Monster Energy’s Yair Rodríguez Defeats Jeremy Stephens in Featherweight Bout
at UFC on ESPN 6 in Boston
27-Year-Old from Parral, Mexico, Claims 13th Career Victory and $50,000 ‘Fight of the Night’ Bonus
Boston, MA – October 19, 2019 – It took two tries to get it right! Monster Energy congratulates Yair Rodríguez on defeating Jeremy Stephens in the co-main event at UFC on ESPN 6 inside TD Garden in Boston on Friday night. In front of a high-energy crowd, the 27-year-old MMA athlete from Parral, Mexico, won the featherweight fight by unanimous decision after going blow-for-blow with his opponent for three rounds. Each of the two fighters also took home a $50,000 bonus for their ‘Fight of the Night’.
Friday night’s bout between Rodríguez and Jeremy Stephens was a highly anticipated rematch. On September 21, the two had already faced off in the UFC Mexico City main event. But when an accidental eye poke left Stephens unable to continue after only 15 seconds, the fight was ruled a ‘no contest’ and tensions between both camps were riding high ever since.
This time, Rodríguez wanted to set the record straight against the 33-year-old MMA veteran. Both fighters came into the Octagon swinging, Rodríguez landing punches to the head and a switch kick to the chin before taking Stephens down with a jab before the end of round one. In the second round, Rodríguez sent Stephens to the canvas with a stunning body kick and rained punches from above, almost securing a finish as his opponent struggled on the ground.
The third and final round opened with an all-out brawl between both fighters before Jeremy Stephens scored a takedown and proceeded to punish Rodríguez with relentless ground-and-pound attacks. Absorbing massive damage, Rodríguez thwarted all finish attempts until the final buzzer. He was helped back to his feet by Stephens in a genuine show of sportsmanship, making all pre-fight beef forgotten.
When all was said and done, the judges declared Rodríguez, who had the upper hand in the first two rounds, the winner via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). They also ruled the explosive 15-minute slugfest the ‘Fight of the Night’.
“I was kind of compromised because I was down most of the round, but I never felt in danger,” said Rodriguez about the final round at UFC Fight Night in Boston, adding: “I just stayed as safe as possible to win the fight.”
On the strength of his latest victory, Rodríguez now commands a professional record of 13 wins, two losses and one ‘no contest’ fight. Also known as ‘El Pantera’, he is currently ranked seventh in the featherweight division on the Ultimate Fighting Championship circuit. Rodríguez joined UFC in 2014 after winning The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America tournament.
Rodríguez is amongst Monster Energy’s elite UFC team along with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Conor “The Notorious” McGregor, Jorge Masvidal, A.J. McKee, Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier, Dominick “Dominator” Cruz, Chris “The All American” Weidman, Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley, Max Holloway, Jessica-Rose Clark, Li Jingliang, and Cris Cyborg.
For more on Monster Energy’s MMA team visit http://www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
UFC® 245 HEADLINED BY THREE MASSIVE
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS IN LAS VEGAS
FEATURED BOUTS EXCLUSIVELY ON ESPN+ PAY-PER-VIEW:
(C) KAMARU USMAN vs. (#2) COLBY COVINGTON
(C) MAX HOLLOWAY vs. (#1) ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI
(C) AMANDA NUNES vs. (#1) GERMAINE DE RANDAMIE
TICKETS FOR UFC® 245: USMAN vs. COVINGTON AT
T-MOBILE ARENA GO ON SALE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
PRELIMINARY FIGHTS LIVE ON ESPN2 AND ESPN DEPORTES
Las Vegas – UFC®’s final Pay-Per-View event of 2019 will feature three blockbuster world championship bouts. In a highly anticipated welterweight championship grudge match, Kamaru Usman defends against No. 2 ranked contender Colby Covington. Featherweight champion and No. 7 ranked pound-for-pound fighter Max Holloway will go for his fourth successful defense against powerhouse No. 1 contender Alexander Volkanovski. Women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion, as well as No. 5 ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Amanda Nunes looks to continue building her historic legacy as she puts her 135-pound belt on the line in a rematch with former women’s featherweight titleholder and No. 1 ranked bantamweight Germaine de Randamie.
UFC® 245: USMAN vs. COVINGTON will take place Saturday, Dec. 14 at T-Mobile Arena and will stream live nationally on Pay-Per-View, exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in both English and Spanish.
ESPN+ is the exclusive provider of all UFC Pay-Per-View events to fans in the U.S. as part of an agreement announced in March and continuing through 2025.
As UFC® 245: USMAN vs. COVINGTON approaches, fans will be able to purchase it online at ESPNPlus.com/PPV or on the ESPN App on mobile and connected-TV devices. ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App on all major mobile and connected TV devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire, Apple, Android, Chromecast, PS4, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, X Box One and more.
Preliminary fights will air nationally in English on ESPN2 and on ESPN Deportes (in Spanish) starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with the early prelims simulcast on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 21, Usman (15-1, fighting out of Dallas, Tx. by way of Auchi, Nigeria) is unbeaten since joining the UFC roster in 2015. He ascended the 170-pound ranks with impressive wins against Rafael Dos Anjos, Demian Maia and Leon Edwards, and his last outing saw him dominate Tyron Woodley to capture the welterweight championship in March. Usman now looks to take out his most heated rival to earn his first successful title defense.
Former UFC interim welterweight champion Covington (15-1, fighting out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) is poised to prove he’s the best in the world at 170 pounds. Currently riding a seven-fight win streak, the NCAA Division I All-American wrestler has netted big victories over Dos Anjos, Maia and Dong Hyun Kim, but Covington secured his most impressive win to date in his last outing against former champion Robbie Lawler in August. He now aims to settle the score with Usman and take home the welterweight championship.
Among the most dominant champions on the UFC roster, Holloway (21-4, fighting out of Waianae, Hawaii) has beaten the who’s who of the featherweight division. Over the course of his career, he’s scored dominant wins over former UFC title holders Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo (twice) and Anthony Pettis, as well as top contender Brian Ortega. The Hawaiian now looks to take out one of the division’s most dangerous contenders for his fourth successful title defense.
Unbeaten for over six years, Volkanovski (20-1, fighting out of Windang, New South Wales, Australia) aims to be the next Australian athlete to capture a world championship. The former rugby player has been on a tear since joining the UFC roster in late 2016, securing impressive victories over Aldo, Chad Mendes, Darren Elkins, Jeremy Kennedy and Mizuto Hirota. Volkanovski now has his sights on dethroning Holloway to hand the Hawaiian his first featherweight loss since 2013.
The greatest women’s fighter in mixed martial arts history, Nunes (18-4, fighting out of Coral Springs, Fla. by way of Bahia, Brazil) won her first encounter with De Randamie via TKO in 2013. Her resume also includes first-round stoppage wins over former bantamweight champions Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and Holly Holm. Nunes also became the first female two-division titleholder in UFC history last December with a 51-second KO victory against Cris Cyborg. She now hopes to etch her fifth bantamweight title defense in dominant fashion.
Former UFC featherweight champion De Randamie (9-3, fighting out of Utrecht, The Netherlands) is gunning for a measure of revenge against Nunes. Since that loss, she has won five straight with dominant victories over Raquel Pennington, Holly Holm and Larissa Pacheco. In July, De Randamie delivered a spectacular 16-second TKO win against Aspen Ladd. She now aims to become the second woman to win UFC championships in two divisions by handing Nunes her first loss in over five years.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Perennial fan favorite Matt Brown (23-16, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) returns against dangerous Ben Saunders (22-12, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.) in an exciting welterweight bout
- Recent flyweight title challenger and No. 2 ranked contender Jessica Eye (14-7, fighting out of Cleveland, Oh.) takes on rising No. 6 Viviane Araujo (8-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil)
- In a clash of flyweight contenders, No. 6 ranked Brandon Moreno (14-5-1, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) faces No. 7 Kai Kara France (20-7-1, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand)
- Undefeated Dana White’s Contender Series signee Punahele Soriano (6-0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) debuts against Oskar Piechota (11-2-1, fighting out of Gdynia, Poland)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.
Tickets for UFC® 245: USMAN vs. COVINGTON go on sale Friday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.axs.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Oct. 16 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, Oct. 17 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Oct. 16 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, Oct. 17 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
HEAVYWEIGHT KNOCKOUT ARTISTS
(#7) ALISTAIR OVEREEM AND (#10) WALT HARRIS
HEADLINE UFC® RETURN TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
FEATURED BOUTS ON ESPN AND ESPN DEPORTES:
(#6) CLAUDIA GADELHA vs. (#10) CYNTHIA CALVILLO
(#10) CODY STAMANN vs. (#13) SONG YADONG
(#4) ASPEN LADD vs. (#7) YANA KUNITSKAYA
UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN®: OVEREEM vs. HARRIS AT
CAPITAL ONE ARENA TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11
LAS VEGAS – UFC® returns to the nation’s capital for the first time in over eight years with a clash of powerful heavyweight strikers, as No. 7 ranked contender Alistair Overeem battles No. 10 Walt Harris. The event also features a matchup of top strawweight contenders as No. 6 Claudia Gadelha faces No. 10 Cynthia Calvillo.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN®: OVEREEM vs. HARRIS will air live from Capital One Arena on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 7. Prelims will kick off at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and then continue on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 7pm ET. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. ET.
A perennial heavyweight contender, Overeem (45-17 1NC, fighting out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) has fought the who’s who of mixed martial arts. Throughout his storied career, he has delivered spectacular knockouts against Brock Lesnar, Mark Hunt, Junior Dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski. He now looks to secure his third consecutive stoppage win and stake his claim for another UFC title shot.
A heavy-handed striker, all of Harris’ (13-7 1NC, fighting out of Birmingham, Ala.) victories have come via knockout. His power was on full display in his most recent outing, as he stopped Aleksei Oleinik in only 12 seconds. Harris has also netted impressive wins over Serghei Spivac, Daniel Spitz and Chase Sherman. He now aims to continue his ascent up the rankings with another show-stealing finish.
A former strawweight title challenger, Gadelha (17-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) showed off new wrinkles to her game in a unanimous decision win over Randa Markos this past July. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has also netted impressive victories against Carla Esparza, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Jessica Aguilar. Gadelha now hopes to keep her momentum going by dispatching another top-level opponent.
A talented grappler, Calvillo (8-1, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) immediately turned heads in her UFC debut with a submission win over Amanda Cooper. She has since earned impressive victories against Cortney Casey, Poliana Botelho, Joanne Calderwood and Pearl Gonzalez. Calvillo is now gunning for the biggest win of her career to crack the strawweight top five.
Announced bouts on the card include:
- No. 10 ranked bantamweight contender Cody Stamann (18-2, fighting out of Sparta, Mich.) locks horns with rising No. 13 Song Yadong (15-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Heilongjiang, China)
- In a pivotal bantamweight contenders’ bout, No. 4 Aspen Ladd (8-1, fighting out of El Dorado Hills, Calif.) meets No. 7 Yana Kunitskaya (12-4 1NC, fighting out of Murmansk, Russia)
- Heavyweight veterans collide, as Stefan Struve (33-11, fighting out of Beverwijk, The Netherlands) faces Ben Rothwell (36-12, fighting out of Kenosha, Wisc.)
- Former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit (30-13, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) returns against tough prospect Mickey Gall (6-2, Green Brook Township, N.J.)
- Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Alonzo Menifield (10-0, fighting out of Dallas, Tex.) aims to remain undefeated against battle-tested Trevor Smith (15-9, fighting out of Tukwila, Wash.)
- No. 15 ranked strawweight contender Cortney Casey (8-7, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) looks to rebound against Virna Jandiroba (14-1, fighting out of Feira de Santana, Brazil)
- Bryce Mitchell (11-1, fighting out of Searcy, Ark.) goes for his third straight UFC win against Matt Sayles (8-2, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.)
- Dana White’s Contender Series signee Joe Solecki (7-2, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) debuts against tough veteran Matt Wiman (16-8, fighting out of Portland, Ore.)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.
Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN®: OVEREEM vs. HARRIS go on sale Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, October 9 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, October 10 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, October 9 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, October 10 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
500th UFC® EVENT HEADLINED BY WELTERWEIGHT CLASH BETWEEN (#3) JORGE MASVIDAL AND (#6) NATE DIAZ
IN NEW YORK CITY
FEATURED BOUTS EXCLUSIVELY ON ESPN+ PAY-PER-VIEW:
(#4) KELVIN GASTELUM vs. (#8-WW) DARREN TILL
(#5) DERRICK LEWIS vs. (#9) BLAGOY IVANOV
(#7) COREY ANDERSON vs. (#10) JOHNNY WALKER
TICKETS FOR UFC® 244: MASVIDAL vs. DIAZ AT
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN GO ON SALE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
PRELIMINARY FIGHTS LIVE ON ESPN2 AND ESPN DEPORTES
Las Vegas – UFC® will hold its 500th event at the World’s Most Famous Arena, featuring a stacked card headlined by an East Coast-West Coast battle between No. 3 ranked welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal and No. 6 Nate Diaz. In a thrilling middleweight bout, No. 4 ranked contender and recent title challenger Kelvin Gastelum welcomes No. 8 welterweight Darren Till to the 185-pound division.
UFC® 244: MASVIDAL vs. DIAZ takes place Saturday, November 2 at Madison Square Garden and will stream live nationally on Pay-Per-View exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in both English and Spanish.
ESPN+ is the exclusive provider of all UFC Pay-Per-View events to fans in the U.S. as part of an agreement announced in March and continuing through 2025.
As UFC® 244: MASVIDAL vs. DIAZ approaches, fans will be able to purchase it online at ESPNPlus.com/PPV or on the ESPN App on mobile and connected-TV devices. ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App on all major mobile and connected TV devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire, Apple, Android, Chromecast, PS4, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, X Box One and more.
Preliminary fights will air nationally in English on ESPN2 and via streaming on the ESPN App (in Spanish) starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with the early prelims simulcast on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT.
A perennial fan favorite, Masvidal (34-13, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) etched his name in the UFC history books for fastest knockout after executing a stunning flying knee against previously undefeated Ben Askren. The 16-year veteran has also delivered unforgettable knockouts against Darren Till, Donald Cerrone, Jake Ellenberger and Cezar Ferreira. Masvidal now aims to deliver another sensational finish in the biggest fight of his career.
Among the most popular athletes on the UFC roster, Diaz (21-11, fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) returned from a three-year hiatus in August by securing a thrilling win over Anthony Pettis. Known for his submission win over Conor McGregor, Diaz has also picked up incredible victories against Michael Johnson, Gray Maynard, Jim Miller and Takanori Gomi. He now hopes to keep his momentum going and enter the welterweight top five.
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 17, Gastelum’s (16-4 1NC, fighting out of Yuma, Ariz.) last outing saw him put on a Fight of the Year-worthy performance against interim middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Throughout his UFC stint, he has netted impressive wins against Jacare Souza, Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy. Gastelum now hopes to re-assert himself as a 185-pound title threat.
A former welterweight title challenger, Till (17-2-1, fighting out of Liverpool, England) will now test the waters in the ultra-competitive middleweight division. During his run at 170 pounds, he earned hard-fought wins over Stephen Thompson, Donald Cerrone and Jessin Ayari. Till now has his sights set on turning heads at 185 pounds by taking out one of the division’s top contenders.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Former heavyweight title challenger and No. 5 ranked contender Derrick Lewis (21-7 1NC, fighting out of Houston, Tex.) battles rising No. 9 Blagoy Ivanov (18-2 1NC, fighting out of Sofia, Bulgaria)
- No. 7 ranked light heavyweight contender Corey Anderson (13-4, fighting out of Robbinsville, N.J.) goes for his fourth consecutive win against surging No. 10 Johnny Walker (17-3, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Former title challenger and No. 9 ranked welterweight contender Stephen Thompson (14-4-1, fighting out of Simpsonville, S.C.) squares off with surging No. 14 Vicente Luque (17-6-1, fighting out of Westwood, N.J. by way of Brasilia, Brazil)
- In a pivotal flyweight contenders’ bout, No. 1 ranked Katlyn Chookagian (12-2, fighting out of Kenilworth, N.J.) takes on No. 5 Jennifer Maia (17-5-1, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil)
· Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski (28-18 2NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Minsk, Belarus) faces undefeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik (8-0, fighting out of Paramaribo, Suriname)
- Julio Arce (16-3, fighting out of Bayside, N.Y.) meets Hakeem Dawodu (10-1-1, fighting out of Calgary, Canada) in an exciting featherweight bout
- Krzysztof Jotko (21-4, fighting out of Orneta, Poland) aims to be the first fighter to defeat unbeaten Edmen Shahbazyan (10-0, fighting out of Glendale, Calif.)
- Lyman Good (20-5 1NC, fighting out of New York, N.Y.) looks to defend his home turf against Chance Rencountre (14-3, fighting out of Pawhuska, Okla.)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.
Tickets for UFC® 244: MASVIDAL vs. DIAZ go on sale Friday, September 20 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, September 18 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, September 19 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, September 18 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, September 19 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
For immediate release
August 30, 2019
August 30, 2019
SINGAPOREAN GARIE TANG SELECTED TO BE NEW UFC® SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Benefits Include Four-Week, All-Expenses Paid Training Program at UFC’s New State-of-the-Art Performance Institute in Shanghai
SHANGHAI – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and AirAsia today announced that Singapore native Garie Tang has been selected as the 2019 UFC® Scholarship Recipient. As part of the scholarship, Tang, 29, will receive an all-expenses paid trip to China to train at the new, 93,000 square-foot UFC Performance Institute® in Shanghai.
The four-week curriculum, devised by UFC, gives athletes the opportunity to test themselves and train with the best MMA athletes in the largest, most advanced MMA development facility in the world. Tang will have access to the facility’s staff of experts in the fields of strength and conditioning, nutrition, and physical therapy to help sharpen his skills.
GARIE TANG, NEWEST AIRASIA SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT:
Garie Tang was born and raised in Singapore, where he still lives and trains. His accomplishments in martial arts are significant. Tang is a two-time Singapore Wrestling Nationals gold medallist; SEA Combat Sambo champion; a Brazilian jiu jitsu purple belt with gold in the IBJJF Asian Open; and Muay Thai competitor. He has earned a 4-1 record in professional MMA.
UFC Asia Senior Vice President Kevin Chang said:
“We look forward to welcoming Garie Tang to the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai. His commitment to perfecting every aspect of his mixed martial arts performance has made him the ideal candidate, and he will benefit immensely from this opportunity.”
AirAsia Head of Brand Rudy Khaw said:
"We are pleased to present, for a second year, this training scholarship with the world's premier mixed martial arts organisation. It is every MMA fighter's dream to train with UFC and we are delighted to be able to play a part in making those dreams come true.”
The state-of-the-art UFC Performance Institute® Shanghai is the world’s largest MMA training and development facility. Nearly three times as large as the original UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, the 93,000 square-foot facility in Shanghai serves as a training hub to develop and support the next generation of MMA athletes from mainland China and the greater Asia-Pacific region.
For more information on AirAsia, please visit airasia.com or follow AirAsia on Facebook and YouTube (AirAsia), Twitter and Instagram (@airasia), Weibo (@亚航之家) or WeChat and Zhihu (@亚洲航空).
The four-week curriculum, devised by UFC, gives athletes the opportunity to test themselves and train with the best MMA athletes in the largest, most advanced MMA development facility in the world. Tang will have access to the facility’s staff of experts in the fields of strength and conditioning, nutrition, and physical therapy to help sharpen his skills.
GARIE TANG, NEWEST AIRASIA SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT:
Garie Tang was born and raised in Singapore, where he still lives and trains. His accomplishments in martial arts are significant. Tang is a two-time Singapore Wrestling Nationals gold medallist; SEA Combat Sambo champion; a Brazilian jiu jitsu purple belt with gold in the IBJJF Asian Open; and Muay Thai competitor. He has earned a 4-1 record in professional MMA.
UFC Asia Senior Vice President Kevin Chang said:
“We look forward to welcoming Garie Tang to the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai. His commitment to perfecting every aspect of his mixed martial arts performance has made him the ideal candidate, and he will benefit immensely from this opportunity.”
AirAsia Head of Brand Rudy Khaw said:
"We are pleased to present, for a second year, this training scholarship with the world's premier mixed martial arts organisation. It is every MMA fighter's dream to train with UFC and we are delighted to be able to play a part in making those dreams come true.”
The state-of-the-art UFC Performance Institute® Shanghai is the world’s largest MMA training and development facility. Nearly three times as large as the original UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, the 93,000 square-foot facility in Shanghai serves as a training hub to develop and support the next generation of MMA athletes from mainland China and the greater Asia-Pacific region.
For more information on AirAsia, please visit airasia.com or follow AirAsia on Facebook and YouTube (AirAsia), Twitter and Instagram (@airasia), Weibo (@亚航之家) or WeChat and Zhihu (@亚洲航空).
For more information on UFC, please visit UFC.com. Follow us on, WeChat, Youku, QQ, Facebook (UFC Asia), Twitter and Instagram (@ufc).
