Las Vegas – Undisputed UFC® featherweight champion
Jose Aldo and challenger
Conor McGregor will embark on a world press tour spanning eight cities in five
countries over the course of 12 days to promote their upcoming championship bout at
UFC® 189: ALDO vs. McGREGOR on Saturday, July 11 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The co-main event featuring newly cemented welterweight champion
Robbie Lawler and the division’s No. 2 contender
Rory MacDonald will also make appearances on the tour.
UFC® 189 will serve as the culminating event of the world’s largest MMA fan experience, International
Fight Week, which takes place in Las Vegas – the home of the UFC.
UFC® 189 World Championship Tour Schedule
(ALL TIMES LOCAL)
·
March 20 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Press Conference – 2 p.m. at Maracanazinho Arena
o
Participants: Aldo and McGregor
o
Event is free and open to the public; live streamed at
www.ufc.com
·
March 23 – Las Vegas Press Tour
o
Participants: Aldo and McGregor
·
March 24 – Los Angeles Press Tour
o
Participants: Aldo and McGregor
·
March 25 – Boston Press Conference – 5:30 p.m. at The Strand Theater
o
Participants: Aldo and McGregor
o
Event is free and open to the public
·
March 26 – New York City Press Conference – 5 p.m. at Beacon Theater
o
Participants: Aldo, McGregor, Lawler and MacDonald
o
Event is free and open to the public
·
March 27 – Toronto,
Ontario, Canada Press Conference – 4 p.m. at Eaton Centre
(MAC Court Fountain)
o
Participants: Aldo, McGregor, Lawler and MacDonald
o
Event is free and open to the public
·
March 29 – McGregor to attend UEFA European Championship in Dublin, Ireland
o
2016 Qualifying round of UEFA European Championship: Republic of Ireland vs. Poland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin
·
March 29 – Aldo to attend FIFA International Match featuring Brazil in London, England
o
FIFA International friendly featuring Brazil vs. Chile at the Emirates Stadium in London
·
March 30 – London, England Press Conference – Location TBA
o
Participants: Aldo and McGregor
o
Event is closed to the public
·
March 31 – Dublin, Ireland – Fan Event – Convention Centre Dublin
o
Participants: Aldo and McGregor
o
Event is free and open to the public
For more information or current fight news, visit
www.ufc.com.
All bouts live and subject to change.
Headlining UFC’s International Fight Week is UFC®189: ALDO vs. McGREGOR, presented by Bud Light®,
which takes place Saturday,
July 11 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It’s a championship
doubleheader as second-ranked pound-for-pound fighter and reigning
featherweight champion Jose Aldo looks to remain the division’s only
title holder when he goes for a seventh consecutive
defense against rising star Conor McGregor, undefeated in the UFC and
winner of 13 straight. Plus, newly crowned welterweight champion Robbie
Lawler attempts his first UFC title defense against No. 2 contender
Rory MacDonald. Tickets for
UFC® 189 are on sale Friday, March 27 at 10 a.m. PT at UFCFIGHTWEEK.com.
UFC® SIGNS ENERGY DRINK PARTNERSHIP WITH MONSTER ENERGY®
Las Vegas, Nev. – The UFC® today confirmed a new partnership with Monster Energy®,
to be the official energy drink of the UFC. This new exclusive
deal - which excludes Brazil - continues UFC’s approach of partnering
with industry-leading companies that share the same values and vision to
further maximize and expand branding opportunities worldwide.
“The UFC®
is excited to partner with a category leader like Monster Energy and
introduce them to our fans who embody the same enthusiasm and passion
synonymous with their brand,” UFC Executive Vice
President of Global Marketing Partnerships Michael Mossholder said.
“This new multi-year deal will bring new and exciting experiential
opportunities and unique in-market retail promotions.”
“We are excited to
partner with the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization as the
official energy drink of UFC as we expand our commitment into the MMA
category,” said Sam Pontrelli, Monster Energy
Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Through this partnership we will
build a stronger brand position and expand our reach globally, thereby
gaining exposure to a new audience while supporting the sport’s premiere
athletes. We look forward to a long and mutually
beneficial relationship.”
Monster Energy will also be sponsoring select athletes including UFC women’s bantamweight champion
“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, as well as
UFC® lightweight champion
Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and former UFC welterweight champion and current No.1 welterweight contender
Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks, both of whom are competing at UFC® 185 in Dallas this coming Saturday.
Additional UFC athletes will be announced at a later date.
As part of this partnership, the Monster Energy logo has center placement on the canvas, as first witnessed at
UFC® 184: Rousey vs. Zingano in Los Angeles. Monster Energy will also be promoted on various UFC® entities inside and outside the Octagon® and together with UFC they will execute distinctive retail promotions and contest
opportunities such as:
·
“Belt
the Champ”: a promotion to give one lucky fan the opportunity to attend
a title fight and step inside the Octagon to present the championship
belt.
·
The
“Monster Experience”: an opportunity for fans to gain unparalleled
access during a UFC fight week, including access to open workouts, the
weigh-in, press conferences, and
the chance to sit with UFC President Dana White at the live event.
For more information on UFC or current fight news, visit ufc.com. For more information on Monster Energy visit monsterenergy.com.
TryouT DATE for THE UPcOMINg SEASON OF
The Ultimate Fighter® moved TO monday, APRIL
27
Tryouts to be held in Las Vegas at Palace Station
Open to lightweight and welterweight men
Las Vegas, Nevada –
Official tryouts for the upcoming season of
The Ultimate Fighter®
are now scheduled to take place at Palace Station in Las Vegas, Nev. on Monday, April 27.
Tryouts are open to 155 and 170-pound men with a winning professional record.
The winner of this season of
The Ultimate Fighter® will win a lucrative contract with the UFC®. This season of
The Ultimate Fighter will begin filming in May and will premiere on FOX Sports 1 in September 2015.
Candidates
must attend tryouts. Additionally, they must be male, between the ages
of 21 and 34 years of age, have the legal ability to live and work in
the United States and have professional
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight experience – holding a winning record
with a minimum of three professional fights (with verifiable records).
Applications, which should be completed and brought to the tryouts, can
be found online at
http://www.ufc.com/tuf22. Tryout details are provided below:
Where:
Palace Station Hotel, 2411 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102
Tryouts will be held in the Grand Ballroom
When:
Monday, April 27, 2015
Registration begins @ 8:00 a.m. PT
Fighters will be required to grapple & hit pads. Please bring appropriate gear.
*Applicants
will be notified at the end of the tryouts if they have been selected
to participate in the casting finals process. If selected, applicants
must be prepared to
stay in Las Vegas until May 1, 2015.
The Ultimate Fighter®,
which debuted in 2005, has launched the careers of some of the UFC’s
most recognizable names and successful athletes. The series has produced
champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, TJ Dillashaw, Carla
Esparza and Matt Serra, as well as season winners
Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader, Nate Diaz and John Dodson.
TOP CONTENDERS FRANKIE EDGAR AND URIJAH FABER HEADLINE HISTORIC DEBUT UFC® EVENT IN MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Plus:
Gregard Mousasi vs. Costas Philippou
Luke Barnatt vs. Mark Munoz
Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Neil Magny
Phillipe Nover vs. Yui Chul Nam
Tae Hyun Bang vs. Jon Tuck
Mark Eddiva vs. Alex White
Zhang Lipeng vs. Kajan Johnson
Li Jingliang vs. Roger Zapata
Roldan Sangcha-an vs. Jon Delos Reyes
Yao Zhikui vs. Nolan Ticman
Royston Wee vs. Ning Guangyou
TICKETS FOR UFC FIGHT NIGHT®
MANILA: EDGAR vs. FABER
AT MALL OF ASIA ARENA
ON SALE FRIDAY, MAR. 13
Singapore –
The UFC® announced that its upcoming live event debut in Manila on Saturday, May 16 at the Mall of Asia Arena will be headlined by two former champions, as the featherweight division’s No. 1 contender
Frankie Edgar comes head to head with
Urijah Faber,
who makes a long awaited return to 145 lbs. in a five-round battle sure to thrill the Filipino fans.
Riding
a three-fight win streak, former UFC lightweight champion Edgar
(17-4-1, fighting out of Toms River, New Jersey, USA) has proved his
undeniable skills against Cub Swanson, BJ Penn,
and Charles Oliveira. With his sights now set on another title shot
opportunity, Edgar will be looking for a memorable finish at this highly
anticipated event. Making a return to the weight class of his greatest
triumphs in the WEC, Faber (37-7-0, fighting
out of Sacramento, California, USA) has won six of his last seven
fights and has never lost a non-title fight. His experience in the cage
has seen him go the five round championship distance five times against
Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo, Mike Brown and twice
against Renan Barao.
The co-main event brings a middleweight bust-up between No. 8 ranked
Gregard Mousasi (35-5-2, fighting out of Leiden, The Netherlands) and New York banger
Costa Philippou
(13-4-0, fighting out of Long Island, New York, USA). Mousasi
holds 20 wins by KO and has defeated many seasoned fighters including
Hector Lombard, Ovince St. Preux, Mark Munoz, ‘Babalu’ Sobral, and Ilir
latifi. Mousasi will be looking to build on his last win over legend
Dan Henderson as he meets former pro boxer Philippou,
who has been victorious in six of his last eight bouts. Plus up and
coming Brit
Luke “The Bigslow” Barnatt (8-2-0, fighting out of Cambridge, England) takes on “The
Filipino Wrecking Machine” Mark Munoz
(13-5, fighting out of Lake Forest, California,
USA). Munoz comes to Manila to live out the dream of being able to
fight in front of his fellow Filipinos for the first time in his long
and distinguished career.
In
addition, the Manila card will also feature a diverse mix of UFC
fighters from the Philippines and China bringing fans a truly
international event.
Other confirmed bouts for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®
MANILA: EDGAR vs. FABER include:
·
In
a welterweight bout South Korea’s “The Ace” Hyun Gyu Lim (13-4-1,
fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) takes on hot prospect Neil Magny
(14-4-0, fighting out of Denver, Colorado,
USA) who is on a fierce five fight winning streak.
·
The
Philippines own Roldan Sangcha-an (4-1, fighting out of Baguio City,
Philippines) will have the Mall of Asia Arena behind him when he takes
on skilled Brazilian jiu-jitsu
practitioner Jon Delos Reyes (7-4, fighting out of Tamuning, Guam) in a
flyweight tilt.
·
The Ultimate Fighter China
winner
Zhang ‘The Warrior’ Lipeng (9-8-1, fighting out Beijing, China) takes
on ‘Rajan’ Kajan Johnson (19-12-1, fighting out of Montreal, Canada) in a
lightweight clash
·
Korea’s
‘Supernatural’ Tae Hyun Bang (17-8, fighting out of Seoul, Korea) takes
on rising prospect Jon ‘The Super Saiyan’ Tuck (8-2, fighting out of
Hagatna, Guam) in a lightweight
fight that highlights two emerging MMA markets in Asia.
·
In another welterweight bout, Li ‘The Leech’ Jingliang (9-3, fighting out of Beijing, China) takes on
The Ultimate Fighter: Edgar vs. Penn veteran Roger ‘Viva’ Zapata (4-1, fighting out of New York, New York).
·
Another
Ultimate Fighter China steps back in the Octagon when Yao Zhikui
(1-2, fighting out of Beijing, China) meets dynamic Nolan Ticman (4-2,
fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) in the debut of both fighters
at 125 pounds.
·
Former
The Ultimate Fighter finalist Phillipe Nover (6-3-1, fighting out
of Brooklyn, New York, USA) returns to the UFC against “The Korean
Bulldozer” Nam Yui Chul in a featherweight bout.
·
Another
Philippines national Mark Eddiva (6-1-0, fighting out of Baguio City,
Philippines) squares off against Alex “The Spartan” White (10-2-0,
fighting out of Farmington, Missouri,
USA) in a featherweight match-up.
·
Undefeated Singaporean Royston Wee (4-0-0, fighting out of Singapore) meets
The Ultimate Fighter China winner Ning Guangyou (5-2-1, fighting out of Beijing, China) in a bantamweight bout
Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT® MANILA: EDGAR VS. FABER go
on sale Friday, Mar 13 at 10 a.m. Manila time and are priced at
PHp13,250 (VIP), PHp10,600 (Patron),
PHp7,950 (Lower Box A), PHp5,830 (Lower Box B), PHp3,710 (Upper Box),
and PHp1,590 (General Admission) plus applicable service
charges. Tickets are available in Mall of Asia Arena Box Office, SM
Tickets outlets in all SM Cinema branches nationwide, select
The SM Store branches, and online thru www.smtickets.com. For
more information, call the Customer Care hotline at +63 (02) 470 2222.
For more information or current fight news, visit ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
UFC® CONGRATULATES THE LABOR GOVERNMENT FOR REGULATORY CHANGE IN VICTORIA
Ministerial directive formally legalizes fenced-in enclosures for professional mixed martial arts in the State of Victoria
UFC confirms Melbourne pay per view event November 2015
Melbourne, Australia – The UFC®
today applauded the State of Victoria Labor Government for
executing a ministerial directive designed to increase safety within the
sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) by allowing the sport to be conducted
in a much safer fenced-in enclosure. The directive
was announced this morning at a press conference held by The Honourable
John Eren, Minister for Sport, Tourism and Major Events. “This is a
major milestone for mixed martial arts in Victoria, which will allow the
sport to flourish while at the same time better
protecting its competing athletes,” said Tom Wright, UFC Executive
Vice-President and General Manager, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Prior
to the passing of today’s ministerial directive, MMA competitions in
the State of Victoria were required to be conducted in boxing rings
which were never designed for MMA competitions. The UFC uses a unique,
octagon-shaped enclosure which prevents fighters from falling out of the
structure or becoming entangled in the ropes as could occur with a
boxing ring. “The Octagon® is purpose-built
for MMA competition and was designed and developed to optimize safety
and to create a level playing field. The UFC thanks the Labor Party for
spearheading this initiative and focusing on the safety of the
competitors,” added Wright.
With this new ministerial directive in place, the UFC confirmed that it will bring a global pay per view event,
UFC 193, to Melbourne on Sunday, November 15, 2015 locally, to be broadcast live in North America on Saturday, November 14.
Since
2010, the UFC has hosted six live events in Australia with each
experiencing tremendous success. Collectively, the six events have seen
more than 75,000 fans in attendance and millions worldwide watching on
Pay-Per-View and broadcast television. The three host cities to date –
Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane – have had a cumulative gross gate of
more than $12 million and millions more in economic
impact. The UFC will host its seventh Australian event, UFC® FIGHT NIGHTTM: MIOCIC vs. HUNT,
at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on May 10.
For more information or current fight news, visit
ufc.com.
Quotes from some of Australia’s top mixed martial artists
No.5 ranked UFC heavyweight
Mark Hunt (10-9-1, fighting out of Sydney)
“Just
like a jockey needs a horse or a tennis player needs a racquet or a V8
driver needs a car – mixed martial artists, UFC fighters need
the Octagon®. It’s our tool for competition – to make
competition fair and safe. I’m excited that the UFC can now come to
Melbourne and trust me, I want to be there competing to make sporting
history.”
“This
progress in Melbourne is an amazing opportunity for the Australian MMA
community. The UFC is already bringing more events to Australia
and this new destination opens up more opportunities for aspiring mixed
martial artists. As a MMA fighter myself, it would be an honour and
privilege to compete in Melbourne and make history!”
“MMA in Melbourne will no longer fall behind the rest of the world because of ignorance.”
Kyle Noke (fighting out of Albuquerque,
USA via Dubbo, Australia)
“We
now finally get the chance to fight in front of a home crowd in the
sporting capital of Australia. This is a dream come true for me and the
rest of the UFC competitors
representing Australia around the world.”
“It’s
only fitting to have the fastest growing sport in the world in the
sporting capital of Australia. Personally it would be a dream to compete
in the UFC in my hometown.”
“This
is a momentous occasion for the sport of MMA in Victoria, Australia and
the growth of the UFC worldwide. Melbourne has some of the most
passionate sports fans in
the world, and I can't wait to fight in the UFC Octagon® in front of a live Victorian audience.”
“Being
able to fight in the UFC is a dream come true. Being able to compete in
Australia is the icing on the cake. I'm extremely proud to be
Australian and being able
to do what I love for my country is truly gratifying. With Melbourne
now able to host the UFC, I can see MMA growing immensely and I cannot
wait till Perth also gets on board.”
“So
good to hear that finally the Victorian government has come to its
senses and allowed MMA to be performed in its safest environment: the
Octagon®. I can't
wait to be a part of a spectacular UFC event in Melbourne.”
“Fantastic
news that the ban will no longer remain in Victoria for MMA bouts
inside a fenced-in
enclosure. There was a big misconception about what was actually
banned, which I feel has hindered MMA in Australia although the sport
was always legal. A really great day for all MMA athletes and fans, not
just in Victoria but all of Australia”
UFC® ANNOUNCES CHINA DIGITAL BROADCAST PARTNERSHIP
Singapore
– With the exponential growth of mixed martial arts (MMA) in Asia, a landmark announcement was made today by UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA)
organization, displaying their continued commitment to the region.
The
UFC has agreed to a significant new partnership with a leading digital
sports platform in China, PPTV. The deal will allow Chinese UFC fans to
access all UFC®
events live and in local language in China for the first time, this localized content will be used to support UFC®
promotions in the social media and digital marketing environment. The UFC® has grown its audience engagement across social media channels to the same levels as
English Premier League football teams in the region*. The growing number of MMA and UFC®
fans in China will have
unprecedented access to all of the passion, excitement and top quality
athletes that are the trademark of all UFC®
events.
Ken Berger, EVP and General Manager UFC Asia, said: “This
landmark deal displays the rapid growth and demand for premium MMA
content
in China. There is a real upward trend of MMA taking hold in the
region with increased engagement amongst fans and more and more athletes
dedicating their lives to becoming the best they can be. The UFC®
recognizes that it really is only a matter of time before we start
seeing champions emerge from China.” Ken continued, “PPTV have always
been a valued supporter of the UFC, we couldn’t be happier to grow our
partnership with them this year.”
PPTV Sports General Manger Li Dong says,
"We hope PPTV will become the best partner of UFC; PPTV is going to be the home of UFC in China."
China
is emerging as a significant breeding ground for talented MMA athletes
who are increasingly taking their place on the world’s MMA stage. With
14 Chinese fighters within the
UFC® and an actively engaged fan base established in the country, the partnership will build upon the increasing demand for UFC® content in this
market, strengthening the substantial growth seen within Asia over the last twelve months.
TWO TITLE FIGHTS HEADLINE
UFC® 187 AS JONES MEETS JOHNSON AND WEIDMAN COLLIDES WITH BELFORT
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
PLUS:
(# 2) KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV vs. (# 3) DONALD CERRONE
(# 3) TRAVIS BROWNE vs. (# 7) ANDREI ARLOVSKI
(# 9) DONG HYUN KIM vs. JOSH BURKMAN
(# 2) JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ vs. (# 5) JOHN MORAGA
TICKETS FOR
UFC® 187: JONES vs. JOHNSON
AT MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS
ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 6
Las Vegas
– On Memorial Day Weekend, two world title fights headline UFC® 187 as undisputed light heavyweight king
Jon “Bones” Jones meets No. 1 contender
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in the five-round main event. Plus, middleweight champion
Chris Weidman puts his belt on the line when he faces former light heavyweight
champion Vitor Belfort Saturday, May 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las
Vegas.
The pound-for-pound king,
Jon Jones (21-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.)
continues to smash records and make history as he goes for an
unprecedented ninth successful UFC light heavyweight title defense.
Undefeated in his last 12 bouts, Jones is currently tied for
second place with Georges St-Pierre for the longest active winning
streak, just behind former middleweight champion Anderson Silva with 17.
Jones is on a path to become arguably the greatest fighter of all-time,
having defeated both former legends and rising
stars, with his most recent victory coming after a five-round war
against U.S. Olympian Daniel Cormier at UFC 182. Looking to further etch
his name in the record books, Jones gladly welcomes the challenge of
facing the hardest-hitting opponent of his career
at UFC 187.
Since making his UFC return in 2014, (No. 1)
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (19-4, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.)
has gone 3-0, collecting two first-round finishes over former title
challenger Alexander Gustafsson (TKO at 2:15 of round 1 at
UFC Fight Night® in Stockholm) and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (KO at 0:44 seconds of round 1 at
UFC on FOX in San Jose), while also delivering a masterful
performance against seventh-ranked Phil Davis at UFC 172. A nine-fight
win streak, coupled with dominant wins over top tier talent, has earned
Johnson a chance to challenge the pound-for-pound
king for the light heavyweight world title.
In what will be an electric co-main event, middleweight champion
Chris Weidman (12-0, fighting out of Baldwin, N.Y.) will put his
spotless record on the line when he faces the fourth-ranked Belfort, who
has been anxiously awaiting his shot at the belt. After doing the
seemingly impossible by beating former champion
Anderson Silva twice, Weidman went on to defend his title in
spectacular fashion against former light heavyweight champion Lyoto
Machida at UFC 175. The five-round battle earned the pair a Fight of the
Year nomination and cemented Weidman’s place in the pound-for-pound
rankings (No. 4). With victories over many of the sport’s elite, the
New Yorker looks to add another notable name to his resume when he takes
on one of his most ferocious opponents to date.
Determined to hold titles in two weight classes, former 205-pound champ (No. 4)
Vitor Belfort (24-10, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
has been destroying his competition as of late, and at 37 years old,
has never looked better. In his most recent outings, “The Phenom”
defeated both Dan Henderson and Luke Rockhold in the first round
following his incredible second-round TKO victory over Michael Bisping
in January 2013. Weidman and Belfort have been slated to meet on three
separate occasions, and the two will finally go to
war on May 23.
Other bouts for UFC 187 include:
·
Undefeated lightweight
Khabib Nurmagomedov returns from a lengthy layoff (22-0, fighting out of
Dagestan, Russia) to face No. 3
Donald Cerrone (27-6, 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.), a winner of seven
straight.
·
In a battle of heavyweights, third-ranked
Travis Browne (17-2-1, fighting out of Glendale, Calif.) collides with (No. 7)
Andre Arlovski (23-10, 1 NC, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.).
·
Ninth-ranked welterweight
Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim (19-3-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea) meets
Josh Burkman (28-11, fighting out of Draper, Utah).
·
Former title challengers
Joseph Benavidez (21-4, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) and
John Moraga (16-3, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) hit the stage in a flyweight
scrap.
·
Plus, the flyweight division’s No. 1 contender and TUF season 14 winner
John Dodson
(17-6, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) makes his return against (No. 9)
Zach Makovsky (19-5, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.).
·
In their UFC debuts, newcomers
Leo Kuntz (17-1-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) and Islam Makhachev (11-0, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) square off in a 155-pound bout.
For more information or current fight news, visit
www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Tickets for
UFC® 187: JONES vs. JOHNSON go on sale Friday,
March 6 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $350, $225
and $125 (prices do not include applicable service charges and handling
fees). Tickets are available for purchase
online at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000. Beginning at noon,
tickets also will be available for purchase in person at any MGM
Resorts International box office. Ticket sales are limited to eight
(8) per person.
UFC®
AND FOX SPORTS ANNOUNCE ALL-NEW FORMAT FOR 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER®
The Ultimate Fighter®:
American Top Team vs. Blackzilians to award
$500,000 and first-ever
The Ultimate Fighter Team Trophy
This season of
The Ultimate Fighter will premiere on FOX Sports 1 on Wednesday, April 22 at 10 p.m. ET
Las Vegas, Nev. – Coming off a historic season that saw the crowning of the UFC’s first-ever women’s strawweight champion,
the next installment of The Ultimate Fighter®
looks to raise the stakes once again. For the first time in the
show’s 10-year history, a gym versus gym format will be introduced
pitting fighters from the famed American Top Team against those from
Blackzilians, all while living together under one roof in South Florida.
It will be a monumental season, as $500,000, the first-ever
The Ultimate Fighter Team Trophy and most importantly,
ultimate bragging rights, are all up for grabs. The decisions and
strategy determined by each team have never impacted the show as much as
they will this season.
This season of
The Ultimate Fighter®: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians
premieres with a two-hour episode Wednesday, April 22, at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will continue with 11
more one-hour shows Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. This is the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter
to air on FOX Sports 1. The series is the network’s highest rated and
most watched original program since the network’s inception in August
2013.
There’s
no shortage of bad blood between these two camps. In 2001, the famed
American Top Team gym was founded in Coconut Creek, Fla. by Dan Lambert.
The gym has since been home to numerous
champions and top contenders including current UFC welterweight
champion Robbie Lawler, former title challengers Thiago Alves and
Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, former WEC®
featherweight champ Mike Brown, Hector Lombard, Tyron Woodley and
Dustin Poirier. However, in 2011 several members defected to start their
own camp, the Blackzilians. Partnering with successful businessman
Glenn Robinson, the fighters started their own training
facility only 20 minutes away in Boca Raton, Fla., beginning one of the
deepest rivalries in all of MMA. The Blackzilians camp is now home to
former UFC light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort,
as well as top contenders Anthony Johnson,
Eddie Alvarez, Michael Johnson and Matt Mitrione.
This
season features eight rising welterweights from each team who will be
selected by their respective gym owner to live in a South Florida house
alongside their competition. The fighters
will continue to train at their home gym with their own coaches and
sparring partners. However, fights will no longer be held at a neutral
site and now move to the teams’ respective gyms, always leaving one
fighter to compete in enemy territory. Adding to
the anticipation ahead of each bout, opponents won’t be known until the
weigh-in.
The culmination of the season will see two fighters meet at
The Ultimate Fighter Finale in summer 2015, where the winning gym will be crowned.
This season’s cast includes:
AMERICAN TOP TEAM
BLACKZILIANS
Marcelo Alfaya (16-7, 1NC) Porto Alegre, Brazil
Valdir Araujo (14-5), Gama, Federal District, Brazil
Steve Carl (21-4), Belle Plain, Iowa
Carrington Banks (3-0), Peoria, Ill.
Nathan Coy (14-5), Vallejo, Calif.
Luiz Buscape (16-5), Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil
Michael Graves (4-0), Toledo, Ohio
Jason Jackson (4-2), Kingston, Jamaica
Hayder Hassan (6-1), Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Vicente Luque (7-4-1), Westwood, N.J.
Sabah Homasi (8-4), New Brunswick, N.J.
Andrews Nakahara (4-2-2), Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Uros Jurisic (5-0), Ljubljana, Slovenia
Felipe Portela (8-2), Brasilia, Brazil
Steve Montgomery (8-2), Florence, S.C.
Kamarudeen Usman (5-1) Auchi, Nigeria
Many of today’s most recognizable names in the UFC have emerged from
The Ultimate Fighter® series,
which
also produced champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, TJ
Dillashaw, Carla Esparza and Matt Serra, as well as season winners
Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and John Dodson.
INVICTA FC 11 PRELIMS TO BE AVAILABLE ON
FREE LIVE STREAM THIS FRIDAY
FIRST FOUR FIGHTS OF ALL-FEMALE CARD WILL BE LIVE AND
FREE ON UFC.tv
Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC FIGHT PASS®, the UFC®’s digital subscription service, has announced that the prelims
for this Friday’s highly anticipated Invicta FC 11 event will be made available to fans around the world for free.
Invicta FC 11: Cyborg vs Tweet takes place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and kicks-off a huge weekend for female mixed martial arts.
UFC®
184, headlined by UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey vs No.1
contender Cat Zingano and co-headlined by Holly Holm vs Raquel
Pennington, also emanates from Los Angeles one day later,
this Saturday, February 28.
UFC
Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik said: “This is arguably the
biggest weekend for female MMA ever, and we’re excited to get things
going by making the first half of a great Invicta card free to our
fans. This will be the fourth Invicta FC event we have streamed on UFCFIGHTPASS.com in the last
five months, and we invite fans who haven’t seen Invicta yet to check out the kind of great exclusive content we offer on
UFCFIGHTPASS.com.”
The
main card – headlined by the long-awaited return to action for Invicta
featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino taking on the surging
Charmaine Tweet – will then stream exclusively live on UFCFIGHTPASS.com
from 9pm PT/midnight ET here: http://www.ufc.tv/video/invicta-fc-11
Then,
on Saturday, UFCFIGHTPASS.com will exclusively live stream the UFC 184
early prelims, featuring a featherweight fight between Masio Fullen and
Alexander Torres and two-time performance of the night winner
James Krause taking on lightweight Valmir Lazaro. Link here: http://www.ufc.tv/video/ufc-184-fight-pass-prelims
Here’s what the streaming schedule looks like for this weekend.
Strawweight: Jamie Moyle (1-0) vs. J.J. Aldrich (1-0)
Strawweight: Brianna Van Buren (3-1) vs. Amy Montenegro (5-1)
Flyweight: Christine Stanley (3-1) vs. Emily Corso (4-0)
Flyweight: Kristi Lopez (2-0) vs. Aspen Ladd (0-0)
Invicta FC 145lbs Title: Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino (12-1, 1 NC) vs. Charmaine Tweet (6-4)
Strawweight: Alexa Grasso (6-0) vs. Mizuki Inoue (8-3)
Strawweight: DeAnna Bennett (6-0) vs. Lynn Alvarez (6-3)
Bantamweight: Irene Aldana (4-1) vs. Melanie LaCroix (3-2)
UFC featherweight: Masio Fullen vs Alexander Torres
UFC lightweight: James Krause vs Valmir Lazaro
UFC FIGHT PASS is available now at
UFCFIGHTPASS.com
on personal computers, 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.
Start your one-week free trial now.
