMA Big Show, and Shine Fights. In addition, Fight of Your Life handles management for rising StrikeForce lightweight title contender Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm. Also, Fight of Your Life owner Phil Lanides covers MMA for Examiner.com. For additional information on Fight of Your Life Communications, please visit http://www.fightofyourlife.com/

UFC 118 Prelim Card Is Now Official

On Wednesday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship made the preliminary card for their next event, “UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2″ official with a total of seven bouts.
The remaining unannounced undercard bouts feature the following matchups: … Joe Lauzon vs. Gabe Ruediger, Andre Winner vs. Nik Lentz, Dan Miller vs. John Salter, Nick Osipczak vs. Greg […]

ufcposter118On Wednesday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship made the preliminary card for their next event, “UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2″ official with a total of seven bouts.

The remaining unannounced undercard bouts feature the following matchups: … Joe Lauzon vs. Gabe Ruediger, Andre Winner vs. Nik Lentz, Dan Miller vs. John Salter, Nick Osipczak vs. Greg Soto, and Mike Pierce vs. Amilcar Alves.

The main event features a UFC lightweight title rematch between current champ Frankie Edgar and former champ BJ Penn. The co-main event has UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture taking on boxing champ James Toney, who makes his mma debut.

UFC 118 is set to happen on Aug. 28 at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. which will coincide with the promotions third UFC Fan Expo. Two bouts will be featured on Spike TV’s “UFC Prelims” special preceding the shows pay-per-view.

Check out the full UFC Press Release after the jump

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The highly anticipated lightweight championship rematch between Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn will conclude an explosive fight card for the Ultimate Fighting Championship at UFC 118 in Boston, Massachusetts. The title fight will round out a card that features former three-division world boxing champion James “Lights Out” Toney making his MMA debut against UFC Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture. Also featured on the card is a lightweight matchup that has the makings to be Fight of the Night, as Massachusetts native Kenny Florian is pegged to battle undefeated Gray Maynard.

UFC 118 is available live on Pay-Per-View at 10pm ET/7pm PT on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, 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 or high-definition broadcasts (where available). UFC 118 will also be available on Pay-Per-View in Spanish in the United States.

The remaining unannounced undercard bouts feature the following matchups: Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda, Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis, Joe Lauzon vs. Gabe Ruediger, Andre Winner vs. Nik Lentz, Dan Miller vs. John Salter, Nick Osipczak vs. Greg Soto, and Mike Pierce vs. Amilcar Alves.

Originally, Demian Maia (fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil/12-2) was scheduled to headline The Ultimate Fight Night® in Austin, Texas, before his opponent Alan Belcher withdrew due to an eye injury. Maia is now featured on the main card for UFC 118, his first fight since taking Anderson Silva all five rounds at UFC 112. The former No. 1 contender is now set to battle his way back to the top, starting with Mario Miranda (fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/12-1). The relative newcomer to the UFC has two fights with the organization, most recently a TKO victory over the highly-respected veteran David Loiseau.

The Ultimate Fighter® season five winner Nate Diaz (fighting out of Stockton, Calif./12-5) has been victorious in two of his last three fights, defeating Melvin Guillard and Rory Markham. The young fighter has already compiled 14 fights in WEC and UFC, becoming a professional fighter directly out of high school. A similar path was taken by his opponent, Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (fighting out of Bangor, Maine/22-7) who became a professional boxer at the age of 18. The southpaw’s 14th appearance in the Octagon will be close to home, as Davis trains with Mark DellaGrotte in Somerville, Mass.

UFC 118 will have a special significance to Massachusetts native Joe Lauzon (fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass./17-5) who will be fighting near his hometown and against his former teammate on The Ultimate Fighter season five. The submission specialist has garnered five victories in the UFC, with his first dating back to 2006 when he knocked-out Jens Pulver. Originally scheduled to face Terry Etim, Lauzon will have to amend his strategy as he will now fight submission specialist Gabe “Godzilla” Ruediger (fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./17-5). The former WEC® lightweight champion had a short stay on the reality show, but makes his return to the UFC after securing a six fight win streak outside of the organization.

On the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Andre Winner (fighting out of Nottingham, England/12-3-1) fought his way to the finale and battled fellow England native Ross Pearson. Winner was unable to secure the six figure contract, but he has since been on the winning end of his last two fights, giving him a record of 2-1 in the UFC. Also with three fights in the organization, Nik Lentz (fighting out of Eden Prairie, Minn./20-3-2) is unbeaten in his short UFC career, obtaining two victories and one draw. His good takedown defense is a direct result of his collegiate wrestling background at the University of Minnesota and his endurance has yet to be questioned as all three of his victories within the UFC have gone the distance.

A victory for Dan Miller (fighting out of Whippany, N.J./11-4, 1 NC) would have significant importance because it will get him back on the right track in his UFC career. The black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu started off his UFC career with a string of three victories, but has run across some top level talent in Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia, and Michael Bisping and is looking to get back to his winning ways. Conversely, John Salter (fighting out of Tuscaloosa, Ala./5-1) lost his UFC debut against Gerald Harris, but made amends by defeating Jason MacDonald at UFC 113. This fight will be an interesting matchup as both fighters have a background in wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

Nick Osipczak (fighting out of Nottingham, England/5-2) will be making his fourth appearance in the Octagon® after establishing a record of 2-1 in the UFC. This welterweight matchup features two young fighters on the rise in one of the sport’s toughest divisions. Osipczak, 25, has only engaged in seven professional bouts, while his opponent Greg Soto (fighting out of Point Pleasant, NJ/7-1), has had eight professional fights at the age of 24. Soto will be making his second appearance for the UFC, after a debut disqualification loss to Matthew Riddle at UFC 111.

In March of 2009, Mike Pierce (fighting out of Vancouver, WA/10-3) made his successful debut for the WEC, beating Justin Haskins with a TKO. Pierce then joined the UFC and has a record of 3-1 between the two organizations. At UFC 118, he will be facing a newcomer to the UFC, Amilcar Alves (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/11-1). Alves has established a respectable professional record and will attempt to make a spectacular UFC debut.

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