MMA en Directo: Notas recientes de la UFC

UFC^® ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER EVENT IN SOUTH KOREA WITH UFC FIGHT NIGHT SEOUL, NOVEMBER 28, 2015

Singapore – UFC^® today announced that it will bring its first ever live event to Seoul, South Korea, on November 28, 2015 at the city’s Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena. This marks the third UFC event in Asia in 2015 and continues to reaffirm the Asian market as a region with explosive growth potential.

With a number of successful fighters in the UFC, South Korea has drawn upon its martial arts legacy to nurture and develop some of the top stars in the sport. Athletes such as Dong Hyun Kim, Chan Sung Jung & Hyun Gyu Lim have proven the quality of mixed martial arts (MMA) in South Korea. Additionally, UFC fighter and celebrity Choo Sung-hoon, also known as Yoshihiro Akiyama, has a huge following in the region and has been a great global ambassador of Korean MMA for over a decade.

Executive Vice President and General Manager, UFC Asia, Kenneth Berger said: “The UFC in Asia is growing at an impressive pace and this event in Seoul will mark our second new market this year. South Korea has some of Asia’s best MMA athletes and this event is fully expected to illustrate just how powerful and technical these fighters have become. As usual we will bring a truly international fight card to the region, giving our loyal fans and those new to the sport a thrilling night to remember.”

The UFC is the fastest growing sports organization in the world and is viewed as the pinnacle of MMA by both athletes and fans. With close to 40 Asian fighters signed, the UFC in Asia is growing at an exponential rate.  Previous events in the region have taken place in Macao, Manila, Singapore and Tokyo, attracting tens of thousands of fans and millions of TV viewers.

The UFC Fight Night Seoul event will be broadcast all over the world giving the UFC’s international fans a taste of the immense passion and support South Korean fans have for MMA. 

Details of how to register and purchase tickets will be released soon.

For the latest UFC information, visit www.ufc.com.

UFC^® TO UNVEIL ATHLETE HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE PROGRAM

Wednesday, June 3 – 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET

Las Vegas – UFC^® executives will hold a media event on Wed., June 3 at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET to unveil the newly designed Athlete Health and Performance Program. The event will take place at Red Rock Casino Resort and will also be streamed live on UFC.com. Media must RSVP by 5 p.m. PT on Tues., June 2 to attend. Attendance for this event is only open to credentialed media.

WHO: Lorenzo Fertitta – UFC Chairman and CEO
Dana White – UFC President
Lawrence Epstein – UFC Chief Operating Officer
Jeff Novitzky – UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance

WHEN: Wednesday, June 3 at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET

WHERE: Summerlin C Ballroom
Red Rock Casino Resort
11011 W. Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, Nev. 89135

FORMER UFC^® CHAMPION LYOTO MACHIDA AND CUBAN OLYMPIAN YOEL ROMERO TO MEET IN SOUTH FLORIDA ON SATURDAY, JUNE 27

Plus:

RICK STORY (#11) vs. ERICK SILVA

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER^® BRAZIL FINALS

TICKETS FOR UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MACHIDA vs. ROMERO

AT HARD ROCK LIVE AT SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO

ON SALE MONDAY, MAY 18

Las Vegas – Former UFC^® light heavyweight champion and current fifth-ranked middleweight contender Lyoto Machida makes a quick return to the Octagon^® to meet No. 6 Yoel Romero in the main event of UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MACHIDA vs. ROMERO on Saturday, June 27 at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

Machida (22-6, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif. by way of Belem, Brazil), a black belt in both karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has nine knockouts and two submission victories to his credit, and has defeated former champions Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans. One of the most unorthodox and dangerous strikers the sport has ever seen, “The Dragon” will be a step up in competition for Olympic silver medalist Romero (9-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Pinar del Rio, Cuba). Coming off a third-round knockout victory over Tim Kennedy at UFC 178, Romero welcomes the former champ to his current hometown of Coconut Creek, with hopes that an impressive win will get him one step closer to a shot at the middleweight world title. 

Also, in the co-main event, 11^th-ranked welterweight Rick Story (18-8, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) will meet one of the division’s brightest prospects in Erick Silva (18-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Vila Velha, Espirito Santo, Brazil). The 30-year-old “Horror” Story looks to make it three consecutive wins as he continues to climb the 170-pound ladder. Silva, who has 11 first-round finishes to his name, also hopes to string together a three-fight win streak for the first time in his UFC career.

In addition, the finals of The Ultimate Fighter^® Brazil will highlight the main card with new talent in both the bantamweight and lightweight divisions. The fourth installment of the Brazilian version of the show was coached by UFC legends Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MACHIDA vs. ROMERO on sale Monday, May 18 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $229, $179, $129, $99 and $79. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Saturday, May 16 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Sunday, May 17 starting at 9 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MACHIDA vs. ROMERO will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 27, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 2 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

UFC^® RETURNING TO JAPAN IN SEPTEMBER AND UNVEILING REALITY TV PROGRAMME,

ROAD TO UFC: JAPAN

UFC Fight Night^® Japan slated for September 27, 2015 at the Saitama Super Arena

Singapore – UFC^® announced today that it will be returning to the Saitama Super Arena on the 27^th September 2015 with UFC Fight Night Japan. This will be the fourth UFC event in Japan and the second event in Asia this year.  In addition to bringing fans a live event, UFC have also confirmed that they are producing a brand new reality TV show, ROAD TO UFC: JAPAN, which will follow eight Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) hopefuls who will be competing against each other for the opportunity to win a UFC contract.

Executive Vice President and General Manager, UFC Asia, Ken Berger said: “We are very happy to be bringing our live event to the Saitama Super Arena once again this year. There is a rich and diverse MMA talent in Japan and we’re positive that through ROAD TO UFC: JAPAN, we will uncover more UFC prospects. We have recently witnessed the fast power of Kyoji Horiguchi in the Octagon^® against flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and it really is only a matter of time before we see a champion emerge from Japan.”

ROAD TO UFC: JAPAN will see eight MMA athletes train both in their hometowns and in Las Vegas at the TUF Gym under the supervision of coaches and UFC stars, Roy Nelson “Big Country” (21-11-0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., USA) and Josh Barnett “The Warmaster” (33-7-0 fighting out of Seattle, Wash., USA). Throughout the course of the series, match ups will be selected and fights will be scheduled to whittle the contestants down to two finalists, who will then participate in the live event at the Saitama Super Arena. Coaches Nelson and Barnett will also step into the Octagon^® in a 5 round main event on September 27. The TV show will be broadcast in Japan beginning in July, airing weekly until September, and culminating at UFC FIGHT NIGHT: JAPAN.

UFC is the fastest growing sports organization in the world and is viewed as the pinnacle of MMA by both athletes and fans. With close to 40 Asian fighters signed to its roster, UFC in Asia is growing at an exponential rate. Previous events in the region have taken place in Macao, Manila, Singapore and Tokyo, attracting tens of thousands of fans and millions of TV viewers.

This coming week, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will visit no.7 Kyoji Horiguchi’s training gym in Japan. Johnson was enticed to visit Japan and learn more about the culture and tradition of martial arts following the two athletes’ championship clash a few weeks back. In addition to helping him grow as an athlete, the tour will also see Johnson and Horiguchi host an MMA training session for children at Krazy Bee gym.

UFC FIGHT PASS^® TO STREAM SHOOTO BRAZIL EVENT EXCLUSIVELY LIVE THIS SUNDAY

12-FIGHT CARD WILL BE LIVE & EXCLUSIVE ON THE UFC’S DIGITAL STREAMING SERVICE

Las Vegas – In another great addition to the UFC FIGHT PASS offering, the UFC’s digital streaming service is proud to announce it has reached an agreement with the Shooto Brazil organization, beginning with the exclusively live stream of this Sunday’s Shooto Brazil 54 MMA event.

The entire 12-fight card - headlined by the vacant Shooto featherweight title fight between Felipe Froes and Paulo Guerreiro – will stream live from Rio, Brazil, on Sunday, May 17 at 3pmPT/ 6pmET on UFCFIGHTPASS.com.

MMA pioneer and broadcaster Jason Chambers will handle the English language play-by-play with former WEC^® and UFC^® bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz serving as color commentator.

UFC’s Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik said: “We’ve very excited to confirm that UFC FIGHT PASS will stream Sunday’s Shooto Brazil 54 event. Shooto Brazil is an organization which is renowned in Brazil and in hardcore MMA circles for putting on great fights and finding great talent. Our deal with Shooto covers live events and also the rights to the previous 53 shows, dating back to 2002 and featuring some great fights including early career performances by UFC stars like Jose Aldo, Renan Barao and Glover Teixeira.”

The full Shoot Brazil 54 card is as follows:

Shooto Featherweight Title Felipe Froes v Paulo Guerreiro

Catchweight: Ronys Torres v Benito Tavares

Light heavyweight: Luiz Banha Cane v Ricardo Silva

Featherweight: Pedrinho Falcão v Thiago Manchinha

Flyweight: Guilherme Jacaré v Edson de Souza

Featherweight: Felipe Colen v Alex Trem Bala

Lightweight: Oton Jasse v Marcio Breno

Lightweight: Ivan Paiva v Antonio Pedreira

Flyweight: Yago Bryan v Carlos Eduardo

Lightweight: Guilherme Doin v Denilson Oliveira

Bantamweight: Matheus Nacacche v Almir de Oliveira

Bantamweight: Elves Oliveira x Lucas Bigous

Shooto Brazil is the latest promotion to be added to the ever-expanding UFC FIGHT PASS fight library. Last week, the library of the legendary International Vale Tudo promotion – which ran 13 events Brazil in the late 1990s – was uploaded to UFC FIGHT PASS. And, in the coming weeks and months, FIGHT PASS members will see the first bouts and events uploaded from eight other major MMA organizations, as previously announced.

Zelaznik said: “The addition of the Shooto Brazil library means our members will soon have access to the libraries of 18 of the most important promotions from around the world and up and down the history of MMA. FIGHT PASS continues to develop into more than a “must-have” for fight fans, but an expansive archive of the entire sport, from the greatest modern UFC fights to the wars in PRIDE in Japan years ago, to the emergence of the lighter-weight fighters in the WEC to Vale Tudo fights in 1990s Brazil.

“When we are finally done ingesting all these new libraries, we expect to be offering our members access to over 20,000 fights from all over the world and across and the entire history of our sport.”

FIGHT PASS members can expect the Shooto Brazil back library to be uploaded to the service this summer.

UFC FIGHT PASS is available now at UFCFIGHTPASS.com on personal computers, Xbox One, Xbox 360 Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, Chromecast, Android, Samsung, LG Smart TV and Roku. Subscriptions are $9.99 month to month, $8.99 per month for six months or $7.99 per month for a one-year subscription. 

 

HEAVYWEIGHTS COLLIDE AS UFC^®

RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO ON JULY 15

Plus:

(#11) BOBBY GREEN vs. (#13) AL IAQUINTA

 (#9) JOSH THOMSON vs. (#12) TONY FERGUSON

TICKETS FOR UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MIR vs. DUFFEE

AT VALLEY VIEW CASINO CENTER

ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 15

Las Vegas – UFC^® will once again bring an action-packed card to Southern California when two of the heavyweight division’s toughest fighters, former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir and knockout artist Todd Duffee, collide. The heavy hitters meet at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego on Wednesday, July 15, the promotion’s first visit to San Diego since August 2010.

The former two-time UFC heavyweight champion, Mir (17-9, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) is coming off a devastating first-round finish of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in Brazil on Feb. 22, and has one of the most feared ground attacks in UFC history. Holding the record for most wins in the UFC heavyweight division (15), Mir’s resume includes victories over some of the world’s best in Minotauro Nogueira, Roy Nelson, Mirko Cro Cop and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. Getting the fight to the ground will be key for Mir in this classic grappler vs. striker matchup as all of Duffee’s wins have come by way of knockout. Duffee (9-2, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) owns the fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history (:07 second KO over Tim Hague at UFC 102), and is coming off an impressive first-round finish over Anthony Hamilton at UFC 181 last December.

In addition, one of the sport’s fastest rising stars, No. 13 lightweight contender Al Iaquinta (12-3-1, fighting out of Wantagh, N.Y.) will meet hard-hitting, 11th-ranked Bobby Green (23-6, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.). With 24 finishes between the two, fans can expect an action-packed battle in a Fight of the Night contender.

Plus, former STRIKEFORCE^® lightweight champion and ninth-ranked Josh Thomson (20-7, 1 NC, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) makes his return to the Octagon^® against The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 winner, No. 12 Tony Ferguson (19-3, fighting out of Ventura, Calif.). Currently riding a five-fight winning streak, Ferguson takes a big step up in competition as he makes his ascent to the top of one of the UFC’s most talent-rich divisions.

Also scheduled for the card:

·         In a battle of explosive strikers, Alan Jouban (11-3, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) takes on Matt Dwyer (8-2, fighting out of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada) in a welterweight clash.
·         13^th-ranked women’s bantamweight contender Jessica Andrade (12-4, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 contestant Sarah Moras (4-2, fighting out of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada).
·         Coming off a first-round knockout victory, The Ultimate Fighter Season 15 veteran Sam Sicilia (14-5, fighting out of Spokane, Wash.) returns to the Octagon to face Doo Ho Choi (12-1, fighting out of Gumi, South Korea) in a featherweight scrap.
·         Boise State wrestling standout Scott Jorgensen (15-10, fighting out of Boise, Idaho) makes his return to the bantamweight division when he meets highly decorated judoka Manny Gamburyan (17-9, 1 NC, fighting out of Hollywood, Calif.), a training partner of UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.
·         Looking for a fourth straight victory, lightweight Kevin Lee (10-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) meets two-time U.S. Tae Kwon Do national champion James Moontasri (8-2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.).
·         It will be Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Igor Araujo (25-7, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) vs. Southern California native Sean Strickland (15-1, fighting out of Corona, Calif.) in a 170-pound duel.
·         Plus, welterweights Andrew Craig (9-3, fighting out of Houston, Texas) and Edgar Garcia (14-4, fighting out of Yuma, Ariz.) collide.

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

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MIR vs. DUFFEE on sale Friday, May 15 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $189, $129, $94, $79 and $54. Tickets are available for purchase at www.axs.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call (888) 929-7849. Tickets are also available at the Valley View Casino Center box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, May 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, May 14 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MIR vs. DUFFEE will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Wednesday, July 15, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

UFC^® HALL OF FAME TO INDUCT CLASS OF 2015 AT UFC FAN EXPO, JULY 11

                                            

UFC Hall of Fame will consist of four distinct categories, with inductees in each scheduled for a special presentation at UFC Fan Expo 2015

Las Vegas – For the first time in the 12-year history of the UFC^® Hall of Fame, an entire class of legendary fighters and contributors will be inducted into distinct Hall of Fame categories at a special induction event, scheduled for July 11 at UFC Fan Expo 2015.

UFC^® today announced that after 12 years and with 12 inductees already enshrined, the UFC Hall of Fame is evolving into a unique four-category system, enabling UFC, media and fans to celebrate and commemorate the greatest achievements in the organization’s history in a well-defined historical context.

The four new UFC Hall of Fame categories are:

Modern era wing: commemorating fighters who made their pro MMA debut in the modern era

Pioneers era wing: commemorating fighters who made their pro MMA debut in the pioneers era

Contributors wing: commemorating significant contributions outside of active competition 

Fight wing: commemorating the greatest and most important bouts in the sport’s history

The UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2015 will feature a new member in each of these new categories. The Class of 2015 will be announced in the coming weeks. The existing Hall of Famers - already inducted over the last 12 years - will be retrospectively inaugurated into the most fitting of these four categories.

For further details on the new UFC Hall of Fame format visit: http://www.ufc.com/news/UFC-HALL-OF-FAME-2015-MEDIA-FAQs

UFC President Dana White said: “The UFC Hall of Fame has an important job – it not only celebrates greatness but it helps pass stories of the greatest athletes and fights in UFC history on to the next generation of fight fans. We’re looking forward to announcing the class of 2015 and what is going to be a great induction event on July 11.”

The UFC Hall of Fame 2015 induction ceremony will take place on July 11 as part of the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas. Fans with tickets to the UFC Fan Expo will be able to attend the UFC Hall of Fame 2015 event for no additional cost. Tickets to the UFC Fan Expo are available at www.ufcfanexpo.com with two-day passes beginning at $60 online and $65 onsite. One-day passes begin at $35 online and $45 onsite. 

There are also preliminary plans for a physical UFC Hall of Fame to be constructed in the UFC’s home city of Las Vegas.

To visit the UFC Hall of Fame fight library – which includes the induction speeches for the first 12 UFC Hall of Famers – go to www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-hall-of-fame-library.

For additional information please visit UFC.com, and follow UFC on Twitter @ufc.

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER^® LATIN AMERICA 2:

TEAM GASTELUM VS. TEAM ESCUDERO

FULL CAST REVEALED

The second season of The Ultimate Fighter^® Latin America will premiere starting the week of August 26 on UFCFIGHTPASS.com, Televisa PM Channel 5 in Mexico, UFC^® Network and additional Free-to-Air Networks in Latin America

Team Gastelum and Team Escudero, each composed of eight Latin American fighters from the welterweight and lightweight divisions, will challenge each other to find out who will be the season two winners of The Ultimate Fighter^® Latin America

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighter^® Latin America is officially back and has been filming its new series in Las Vegas, since March 17^th.  After reaching an average of 7 million viewers per episode in Mexico and millions more viewers around Latin America during season one, The Ultimate Fighter^® Latin America is set to premiere starting the week of August 26^th on UFCFIGHTPASS.com, PM Channel 5 in Mexico, UFC^® Network and free-to-air networks in Latin America. For 2015, UFC^® has recruited talent from all over the region and divided them into two teams: Team Gastelum and Team Escudero. Both teams will represent a combination of Latin American countries including: Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Spain.

Kelvin Gastelum (The Ultimate Fighter^® winner of season 17) and Efrain Escudero (winner of season Eight of the reality series and first Mexican to win a contract with the UFC), will be official coaches of the second Spanish speaking series of the reality show. In this ninth international edition of the most challenging sports tournament on television, Gastelum will lead a team of four lightweight (155lbs) and four welterweight (170lbs) fighters against Escudero’s squad of eight similarly divided fighters from Latin American countries.

The list of competitors includes fighters hailing from Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Spain. The competitors are listed in alphabetical order (Name, Professional MMA record, Age, Hometown):

LIGHTWEIGHT	WELTERWEIGHT
César Arzamendia (6-1), 23, Alto Parana, Paraguay Enrique Barzola (10-2), 25, Lima, Peru Horacio Gutiérrez (3-1), 24, Guadalajara, Mexico Oliver Meza (3-0), 28, Panama City, Panama Jonathan Ortega (7-2-1), 31, Temuco, Chile Marco Polo Reyes (19-7), 30, Mexicali, Mexico Daniel Salas (15-5), DF, Mexico Christihian Soto (5-4), 31, Managua, Nicaragua	Héctor Aldana (5-0), 26, San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico Wilmer Fernández (7-1), 33, San Pedro Sula, Honduras Alvaro Herrera (8-3), 29, Guadalajara, Mexico Enrique Marín (8-2), 28, Sevilla, Spain Kevin Medinilla (5-0), 23, Buenos Aires, Argentina Erick Montaño (9-5), 29, DF, Mexico Marco Olano (6-1), 21, Lima, Peru Vernon Ramos (3-0), 22, La Fontana, Panama

Fans from the following countries will be able to catch the season on their respective free-to-air networks: Bolivia: Red Uno, Mexico: Channel 5, Nicaragua: Viva Nicaragua, Honduras: Teleprogreso, Panama: NexTV, Paraguay: Telefuturo, Chile: Via X, Peru: America TV and Venezuela: Meridiano TV.  The season will premiere on these networks the week of August 26, though dates and weekly episodes will vary per country. Viewers should check their local listings for further information.

More networks will be confirmed prior to the series premiere and subscribers to the UFC Network in Latin America will also get the chance to catch replays and watch exclusive content.

The season finale will be featured during Mexico’s second live event later this year. The card will host the final lightweight and welterweight bouts of the series, crowning the winners of The Ultimate Fighter^® Latin America season 2. Further event and ticket details will be released later this summer ahead of the scheduled on-sale at the end of August.

In addition to Kelvin Gastelum and Efrain Escudero, The Ultimate Fighter^® has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and produced champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Matt Serra and current bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw as well as season winners including Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and Nate Diaz. Mexican American Tony Ferguson captured the season 13 lightweight title, while Diego Sanchez, also of Mexican descent, was the first-ever winner of the franchise. Sanchez defeated Kenny Florian, a fighter of Peruvian descent, at The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale in 2005. In 2014, Mexican featherweight fighter, Yair Rodriguez, and bantamweight competitor, Alejando Perez, were crowned season winners of the first Spanish speaking series of The Ultimate Fighter^® Latin America.

For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @UltimateFighter or on Facebook.com/TUF.

FORMER UNITED STATES SOLICITOR GENERAL PAUL CLEMENT TO REPRESENT UFC^® IN APPEAL OF NEW YORK’S MMA BAN

Las Vegas ‒ UFC^® has retained Paul Clement, former United States Solicitor General, to spearhead the organization’s appeals process after Judge Kimba Wood of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a lawsuit challenging the legality of New York’s ban on professional mixed martial arts (MMA) matches and exhibitions.

The judge’s dismissal of the UFC’s case against the State of New York in March was based on a technicality, and the decision confirms the state is misapplying the law. UFC was advised by the judge to “consider filing new vagueness claims.” Wood also stated the New York Attorney General’s “recent statements that the Ban prohibits sanctioned MMA” were made “despite [the law’s] plain language to the contrary.” UFC also believes that Judge Wood erred in failing to recognize the serious First Amendment problems with the New York law.

“We retained Paul Clement, one of the nation’s most highly respected appellate lawyers, to aggressively appeal the lower court’s technical dismissal of this matter,” UFC Chief Legal Officer Kirk Hendrick said. “Clement shares our view that New York’s law is unconstitutional and dangerous, and we will get the decision overturned.”

The State of New York passed legislation in 1997 banning professional MMA events, citing concerns for the lack of safety regulations. Since that time, the UFC has been on the forefront of athlete safety and implemented some of the most effective and strictest safety regulations in sports, resulting in 49 states and numerous countries legalizing MMA. Because New York’s law is vague, misapplied, and both overbroad and underinclusive, unsanctioned amateur MMA events—wholly unregulated and lacking necessary safety standards—have been allowed to take place.

“I am delighted to be representing the UFC in this important challenge to New York’s outdated and unconstitutional law,” Clement stated. “Even New York officials are confused about the scope of this hopelessly unclear law, and by targeting professional MMA matches and exhibitions, the law raises First Amendment problems of the first order,” he added.

Clement is a partner at Bancroft PLLC and represents a diverse range of clients in both federal and state appellate courts. He represented the National Basketball Association during labor negotiations in 2011 and the National Football League during a potential lockout season. Throughout his legal career, Clement has argued more than 75 cases in front of the United States Supreme Court and is regularly regarded as one of the most influential lawyers in the country. Confirmed by the United States Senate, Clement served as Solicitor General from June 2005 to Jun 2008. He also serves as a Distinguished Lecturer in Law at the Georgetown University Law Center and a Senior Fellow of the Law Center’s Supreme Court Institute.

The plaintiffs are also being represented in this action by Barry Friedman, the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, and Jamie A. Levitt of Morrison & Foerster LLP in New York.

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER^®  LATINOAMÉRICA  2:

TEAM GASTELUM VS. TEAM ESCUDERO

REVELA EL ELENCO COMPLETO

La segunda temporada de The Ultimate Fighter^®  Latinoamérica inicia su transmisión por UFCFIGHTPASS.COM en Estados Unidos, PM Canal 5 en México, UFC^®  Network y nuestros socios de Televisión Abierta en el resto de Latinoamérica

Los Team Gastelum y Team Escudero están compuestos por 8 peleadores Latinoamericanos respectivamente de las categorías de peso ligero y peso wélter de los cuales se retarán para conocer a los dos ganadores de la Segunda Temporada de The Ultimate Fighter^®  Latinoamérica

Las Vegas, Nevada - La segunda temporada de The Ultimate Fighter^® LatinoAmérica está oficialmente de regreso, inicio grabaciones  en Las Vegas desde el 17 de marzo. Después de alcanzar un promedio de 7 millones de espectadores en México, y millones alrededor de Latinoamérica durante la primera edición de The Ultimate Fighter^® Latinoamérica. Esta Segunda edición del reality show de UFC^® de mayor duración, se prepara para regresar la semana del 26 de agosto por UFCFIGHTPASS.COM en Estados Unidos y a los hogares de Latinoamérica por PM Canal 5 en México, UFC^® Network y nuestros socios de Televisión Abierta en Latinoamérica.

Para este 2015 UFC  ha reclutado talento de toda la región y los ha dividido en dos equipos: Team Gastelum y Team Escudero. Ambos equipos representan una combinación de los distintos países latinoamericanos que incluye: Argentina, Chile, España. Honduras, México, Panamá, Paraguay y Perú.

Kelvin Gastelum (ex ganador de la temporada 17 de The Ultimate Fighter^®) y Efraín Escudero (ganador de The Ultimate Fighter^® temporada 8 y el primer mexicano en firmar con el UFC) son entrenadores en la novena edición internacional de este reality show, Gastelum dirigirá a un equipo de 4 peleadores de peso ligero (70 kg) y a cuatro peleadores de peso wélter (77 kg) contra el equipo Escudero conformado de manera similar de países latinomaericanos.

La lista de peleadores provenientes de la región incluye países como: Argentina, Chile, España. Honduras, México, Panamá, Paraguay y Perú. La lista de competidores está ordenada alfabéticamente por nombre, récord profesional de MMA, edad y ciudad natal.

Peso Ligero	Peso Wélter
César Arzamendia (6-1), 23, Alto Paraná, Paraguay Enrique Barzola (10-2), 25, Lima, Perú Horacio Gutiérrez (3-1), 24, Guadalajara, México Oliver Meza (3-0), 28, Panamá City, Panamá Jonathan Ortega (7-2-1), 31, Temuco, Chile Marco Polo Reyes (19-7), 30, Mexicali, México Daniel Salas (15-5), DF, México Christihian Soto (5-4), 31, Managua, Nicaragua	Héctor Aldana (5-0), 26, San Luis Río Colorado, México Wilmer Fernández (7-1), 33, San Pedro Sula, Honduras Álvaro Herrera (8-3), 29, Guadalajara, México Enrique Marín (8-2), 28, Sevilla, España Kevin Medinilla (5-0), 23, Buenos Aires, Argentina Erick Montaño (9-5), 29, DF, México Marco Olano (6-1), 21, Lima, Perú Vernon Ramos (3-0), 22, La Fontana, Panamá

Los fans de los siguientes países podrán sintonizar el reality show por sus respectivos operadores de Televisión Abierta: Bolivia: Red Uno, Chile: Vía X, Honduras: Teleprogreso México: PM Canal 5, Nicaragua: Viva Nicaragua, Panamá: Nex TV, Paraguay: Telefuturo, Perú: América TV y Venezuela: Meridiano TV.

Esta temporada se transmitirá a través de nuestros socios la semana del 26 de agosto, aunque fechas y episodios pueden variar por país. Los televidentes en cada región deben confirmar con cada canal las fechas y horarios de transmisión local.

Se confirmarán previo al estreno del show algunos otros canales, adicionalmente, los suscriptores de UFC Network tendrán la oportunidad de ver repeticiones y contenido exclusivo.

La final de esta segunda temporada se llevará a cabo en México durante el segundo semestre del año, en fecha y lugar aún por definir. La cartelera para este evento incluirá la final de los pesos ligeros, así como la de los wélter, y de esta forma definir a los ganadores de The Ultimate Fighter^® Latinoamérica 2.

Además de Kelvin Gastelum y Efraín Escudero, The Ultimate Fighter^® ha apoyado la carrera de más de 100 peleadores, ha producido campeones como Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans,  Matt Serra, el campeón actual de peso gallo TJ Dillashaw y estrellas como Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader y Nate Diaz. El mexicano-estadounidense Tony Ferguson ganó la temporada 13, además de Diego Sanchez, también de ascendencia mexicana, quien fue el primer ganador de este reality tras derrotar a Kenny Florian, de ascendencia peruana, en la final del The Ultimate Fighter^® 1 en 2005.

En 2014, los mexicanos Yair Rodríguez y Alejandro Pérez, peso pluma y peso gallo respectivamente, se convirtieron en campeones de la primera temporada de The Ultimate Fighter^® Latinoamérica.

Para más información y noticias, visita www.ufcespanol.com.