Las Vegas, Nevada – May 20, 2016 – The United States Ju-Jitsu Organization today announced that the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Open Sport Ju-Jitsu tournament will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of the 5th Annual UFC International Fight Week™, which takes place from Tuesday, July 5 through Sunday, July 10. The competitions will be featured as part of the UFC Fan Expo®, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from Friday, July 8 through Sunday, July 10.
There will be three (3) different forms of ju-jitsu competition during the tournaments, for youth ages 13 years old and up, weight and experience.
The foundation of Ju-Jitsu is based on one-on-one competition divided into three parts. For part one, the competitor attempts to score with various strikes, punches and kicks. Part two begins after one competitor grabs the other and they battle for a take-down to the ground. Part three involves submissions such as strangulations, holding and barring / locking of various body joints.
Winners are determined based on the athlete that accumulated the most points throughout the match; however an automatic victory may occur if the competitor received “Ippon” (clean action/full points) during each portion of the contest.
The Ne-Waza (Brazilian) competitions begin from a standing position and the athletes attempt to secure points with several throwing, take-down, immobilizing techniques, sweeps or submissions. The match can ultimately be won by a submission, but if a submission does not happen, the bout is won by the competitor that has accumulated the most points.
The Duo System is a discipline where teams of two ju-jitsu athletes compete against each other. The teams demonstrate select self-defense maneuvers against a variety of attacks, including strangulations, hit attacks, embraces, chokeholds and weapons.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Thursday, July 7 – Weigh-ins
Thursday, July 7 – Referee and volunteer meetings
Friday, July 8 – U.S. Nationals (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Saturday, July 9 – U.S. Nationals and U.S. International Open (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Sunday, July 10 – U.S. International Open (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) (If necessary)
International grand slam points will be earned in any division with more than four countries. Competition rules, tournament and hotel information: http://usjjo.org/
Tickets for UFC Fan Expo will be offered in various packages, with three-day passes beginning at $75 online. Two-day passes begin at $65, while one-day passes are $45. Fans can also purchase VIP elite packages for $300 or VIP ultimate packages for $3,000. *Events are subject to change.
For additional information, please visit UFC.com and follow UFC Fight Week on Twitter @UFCFightWeek.
UFC’S TOP STRIKERS HEADLINE KNOCKOUT EVENT
AT UNITED CENTER JULY 23
(#1) HOLLY HOLM vs. (#9) VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO
(#2) ANTHONY JOHNSON vs. (#3) GLOVER TEIXEIRA
(#6) EDSON BARBOZA vs. GILBERT MELENDEZ
TICKETS FOR UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HOLM vs. SHEVCHENKO
AT UNITED CENTER ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 20
Las Vegas – Elite strikers converges on the Windy City as UFC® returns to Chicago for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HOLM vs. SHEVCHENKO live on FOX from the United Center. In the main event, Holly Holm, who shocked the world in knocking out the seemingly invincible Ronda Rousey, takes on world class kickboxer and No. 9 women’s bantamweight Valentina Shevchenko. The co-main event will feature two of the most dangerous light heavyweights in the world as No. 2 Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and No. 3Glover Teixeira collide in a bout that holds major title implications.
A former three-division world champion in boxing, Holm (10-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) is widely considered to be the best striker in her division. The former UFC champ has finished seven of her 10 professional fights by knockout, including the aforementioned second-round knockout of Rousey that earned her Performance of the Night honors. Shevchenko (12-2, fighting out of Lima, Peru) possesses lethal striking as well and is a 17-time World Muay Thai and K-1 champion. With the skillset to match Holm on the feet, the 28-year-old also has five submissions to her credit, giving Shevchenko the ability to finish the fight both on the feet or the ground.
In the co-main event, one of the most feared strikers in the entire sport, Johnson (21-5, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) hopes to solidify his spot as next in line for a shot at the winner of the light heavyweight championship bout between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, taking place at UFC 200 on July 9. Since returning to the UFC in 2014, “Rumble” is 5-1 with four knockouts, three in the first round. With equally terrifying power in his hands, Teixeira (25-4, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) is also likely one knockout away from a shot at the 205-pound title. The Brazilian is on a three-fight winning streak that includes two knockouts and a submission, and he’s also a jiu-jitsu black belt with six submission victories to accompany his 16 career knockouts.
In addition, No. 6 lightweight and one of the flashiest knockout artists in the game, Edson Barboza (17-4, fighting out of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) welcomes former title challenger Gilbert Melendez (22-5, fighting out of San Francisco, Calif.) back to the Octagon. Brazil’s Barboza has recorded some of the most impressive knockouts in MMA history, including a spinning heel kick knockout of Terry Etim in 2012 that is widely considered the best of all-time. A champion in almost every promotion he’s fought in, Melendez is a black belt in jiu-jitsu under Cesar Gracie who also happens to have 11 knockouts to go with his slick ground game. The winner of this early “Fight of the Night” contender will take a huge step forward in the stacked lightweight title picture.
Additional bouts include:
· Hard-hitting heavyweights Francis Ngannou (7-1, fighting out of Paris, France) and Bojan Mihajlovic (10-3, fighting out of Novi Sad, Serbia) collide.
· Welterweight contender Ryan LaFlare (12-1, fighting out of Farmingdale, N.Y.) meets Sambo expert Alexander Yakovlev (23-6-1, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J.).
· UFC veterans, No. 13 Frankie Saenz (11-3, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.) and No. 15 Eddie Wineland (21-11-1, fighting out of Chesterton, Ind.) battle at 135-pounds.
· Welterweight striking sensation Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira (13-3-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Tres Rios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets national Tae Kwon Do champion James Moontasri (9-3, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.)
· Chicago area native Felice Herrig (10-6, fighting out of Crystal Lake, Ill.) meets rising strawweight prospect Kailin Curran (4-2, fighting out of Ewa Beach, Hawaii).
· No. 11 featherweight contender Darren Elkins (20-5, fighting out of Portage, Ind.) faces crafty finisher Godofredo Pepey (13-3, fighting out of Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil).
· Submission specialist Tony Martin (10-3, fighting out of Boston, Mass.) meets jiu jitsu black belt Michel Prazeres (19-2, fighting out of Belem, Para, Brazil) in the 155-pound division.
· Knockout artists Hector Urbina (25-9, fighting out of Muncie, Ind.) and George Sullivan (17-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Belmar, N.J.) meet in a welterweight duel.
· Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Luis Henrique (8-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) welcomes undefeated Dmitry Smolyakov(8-0, fighting out of Kaliningrad, Russia) to the heavyweight division.
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®: HOLM vs. SHEVCHENKO on sale Friday, May 20 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $225, $125, $100, $90, $75 and $50. 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 United 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 18 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, May 19 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HOLM vs. SHEVCHENKO will air live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, July 23, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
UFC Fan Expo® will take place from Friday, July 8 through Sunday, July 10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center as part of the 5th Annual UFC International Fight Week™. Tickets for UFC Fan Expo will be offered in various packages, with three-day passes beginning at $75 online. Two-day passes begin at $65, while one-day passes are $45. Fans can also purchase VIP elite packages for $300 or VIP ultimate packages for $3,000. *Events are subject to change.
To purchase tickets, please visit UFCTICKETS. For additional information, please visit UFC.com and follow UFC Fight Week on Twitter @UFCFightWeek.
HIGH STAKES LIGHTWEIGHT SHOWDOWN SLATED FOR UFC® DEBUT IN SOUTH DAKOTA AS NO. 3 TONY FERGUSON MEETS NO. 9 MICHAEL CHIESA
PLUS:
TIM BOETSCH vs. JOSH SAMMAN
TICKETS FOR UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: FERGUSON vs. CHIESA
AT DENNY SANFORD PREMIER CENTER
ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 20
Las Vegas – A potential shot at the world title is on the line when UFC® makes its first ever trip to South Dakota. Two rising contenders in the 155-pound division collide when No. 3 Tony Ferguson meets No. 9 Michael Chiesa in the five-round main event of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: FERGUSON vs. CHIESA at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls on Wednesday, July 13.
Currently riding a seven-fight winning streak, which is tied for the longest in the division, Ferguson (21-3, fighting out of Ventura, Calif.) is on a tear in the lightweight division. With a resume that boasts submission wins over Edson Barboza and Abel Trujillo, “El Cucuy” hopes another impressive win will earn him a crack at UFC gold. Looking to derail those plans is Chiesa (14-2, fighting out of Spokane Valley, Wash.), who has won five of his last six inside the Octagon®. His slick jiu-jitsu pedigree has resulted in five first-round finishes, all in less than three minutes, and a similar statement against Ferguson would send shockwaves throughout the most talent-rich division in the sport.
Also on the card, Tim Boetsch (18-10, fighting out of Sunbury, Pa.) and Josh Samman (12-4, fighting out of Tallahassee, Fla.) clash in a pivotal middleweight bout. Boetsch is veteran of both the UFC light heavyweight and middleweight divisions who uses his veteran savvy to overwhelm his opponents, as seen in his knockout wins over Brad Tavares and Yushin Okami. “The Barbarian” hopes to once again showcase his brute strength and tenacity inside the 185-pound division. Meanwhile, Samman looks to match that tenacity and collect his fourth UFC win by finish. His aggressiveness has paid dividends, with 11 of his 12 professional wins coming by way of submission or knockout, including seven in the first-round. With these two ferocious athletes facing off, the fight could end at any moment.
Additional bouts include:
· No. 12 Louis Smolka (10-1, fighting out of Kapolei, Hawaii) meets Sioux Falls native No. 15 Ben Nguyen (15-5, fighting out of Brisbane, Australia) in a dynamic flyweight battle.
· Australian veteran Kyle Noke (22-8-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) meets Keita Nakamura (31-7-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) in a welterweight clash.
· Combining for 57 finishes, No. 15 Alexey Oliynyk (50-9-1, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) and Daniel Omielanczuk (18-5-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) collide at heavyweight.
· An action-packed bout between exciting lightweights will take place, as Scott Holtzman (8-1, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) meets Cody Pfister (12-5-1, fighting out of Boulder, Colo.).
· Hard hitting light heavyweight Alex Nicholson (6-2, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.) welcomes hometown hero Devin Clark(6-0, fighting out of Sioux Falls, S.D.) to the UFC.
· Submission artist Rani Yahya (21-8, 1 NC, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) collides with undefeated Matthew Lopez (8-0, fighting out of Fullerton, Calif.) in his UFC bantamweight debut.
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: FERGUSON vs. CHIESA will air live on FS1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Wednesday, July 13, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: FERGUSON vs. CHIESA go on sale Friday, May 20 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $175, $125, $90, $75 and $40. 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 KELOLAND 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 18 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, May 19 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC Fan Expo® will take place from Friday, July 8 through Sunday, July 10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center as part of the 5th Annual UFC International Fight Week™. Tickets for UFC Fan Expo will be offered in various packages, with three-day passes beginning at $75 online. Two-day passes begin at $65, while one-day passes are $45. Fans can also purchase VIP elite packages for $300 or VIP ultimate packages for $3,000. *Events are subject to change.
To purchase tickets, please visit UFCTICKETS. For additional information, please visit UFC.com and follow UFC Fight Week on Twitter @UFCFightWeek.
MINOTAURO NOGUEIRA HEADLINES UFC® HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2016 AS FIRST INDUCTEE
Las Vegas – UFC® today announced that mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has been named the first inductee for the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2016. The event will take place on Sunday, July 10, at 12 p.m. PT at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The ceremony will close out the UFC Fan Expo® during the final day of the 5th Annual UFC International Fight Week™. The event will also be streamed live and available on-demand exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®.
“I’m really excited to announce Minotauro Nogueira as the first inductee of the 2016 UFC Hall of Fame class,” UFC President Dana White said. “Big Nog is a mixed martial arts legend and, as an icon of the sport, we couldn’t think of a more fitting platform to make this announcement then at the record-breaking stadium event in Brazil. Nogueira is a true pioneer and we look forward to celebrating his career with all the fight fans in July at the UFC Fan Expo.”
Nogueira, who was named UFC Brazil Athlete Relations Ambassador for his continued work throughout the country in September of 2015, will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as a Pioneer. The Pioneers era category includes athletes who turned pro before November 17, 2000 (when unified rules were adopted), is a minimum age of 35 or has been retired for one year or more.
Nogueira, whose career spanned 15 years, boasted one of the most successful careers in MMA history. With his first professional fight in 1999, he rose to prominence in Japan with PRIDE Fighting Championship®, becoming a two-time champion and capturing the organization’s first-ever heavyweight title in 2001.
Upon PRIDE being purchased by an affiliate of Zuffa, LLC in 2007, Nogueira continued his dominance by defeating Tim Sylvia at UFC 81 for the interim UFC heavyweight championship. Nogueira finished his career with an impressive 34-10-1 record, along with a reputation as one of the greatest Brazilian jiu-jitsu artists ever in the heavyweight division, as evidenced by his 22 submission victories.
A pillar in the Rio de Janeiro community, Nogueira operates an Institute along with his twin brother, current UFC athlete Antonio Rogério “Minotouro” Nogueira. Created in 2008, the “Nogueira Brothers Institute” has six locations that train underprivileged children in Brazil, using MMA as a social inclusion tool. Since its inception, the project has contributed to social development by changing the lives of many young people from communities throughout Rio de Janeiro, building exemplary citizenship and overcoming barriers.
Rodrigo and Rogério are also known for their entrepreneurial profiles. The twins own a chain of franchised Team Nogueira gyms, with 33 locations, including a gym in Dubai. In three years, Team Nogueira franchises have reached over 10,000 students.
The remaining inductees of the Class of 2016 will be announced in the coming weeks leading to the landmark UFC® 200: CORMIER vs. JONES 2, on Saturday, July 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
To view Nogueira’s UFC FIGHT PASS original series Pioneers of MMA: Minotauro Nogueira, please visit: http://www.ufc.tv/video/
Fans with tickets to the UFC Fan Expo will be able to attend the induction ceremony at no additional cost. Tickets for UFC Fan Expo will be offered in various packages, with three-day passes beginning at $75 online. Two-day passes begin at $65, while one-day passes are $45. Fans can also purchase VIP elite packages for $300 or VIP ultimate packages for $3,000.*Events are subject to change.
To view the UFC Hall of Fame fight library, please visit UFCHOF. To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights currently enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFCHOFFAQ. For additional information, please visit UFC.com and follow UFC Fight Week on Twitter @UFCFightWeek.
UFC FIGHT PASS is available on personal computers, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV and Roku devices.
EA SPORTS UFC 2 INTRODUCES ALL NEW COMPETITIVE GAMING EXPERIENCE
Players Are Invited to Compete for a Chance to Become the EA SPORTS™ UFC® 2 World Champion at Live Event Competition: UFC® 200
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – May 12, 2016 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced the launch of Live Event Competitions, a brand new competitive experience in EA SPORTS™ UFC® 2 Live Events mode. Starting on Saturday, May 14, fans around the world can play the qualifiers in the Live Event Competition to compete for a chance to earn Ultimate Team rewards and a trip to the live finals coinciding with the UFC Fan Expo®, part of the 5th Annual UFC International Fight Week™, and UFC® 200: CORMIER vs. JONES 2 in Las Vegas. The winner of the grand final match, taking place on Friday, July 8, at the UFC Fan Expo, will receive $10,000 USD* and walk away with the belt as the EA SPORTS UFC 2 world champion.
“Fans love EA SPORTS UFC 2 for the intense head-to-head competition, and we’re excited to raise the stakes for all our players,” said Todd Sitrin, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA’s Competitive Gaming Division. “Live Event Competition encourages players to experience the thrill of each bout by bringing fans even closer to the intensity of mixed martial arts.”
“We are thrilled to launch our first online competition to find the top EA SPORTS UFC 2 players,” UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products Tracey Bleczinski said. “UFC International Fight Week is the largest celebration of combat sports in the world and we couldn’t think of a better place than the UFC Fan Expo to crown the first-ever EA SPORTS UFC 2champion!”
Players enter the competition in Live Events on the EA SPORTS UFC 2 menu, select one of four athletes fighting on an upcoming card, customize their athlete by applying five out of 10 fighter perks, and start competing online. All available in-game fighters are balanced with the same overall attribute rating and move level. Rankings on the global leaderboard are determined by the number of wins a player can accumulate during the qualifying period before taking three losses. Players are encouraged to go back and fight again as many times as they’d like to improve their top score during the qualifying period.
At the end of each qualifying period, eligible players with the top scores on each of Xbox One and PlayStation®4 will be invited to compete in the finals in Las Vegas where the champion will be crowned at the UFC Fan Expo leading up to UFC®200: CORMIER vs. JONES 2, which takes place on Saturday, July 9, at T-Mobile Arena. The semi-finalists will receive tickets to the landmark event and other special prizes. The finalists aren’t the only ones who win though, as all players who compete in the Live Event Competition will have a chance to earn in-game rewards based on their overall performance.
For complete details and Live Event Competition: UFC 200 rules visit, easports.com/UFC200LiveEvents. Assets for EA SPORTS UFC 2 can be found here.
Fans with tickets to the UFC Fan Expo will be able to attend and watch the finals at no additional cost. Tickets for UFC Fan Expo will be offered in various packages, with three-day passes beginning at $75 online. Two-day passes begin at $65, while one-day passes are $45. Fans can also purchase VIP elite packages for $300 or VIP ultimate packages for $3,000. *Events are subject to change.
To purchase tickets to the UFC Fan Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, please visit UFCTICKETS.
EA SPORTS UFC 2 is developed by EA Vancouver, and is available now in worldwide on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. EA Access** members can get 10% off the digital version of the game on Xbox One. Fans should keep an eye on the website, as well as the EA SPORTS UFC Facebook and Twitter pages to make sure they’re always up-to-date on the latest and greatest news.
EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS UFC®.
For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visitwww.easports.com to connect, share and compete.
*CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE OFFICIAL RULES AT
EASPORTS.COM/UFC200LIVEEVENTS. **CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND EA.COM/EAACCESS FOR DETAILS.
