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.
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, 11th-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 27th 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.
·
13th-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.
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.
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 17th.
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 26th 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.
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.
