MULTI-PLATINUM RECORDING ARTIST
DROPKICK MURPHYS TO HEADLINE FREMONT STREET
EXPERIENCE CONCERT DURING THE
4TH ANNUAL UFC INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK™
Las Vegas – UFC® and the Fremont Street Experience today announced that multi-platinum recording artists
Dropkick Murphys will headline the Fremont Street Experience concert on Friday, July 10, as part of the 4th Annual UFC International Fight Week™. The concert,
which is free to the public, will be located at 425 Fremont Street on the 3rd Street Stage. The event is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.
No strangers to UFC,
its fighters and fans, Dropkick Murphys will kick off its 19-city
international tour here in Las Vegas during UFC International Fight
Week, which takes place from Tuesday, July 7, through
Sunday, July 12.
An American-Celtic
punk rock band from Quincy, Massachusetts, Dropkick Murphys have
released eight albums and sold more than four million records during its
19-year career. With multiple chart-topping singles
that have served as backdrops for Academy Award-winning films, World
Series Champions and UFC Hall of Fame fighters, the group has developed a
longstanding relationship as UFC fan favorites.
With signature songs
such as “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” “Tessie,” “Going Out in Style” and
“The State of Massachusetts,” the Dropkick’s universal style is
befitting of UFC International Fight Week, the largest
global celebration of combat sports in the world.
UFC International Fight Week features a UFC Fan Expo®, the 2015 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, a UFC Reebok experience, the Ulti-man 5k, UFC Gym®
Fitness Challenge and various martial
arts tournaments, as well as fan events at Fremont Street Experience.
UFC International Fight Week will be capped off with two highly
anticipated events in
UFC® 189: ALDO vs. MCGREGOR on Saturday, July 11 and
The Ultimate Fighter® Finale on Sunday, July 12.
Fans can now pre-register and join the UFC fan community at
www.ufcregister.com
to make the most of their UFC International Fight Week experience. They
can earn UFC Rewards points and automatically upload UFC activation
images and video to their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
UFCFightWeek.com is the official destination for the most current list of scheduled events, with an official UFC International Fight Week
App launching late-June in the Apple and Google Play stores.
The following events are currently scheduled for UFC International Fight Week:
Wednesday, July 8
·
IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships at The Flamingo (beginning Monday, July 6)
·
Official UFC 189 Open Workouts
·
UFC Community Day
Thursday, July 9
·
IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships at The Flamingo
·
USJJO Ju-Jitsu National Championships at Harrah’s Las Vegas
·
Liquid pool party at Aria hosted by UFC stars
·
Official UFC 189 press conference at MGM Grand
·
Charity bowling at Brooklyn Bowl with UFC fighters
Friday, July 10
·
UFC Fan Expo® (Day I)
o
USBJJF American Jiu Jitsu Championships (Gi and No Gi)
o
WAKO North American Amateur Kickboxing Championship
o
ISKA Vegas Open
o
The Ultimate Wrestling Championships
·
UFC Gym® Fitness Challenge ($35,000 Prize Money)
·
Official UFC
189 Weigh-In at MGM Grand Garden Arena
·
Official UFC 189 UFC Kit Unveil at MGM Grand Garden Arena
·
Meet UFC stars as they takeover downtown Las Vegas
·
UFC presents free concert at Fremont Street Experience
·
USJJO Ju-Jitsu US International Open at Harrah’s Las Vegas
Saturday, July 11
·
UFC Fan Expo® (Day II)
o
IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships Finals
o
USBJJF American Kids Jiu Jitsu Championships
o
WAKO North American Amateur Kickboxing Championship
o
ISKA Vegas Open
o
The Ultimate Wrestling Championships
·
Ulti-man 5k with UFC President Dana White in support of Three Square Food Bank
·
UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Fan Expo
·
UFC 189: ALDO vs. MCGREGOR at MGM Grand Garden Arena
·
UFC 189 viewing parties at MGM, Ri Ra, Double Barrel and more
·
Official UFC® 189 After Party at MGM Grand Garden Arena
Sunday, July 12
·
Bud Light Pool Party at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
·
The Ultimate Fighter Finale
Tickets for UFC Fan Expo® are currently on sale 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.
*Events are subject to change.
For additional information please visit
UFC.com, and follow UFC Fight Week on Twitter @UFCFightWeek.
BJ PENN TO BE INDUCTED TO UFC® HALL OF FAME
Two-time, two-division UFC world champion will be honored in the Modern Era category
Las Vegas – The final 2015 inductee for the reinvigorated UFC®
Hall of Fame will be legendary two-time, two-division UFC world
champion BJ Penn.
Known as “The Prodigy” throughout his amazing 13-year, 16-10-2
professional mixed martial arts career, Penn takes his place in the
Modern Era category of the UFC Hall of Fame.
The
Modern Era category recognizes great fighters who turned professional
on or after November 17, 2000, when the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial
Arts (MMA) were created
and widely adopted. Penn turned professional on May 4, 2001, at UFC 31.
The announcement was made moments ago on the UFC
187 Prelims broadcast on FOX Sports 1. Penn’s formal induction will take place at a gala event on Saturday, July 11, at the
UFC Fan Expo®, during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week™ in Las Vegas.
UFC
President Dana White said: “It is our honor to induct BJ Penn into the
UFC Hall of Fame. He was one of those stars who helped build the UFC.
When we bought this
company, we were told no-one cared about lightweights. BJ Penn not only
made people care, he was one of the biggest draws in UFC history. And
what he accomplished inside the Octagon speaks for itself - he is one of
only two people to win two UFC titles in
two different divisions and he beat a who’s who of his era. He is a
legend and a no-brainer for the UFC Hall of Fame.”
Born Jay Dee Penn on
December 13, 1978, “Baby Jay” is believed to have earned a legitimate
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt faster than any practitioner of the
martial art. He was awarded the honor by André Pederneiras
in 2000, aged 20, less than three years after taking his first lesson.
Penn validated his black belt status just weeks later, when he became
the first American to ever win the black belt division of the World
Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
Because of the speed of
Penn’s achievements in BJJ, he was dubbed “The Prodigy” - a moniker
which he carried into his MMA – and UFC – debut vs Joey Gilbert at UFC
31 on May 4, 2001.
“Nothing personal, I just want the belt,” Penn said after scoring a first round knockout.
The first UFC championship
came at welterweight, when he choked out the previously unstoppable Matt
Hughes in the opening round of their UFC 46, January 2004, clash.
However, Penn never defended the title, spending
the next two years competing outside of the UFC organization.
A truly fearless competitor
who’s self-belief knew few boarders, Penn defeated both Renzo Gracie and
Rodrigo Gracie in middleweight bouts outside of the UFC; he even took a
225lbs Lyoto Machida the distance in a
heavyweight fight.
Whether inside or outside the Octagon®, Penn fought the best of the best and his scalp list includes luminaries like Caol Uno, Matt Serra and Takanori Gomi.
But it was his achievements in the UFC lightweight classes that Penn cemented his legacy as one of the very best of all time.
Upon returning to the
division in 2007, Penn embarked on a three year reign of terror. He
swiftly avenged his first career loss to Jens Pulver before winning the
vacant 155lbs title with a one-sided beatdown of
Joe Stevenson at UFC 80. In winning the title, Penn became only the
second man to hold two UFC titles in two weight divisions. He then
defended the belt against former champion Sean Sherk, and surging
contenders Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez in impressive
fashion before finally losing the title to Frankie Edgar in 2010.
Along the way Penn also
attempted to win back the UFC welterweight title, in a rematch of a very
close and controversial fight vs Georges St-Pierre. The UFC 94, January
2009, main event was a rare UFC champion vs
UFC champion superfight and one of the biggest fights of the decade.
Penn’s final win came in
November 2010, at UFC 123, when he knocked out his great rival turned
friend Matt Hughes in 21-seconds, winning their trilogy 2-1. Penn last
competed one year ago, losing a somber fight
against nemesis Frankie Edgar at International Fight Week 2014.
Now, 12 months later, Penn will be given the send-off his legendary career deserves.
What made Penn a perpetual
pound-for-pounder was his unique combination of high-level BJJ, takedown
defense, remarkable balance plus his supreme boxing skills. Even the
most experience fight commentators marveled
at the Hawaiian’s skill set; UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan once opinioned
that Penn had more flexibility and dexterity in his legs than most good
fighters had in their arms and, in 2008, famed boxing trainer Freddie
Roach said Penn was the best boxer in MMA “by
far.”
According to FightMetric,
the official statistics provider to the UFC, Penn spent a total of
5-hours, 18-minues and 7-seconds in the UFC Octagon, the second most of
any UFC fighter. He landed 1,736 strikes in the
UFC, the fourth most in organization history, with 1215 of them setting
a lightweight division record. He landed with over half of his power
shots and his takedown completion rate of 66.7% remains the most
accurate in the UFC lightweight division.
Penn joins Pioneer Era
inductee Bas Rutten, Fight inductee Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II and
Contributor Jeff Blatnick to complete to 2015 UFC Hall of Fame class.
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.
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-
UFC ANNOUNCES INDUCTION OF MMA LEGEND
BAS RUTTEN TO UFC HALL OF FAME
FORMER UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TO BE HONORED AS PIONEER AT UFC FAN EXPO ON JULY 11
Las Vegas – Former UFC®
heavyweight champion Bas Rutten will take his rightful place alongside
other legendary innovators of the
sport in the UFC Hall of Fame. Rutten, who also dominated the Japanese
Pancrase organization’s championship landscape during his 33 fight
career, will join icons including Royce Gracie, Dan Severn and Chuck
Liddell in the Pioneer Era wing of the new-look UFC
Hall of Fame.
The
Pioneer Era category recognizes great fighters who turned professional
before November 17, 2000, when the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts
were created and widely adopted. All but one of Rutten’s 33
professional MMA bout were fought in the 1990s, with many of his
greatest accomplishments taking place in Pancrase, which used hybrid
rules, single-round fights and open-handed striking.
After
dominating the competition in Japan, Rutten finally entered the UFC
Octagon at UFC 18, on January 8, 1999. Hyped as the greatest MMA fighter
in the world, he defeated Tsuyoshi Kohsaka by knockout and
returned at UFC 20 four months later to defeat Kevin Randleman to win
the vacant UFC heavyweight world title. Rutten was the fourth man to
hold the UFC heavyweight championship and third former holder of that
belt to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
UFC President Dana White surprised Rutten with the news during an interview on the
Inside MMA Show, which Rutten co-hosts. Rutten was concluding an
interview previewing tonight’s UFC 187 Pay-Per-View event when White
informed the Dutchman that he would be inducted into the UFC Hall of
Fame on July 11.
“We have International Fight Week in Las Vegas in July,” White began. “And on July 11, at the UFC Fan Expo, you will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.”
“I
never expected to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame,” Rutten said
afterwards. “I won the UFC heavyweight title, but injuries cut my UFC
run short. Most of my big wins were in Japan. I saw the new UFC
Hall of Fame format and I thought maybe I could get in eventually as a
Contributor because of my years of commentating. But I’m so honored that
the UFC recognized what I did as a fighter.”
Asked about the biggest wins of his career, Rutten said: “My pro debut against
Ryushi
Yanagisawa, he outweighed me by 45lbs but I knocked him out. Then the
two wins over Frank Shamrock, winning the Pancrase title from Minoru
Suzuki, my two wins in the UFC, of course, meant a lot
to me and beating Masakatsu Funaki in the rematch. He was the first
person to beat me, he talked a lot of crap, and in the rematch for the
title I slaughtered him.”
All those fights available now on UFCFIGHTPASS.com here:
http://www.ufc.tv/category/
Born
in Tilburg, Netherlands Rutten is the first European to join the UFC
Hall of Fame. Now aged 50 and living in Los Angles, California, Rutten
originally took up the martial arts as a child to fend off school
bullies, who perhaps saw an easy victim in the asthmatic Rutten.
Discovering a natural talent for striking, Rutten quickly moved on from
school bully-level competition and, by age 20, was an established
international kickboxer.
In
September1993, he accepted an invitation to compete at the inaugural
Pancrase event in Urayasu, Japan. The event – which took place two
months before UFC 1 – featured submission wrestling mixed with striking,
although no close fist strikes were permitted to the head.
Rutten’s first Pancrase opponent, Japanese kickboxer Ryushi Yanagisawa, spent two days in the hospital after the Dutchman dispatched him with palm-strikes and knees. On that night, the Dutchman’s career-long reputation as a terrifying striker was forged.
He defeated early MMA icons like Vernon White, Guy Mezger and future UFC champions Maurice Smith and Frank Shamrock twice each during this period. In 1995, Rutten won the King of Pancrase title from legend Minoru Suzuki. His finest hour in Japan came at the Pancrase 1996 Anniversary Show where the Dutchman avenged his first pro defeat, knocked out Masakatsu Funaki to win a classic encounter.
In 1999, Rutten signed with the UFC and immediate set his sights on the UFC heavyweight title, eventually beating Randleman on points. His plan was to immediately drop down to light heavyweight and become the first ever two-division UFC champion; however a series of injuries cut short his career.
He returned for a farewell fight – vs unheralded Ruben Villareal – seven years later in a WFA event in July, 2006.
UFCFIGHTPASS.com subscribers can watch Rutten’s greatest fight – including five newly-uploaded Pancrase battles – here:
LINKLINKLINKLINKLINK. In time, Rutten’s entire career, from pro debut to retirement match, will be available on FIGHT PASS.
FightMetric,
the official statistics provider for the UFC, ran the numbers on
Rutten’s career. They back up the Dutchman’s inclusion into the UFC Hall
of Fame and then some. In the 4-hours, 27-minutes and
8-seconds he spent as a pro fighter, Rutten scored 13 knockdowns
without getting dropped himself, his significant strike accuracy was
70.6% - the highest FightMetric has ever recorded, attempted a record 53
submissions and successfully swept his opponents
a record 46 times.
And,
incredibly for a fighter who had 15 wins via submission, Rutten never
attempted a single takedown in his entire career. Clearly, “El Guapo”
had a unique and extremely effective style.
He finished his career on a 22-fight unbeaten streak. Rutten’s overall MMA record stands at 28 wins, 4 losses, and one draw.
Rutten
joins Contributor Jeff Blatnick and Fight Hughes vs Trigg II in the UFC
Hall of Fame’s class of 2015. The final inductee – the Modern Era
representative –
will be announced tonight during the UFC 187 Prelims on FOX Sports 1.
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. The
UFC Hall of Fame ceremony will be streamed live on UFCFIGHTPASS.com.
UFC® AND DISH RENEW MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT FOR DISTRIBUTION OF UFC PPV EVENTS
Las Vegas ‒ UFC® is pleased to announce the renewal of a multi-year partnership with DISH Network L.L.C. to continue providing all of the biggest and most anticipated UFC Pay-Per-View (PPV) events of the year to DISH’s approximately 14 million customers. The agreement will provide UFC fans the opportunity to tune in, this Saturday, May 23 for an epic night of fights, featuring two championship bouts on UFC® 187: JOHNSON vs. CORMIER at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Terms of the deal were not made public.
The new agreement was announced by Marshall Zelaznik, UFC Chief Content Officer: “We are thrilled that DISH will continue to carry UFC PPV events and featured content. Together with DISH we will continue to deliver all of our premium content for years to come.”
For the upcoming schedule, go to: http://www.mydish.com/pay-per-
A WELTERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN HEADLINES
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE
SUNDAY, JULY 12 AT MGM GRAND
AMERICAN TOP TEAM FINALIST vs. BLACKZILIANS FINALIST
JORGE MASVIDAL vs. CEZAR ‘MUTANTE’ FERREIRA
MICHELLE ‘THE KARATE HOTTIE’ WATERSON MAKES UFC®
DEBUT
TICKETS FOR
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: AMERICAN TOP TEAM vs. BLACKZILIANS
AT THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA
ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 29
Las Vegas
– One of the most intense rivalries in the history of
The Ultimate Fighter® will be settled once and for all
as powerhouse gyms American Top Team (ATT) and the Blackzilians battle
it out for South Florida bragging rights.
The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians finale will take place Sunday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to close out the 2015 International Fight Week activities.
The main event will feature two of the welterweight division’s top strikers as ninth-ranked
Jake Ellenberger (30-9, fighting out of Lake Forest, Calif.) clashes with
standup sensation Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson
(10-1, fighting out of Simpsonville,
S.C.). Ellenberger has 20 knockouts including 13 first-round finishes
on his resume, in addition to a stellar wrestling pedigree to help in
countering Thompson’s 52-0 professional kickboxing record.
Additionally, hard-hitting No. 15 lightweight contender
Jorge Masvidal (28-9, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) will move up to welterweight
and welcome The Ultimate Fighter Brazil season 1 winner, Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt
Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira (9-4, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, Brazil) to the
170-pound division.
Also, former Invicta FC atomweight champion
Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson
(12-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) will make her promotional debut against
The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned competitor Angela Magana
(11-7, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand).
Also scheduled for the card:
·
Looking to make it five consecutive wins,
Caio Magalhaes (9-1,
fighting out of Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil) takes on Josh Samman
(11-3, fighting out of Tallahassee, Fla.), a winner of back-to-back second-round knockout victories.· Plus, submission specialist Trevor “Hot Sauce” Smith (12-6, fighting out of Tukwila, Wash.) meets Dan Miller (14-7, 1NC, fighting out of Whippany, N.J.) as he makes a return to the Octagon for the first time since 2013.
For more information or current fight news, visit
www.ufc.com.
All bouts live and subject to change.
Tickets for
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: AMERICAN TOP TEAM vs. BLACKZILIANS go on sale Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $178, $128, $93, and $78. 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 (888) 929-7849. Tickets also are available at the MGM Grand Garden Arena 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 27 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 28 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through
UFC.com.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: AMERICAN TOP TEAM vs. BLACKZILIANS
will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 12, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
UFC HALL OF FAME 2015 INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED
CONTRIBUTOR JEFF BLATNICK AND
THE HUGHES VS TRIGG II FIGHT TO BE HONORED AT UFC FAN EXPO ON JULY 11
Las Vegas
– The first inductees for the new look UFC Hall of Fame have been
announced. Jeff Blatnick - a key personality during the UFC’s formative
years - and the April 2005 rematch between Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg
will be inducted as in this year’s Contributor and Fight categories,
respectively.
The announcements were made moments ago on
UFC Tonight, the UFC’s official magazine show on FOX Sports 1. The formal induction will take place at a gala event on Saturday, July 11 at the
UFC Fan Expo, during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week.
Jeff
Blatnick will be posthumously inducted as a UFC Hall of Fame
Contributor, in recognition for his historically significant services to
the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts.
UFC
President Dana White said: “Jeff Blatnick is a name that newer fans may
not be familiar with, but this guy was a huge part on the UFC’s
development in the 1990s. He pushed for greater regulation, unified
rules and - because he was an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling - he
had credibility with everyone in the sport. It is our honor to recognize
his huge contributions to the UFC by inducting him into the UFC Hall of
Fame.”
Blatnick’s
story is an incredible one. In 1982 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s
lymphoma – a form of cancer – and had to undergo life-saving surgery and
chemotherapy. Astonishingly, he won the super-heavyweight
Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in Los
Angeles less than two years later. He became a national hero and
inspiration for cancer patients worldwide.
A
decade later, Blatnick caught an early UFC event. He immediately
recognized the sport behind the spectacle and joined the organization as
lead color commentator from UFC 4 (December 1994) through to UFC
34 (November 2001). In those seven years at Octagonside, Blatnick
educated a generation of fight fans on the finer points of grappling and
sportsmanship. But, perhaps more importantly, as the Commissioner of
the UFC (1998 to 2001) Blatnick is widely credited
with coining the term “mixed martial arts” and championing its use to
describe the emerging sport.
As
Commissioner, Blatnick served as a key member of the group who drew up
what would become the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts – the
framework for all regulated MMA around the world to this day. In his
later years, the New York born Blatnick served as an MMA judge for many
different state commissions; in fact Blatnick’s final contribution to
the UFC came as a ringside judge at the UFC 152 event, just weeks before
he passed away in October 2012.
Lori Blatnick, Jeff’s widow, will accept her late husband’s UFC Hall of Fame induction on his behalf.
She
said: “Jeff would have been so honored to be inducted into the UFC Hall
of Fame. It’s awesome, and it is right that he is recognized. He worked
so hard to improve the sport and keep it alive in the 1990s.
People in the industry, or have been around the UFC for years, they
know what Jeff did behind the scenes but the viewers who watch the
fights today probably haven’t heard of him. That’s probably because of
Jeff’s character, he was very humble and didn’t like
to talk about himself. But it is great he will now be recognized in
such a huge way.”
Joining
Blatnick in the class of 2015 will be Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg, who
will be inducted together for their April 2005 rematch in the
newly-minted Fight wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.
Hughes
vs Trigg II took place on April 16, 2005, at UFC 52 at the MGM Grand in
Las Vegas. It was a rematch from 2003, where UFC welterweight champion
Hughes defeated reigning WFA champion Trigg inside four
minutes.
Trigg
won two bouts to earn a chance to avenge his loss to Hughes, and the
build-up to the rematch saw Trigg goad the champion with a relentless
campaign of insults.
UFC
President Dana White said: “I’ve said it a million times over the last
10 years, Hughes vs Trigg II is one of my favorite fights ever. In four
minutes five seconds, it showed everything that is great about
the UFC.”
The full fight can be watched on UFC FIGHT PASS here:
http://www.ufc.tv/video/matt-
Hughes
now becomes a two-time UFC Hall of Famer, having already been
recognized by the Hall in 2010 for a legendary career which included two
reigns as UFC welterweight champion.
Hughes
said: “When I got my hand raised, I thought I’d just come through a
tough fight. It was only afterwards, when my team were congratulating me
on this great win, that I started to realize
this wasn’t just another fight. Then Dana called me a few days later
telling me it was the best fight he’d ever seen and, in the years since,
I get asked about that one rematch with Trigg about as much as I do any
big fight I’ve ever been in.”
Hughes
added: “I occasionally get invited to speak to servicemen, and I try
and speak to them about never giving up when they are in bad situations.
The fight I use as an example is the second
Trigg fight; I was in a very bad situation, I’d been hit low, I was
hurt, rocked, Trigg had my back and he had me in a choke. But I didn’t
panic and as long as you don’t panic, you don’t quit on yourself and you
have a little time, you can get out of even
the worst of situations.”
Trigg
said: “This is a great honor. Every great fight has a winner and a
loser, but I am very proud that, 10 years on, people still ask me about
this fight. I may not have won the UFC title that
night, but this goes some way to make up for that.”
The
inductees in the Modern Era and Pioneer Era categories will be
announced this weekend as part of scheduled UFC 187 programming.
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.
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-
LAS VEGAS, HOME OF UFC, HOSTS 4th ANNUAL UFC® INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK –
BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER
The Ultimate Fighter® Finale now set to cap off UFC
International Fight Week™ in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 12
UFC FAN EXPO® reimagined
to enhance fan experience and includes: 2015 UFC Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony, UFC Reebok Experience, largest slate of live combat sports
tournaments and more opportunities than
ever to meet UFC Stars
Las Vegas – UFC® announced today that
The Ultimate Fighter® Finale, originally scheduled for South Florida, will now cap off the 4th annual UFC International Fight Week™ (IFW) in Las Vegas, with the event taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena
on Sunday, July 12, the night after the double title fight mega-card UFC 189: ALDO vs. MCGREGOR, in the same venue. From July 8 through July 12, the UFC will host over a dozen events with more opportunities than ever to meet UFC stars
with the newly expanded UFC Fan Expo®. Attracting fans from around the world, UFC International Fight Week has truly become a global celebration of combat sports.
This year, the UFC
Fan Expo is taken to a new level as it takes over the Sands Expo at
Venetian/Palazzo, where it will have the largest footprint of any
previous Expo ever held in
Las Vegas. Delivering over 555,000 square feet of a fully interactive
and immersive UFC fan experience, the UFC Fan Expo will also boast one
of the largest lineups of combat sports tournaments held under one roof
with 4,000 athletes from over 30 countries
competing in eight different sports.
Fans attending UFC
Fan Expo will have access to the 2015 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,
UFC Reebok experience, and truly immerse themselves in the fighter’s
life - from having their
hands wrapped, to measuring their hand speed and strength against the
pros, as well as stepping into the sacred Octagon®.
Beginning May 18, fans can pre-register and join the UFC fan community at
www.ufcregister.com
to make the most of their UFC International Fight Week experience. They
can earn UFC Rewards points and automatically upload UFC activation
images and video to their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
UFCFightWeek.com is the official destination for the most current list of scheduled events, with an official UFC International Fight Week
App launching late-June in the Apple and Google Play stores.
The following events are currently scheduled for UFC International Fight Week:
Wednesday, July 8
·
IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships at The Flamingo (beginning Monday, July 6)
·
Official UFC 189 Open Workouts
·
UFC Community Day
Thursday, July 9
·
IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships at The Flamingo
·
USJJO Ju-Jitsu National Championships at Harrah’s Las Vegas
·
Liquid pool party at Aria hosted by UFC stars
·
Official UFC 189 press conference at MGM Grand
·
Charity bowling at Brooklyn Bowl with UFC fighters
Friday, July 10
·
UFC Fan Expo (Day I)
o
USBJJF American Jiu Jitsu Championships (Gi and No Gi)
o
WAKO North American Amateur Kickboxing Championship
o
ISKA Vegas Open
o
The Ultimate Wrestling Championships
·
UFC Gym® Fitness Challenge ($35,000 Prize Money)
·
Official UFC
189 Weigh-In at MGM Grand Garden Arena
·
Official UFC 189 UFC Kit Unveil at MGM Grand Garden Arena
·
Meet UFC stars as they takeover downtown Las Vegas
·
UFC presents free concert at Fremont Street Experience
·
USJJO Ju-Jitsu US International Open at Harrah’s Las Vegas
Saturday, July 11
·
UFC Fan Expo (Day II)
o
IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships Finals
o
USBJJF American Kids Jiu Jitsu Championships
o
WAKO North American Amateur Kickboxing Championship
o
ISKA Vegas Open
o
The Ultimate Wrestling Championships
·
Ulti-man 5k with UFC President Dana White in support of Three Square
·
UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at UFC Fan Expo
·
UFC 189: ALDO vs. MCGREGOR at MGM Grand Garden Arena
·
UFC 189 viewing parties at MGM, Ri Ra Irish Pub, Double Barrel and more
·
Official UFC 189 After Party
Sunday, July 12
·
Bud Light Pool Party at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
·
The Ultimate Fighter Finale
at MGM Grand Garden Arena
Tickets for UFC Fan Expo are currently on sale 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.
*Events are subject to change.
For additional information please visit
UFC.com, and follow UFC Fight Week on Twitter @UFCFightWeek.
