THE UFC® RETURNS TO TULSA ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 WHEN BENSON HENDERSON BATTLES RAFAEL DOS ANJOS IN FIVE-ROUND MAIN EVENT

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Las Vegas, Nev. – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® makes its long-awaited return to Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday, Aug. 23 at BOK Center with an action-packed card headlined by a five-round lightweight main event between former UFC champion Benson Henderson and surging contender Rafael dos Anjos. The UFC’s previous trip to Tulsa took place on Dec. 16, 1994, as Royce Gracie defeated Dan Severn.

Henderson (21-3, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) returns to the Octagon® following an impressive fourth-round submission victory over Rustam Khabilov. Boasting victories over Evan Dunham, Donald Cerrone, and Jason High, dos Anjos (21-7, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) knows that a decisive win over a former champion in Henderson is his ticket to a shot at the title.

Other bouts include:
Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace (#8) Demian Maia (19-6, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) vs. hard-hitting (#12) Mike Pyle (26-9-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)
Dangerous welterweight finisher Jordan Mein (28-9, fighting out of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada) vs. dynamic striker Brandon Thatch (11-1, fighting out of Denver, Col.)
Parisian middleweight Francis Carmont (22-9, fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada) vs. former title challenger Thales Leites (23-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
All-American wrestler Chas Skelly (11-1, fighting out of Arlington, Tex.) vs. Finnish featherweight Tom Niinimaki (21-6-1, fighting out of Turku, Finald)
Powerful puncher Aaron Phillips (8-1, fighting out of Lafayette, La.) vs. durable bantamweight Matt Hobar (8-2, fighting out of Dallas, Tex.)
Gifted striker Max Holloway (9-3, fighting out of Waianae, Hawaii) vs. Bosnian boxer Mirsad Bektic (8-0, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.)
Aggressive flyweight Tim Elliott (10-5-1, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.) vs. Brazilian veteran Wilson Reis (17-5, fighting out of Philadelphia, Pa.)

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: HENDERSON vs. DOS ANJOS, go on sale Friday, July 11 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $150, $100, $75 and $50. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges. Tickets are also available at the BOK Center box office.

A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers TODAY, Thursday, July 10, starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: HENDERSON vs. DOS ANJOS will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, Aug. 23 with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 2 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




INVICTA FC 8: WATERSON vs TAMADA TO STREAM EXCLUSIVELY LIVE ON UFC FIGHT PASS™ UFCFIGHTPASS.com BEGINS HISTORIC INVICTA DEAL WITH TWO TITLE FIGHTS ON SEPTEMBER 6 FULL INVICTA LIBRARY NOW AVAILABLE ON UFCFIGHTPASS.com

Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC FIGHT PASS™, the UFC’s digital streaming service, is proud to announce UFCFIGHTPASS.com will be the place to see the eighth stacked card from the world’s leading all-female MMA promotion, Invicta Fighting Championships.

Invicta FC 8: Waterson vs Tamada will stream live on UFCFIGHTPASS.com on Saturday, September 6, from the Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, MO, and will be headlined by Invicta 105-lbs champion Michelle Waterson taking on Japanese contender Yusuko Tamada. The co-main event will see the vacant Invicta 115lbs division title contested by Florida’s Stephanie Eggink and Finland’s Katja Kankaanpaa.

UFC chief content officer Marshall Zelaznik said: “When we launched UFC FIGHT PASS last December, we said that we would never rest in bringing the best value to our subscribers. The addition of live and archived Invicta programming is going to be of enormous interest to our existing subscribers and will bring in new subscribers, too.

“We’re very excited to have these two fights headline our first Invicta live event on FIGHT PASS. This is a little bit of history, as it is the first time the UFC has been involved with the broadcast of a promotion not owned and operated by the UFC’s parent company, Zuffa LLC.”

Invicta Fighting Championships president Shannon Knapp said: “This is a great day for my company. Since the start of Invicta, I’ve been committed to providing the biggest and best possible platform for women athletes and, with this distribution deal with UFC FIGHT PASS, Invicta will reach the most passionate MMA fans in the world.”

Knapp added: “This new beginning for Invicta starts with a stacked card on September 6. Michelle Waterson is an amazing champion, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and she has a tough first title defense against a very experienced challenger in Yasuko Tamada. And both Stephanie Eggink and Katja Kankaanpaa are going to go all out to win the vacant 115lbs belt.

“Also on the stacked card we have Ediane Gomes dropping down to 135lbs to take on Tonya Evinger and we have our first 155lbs fight with Veronica Rothenhausler vs Charmain Tweet.”

Invicta FC 105-lbs champion Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson added: “I feel like I just got a huge promotion at my job, fighting on UFCFIGHTPASS.com. I’m the type of fighter who can rise to the occasion and I can’t wait to show off all the improvements I’ve made to my game since my last fight in April 2013.

“I know my opponent has fought almost everybody in the division in Japan, has a lot of experience and has this real scrappy, southpaw jiu-jitsu style. It’s going to be a real challenge but I will be ready on September 6.”

The full card – all of which will stream live on UFCFIGHTPASS.com – looks like this.

Michelle Waterson –vs- Yasuko Tamada (105lbs title)
Stephanie Eggink –vs- Katja Kankaanpää (115lbs title)
Ediane Gomes –vs- Tonya Evinger (135lbs)
Michelle Ould –vs- Deanna Bennett (125lbs)
Roxanne Modafferi–vs- Tara Larosa (125lbs)
Peggy Morgan –vs- Irene Aldana (135lbs)
Alexa Grasso –vs- Ashley Cummins (115lbs)
Veronica Rothenhausler –vs- Charmain Tweet (155lbs)
Jody Esquibel –vs- Jinh Yu Frey (105lbs)
JJ Aldrich –vs- Delaney Owen (115lbs)

Tickets will be available soon.

In addition, all seven previous Invicta events are now available on-demand on UFC FIGHT PASS here, allowing subscribers to check out fights featuring talents like Waterson, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, former Strikeforce champ Marloes Coenen, early-career fights of UFC stars like Alexis Davis, Cat Zingano and Liz Carmouche and most of the cast of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter®.

The Invicta FC library joins the libraries of PRIDE FC, Strikeforce, WEC, WFA, EliteXC, Affliction Entertainment and the UFC on UFC FIGHT PASS

All bouts live and subject to change. Visit UFC.com.

About the UFC
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations,UFC.TV (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.




UFC’s grand stage doesn’t faze Font

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 7th, 2014) – The post-fight mayhem might’ve taken more out of Rob Font than the fight itself.

Within moments of his breakthrough win Saturday over George Roop at UFC 175 in Las Vegas, Font went from little-known regional standout to the talk of mixed martial arts, an overnight social media celebrity born from the impact of the fateful, overhand right that sent two careers spiraling in different directions.

“Everything changed,” said Font, the reigning CES MMA featherweight champ from Boston who dominated his UFC debut this past weekend with a first-round knockout win.

“My phone was blowing up. I probably had a thousand messages. Then I’m getting pulled back and forth backstage doing interviews and press conferences. It was crazy. It was mentally tiring, but it was definitely worth it. I got in, got out clean, and got paid. I can’t complain about anything.”

Font’s knockout of Roop at the 2-minute, 19-second mark also earned Font (11-1, 4 KOs) a $50,000 bonus check as one of two Performance of the Night award winners (the other went to female bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey for her 16-second knockout win over Alexis Davis in the co-feature).

“I’m going to buy my girl something nice,” Font said.

Riding a career-best 10-fight win streak (six with CES MMA), Font will take a few days to let it all sink in following his week-long stay in Vegas and then get right back into the gym to prepare for his next fight, which could come as early as September when the UFC returns to Connecticut for the first time since 2005 with UFC Fight Night 50 on Sept. 5. Font even has his sights set on a potential opponent, calling out three-time UFC vet Sergio Pettis moments after beating Roop this past weekend.

The 20-year-old Pettis is the younger brother of UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

“I had his last fight recorded before we left for Vegas, and I remember watching it thinking, ‘Man, that would be a great fight for me,’” Font said. “He’s got a big name because of his brother, but he’s real talented, so it’d be a great fight for the fans and a great fight for me. I think I’d run through him, honestly.”

Until then, Font is still basking in Saturday’s win, a debut that all but guarantees he will get the opportunity to become a household name with the UFC, which has always been more important to him than just simply making it to the big stage.

“[UFC president] Dana White pulled me to the side afterward and said, ‘I loved the way you fought out there,’ and told [head trainer] Mark [DellaGrotte], ‘I want to keep this kid busy,’” Font said. “It was a great feeling.”

Knowing he had to drop from 145 pounds to 135 for Saturday’s fight, Font initially worried about adjusting to the speed of his opponent until he learned he was fighting the 6-foot-1 Roop, a taller fighter with a slower delivery.

The height differential didn’t bother the 5-foot-8 Font, who made his name on the northeast circuit dominating taller opponents such as Saul Almeida (6-foot-1) and Tristan Johnson (5-foot-11) while fighting for CES MMA.

“The taller guys are actually a little slower,” Font said. “With the shorter guys, that’s when speed becomes a factor.

“I just had to close the distance. If you watch it again, he kind of grazed me with a baby left hook, but it was real wide. He caught me that one time and I figured if he threw it again I was going to pounce on him. It was just something I picked up on during the fight. His biggest weapon was mainly his kicks because he’s so tall and long. Once I found my range, I just jumped on him.”

Font braced himself for the typical pre-fight jitters generally associated with fighting on the big stage for the first time, but they never came. In fact, Font was worried he might be too calm or too confident as he loosed up backstage.

“It felt like nothing, like another day in the gym,” Font said. “Nothing fazed me. Not the cameras, not [cage announcer] Bruce Buffer, [color commentator] Joe Rogan, the lights, nothing. Everything went smoothly.

“It’s complete chaos,” he added. “Everything is bigger. They have 5,000 people at their weigh-in, but it’s organized. It runs smoothly. We checked in, went to the cage, warmed up, and before I knew it I was out there ready to fight.”

Font, as always, looked cool, calm and collected. Just another day at the office for the UFC’s newest star.

For more information on Font and all of CES MMA’s upcoming events, visit www.cesmma.com, follow CES MMA on Twitter at @CESMMA and Instagram at CESMMA, or “like” CES MMA on Facebook by clicking the corresponding link.




Edgar stops Penn in 3!!!

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Three was the lucky number for Frankie Edgar as he stopped BJ Penn in the 3rd round of their scheduled five round Featherweight bout at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

It was Edgar’s third victory over Penn in the battle of world champions.

Edgar dominated the bout from the beginning as he controlled the action from the stand up and ground position until he started busting up Penn in the 3rd frame. Edgar’s punching and elbows opened up a gash over the left eye of Penn and Edgar was relentless in his assault of Penn until referee Herb Dean mercifully stopped the bout at 4:16 of round three.

Edgar, 145.5 lbs of Toms River, NJ is now 16-4-1. Penn, 145 lbs may have fought his last fight and the native of Hilo, HI is now 16-10-2.

Corey Anderson won the Ultimate Fighter Light Heavyweight championship with a 1st round beat down over Matt Van Buren.

Anderson hit Van Buren with a right hand that sent him reeling into the cage. Anderson continued to pound away and got Van Buren on the ground and continued rocking Van Buren until the fight was stopped at 1:01.

Anderson, 204 lbs of Rockford, IL is now 5-0. Van Buren, 206 lbs of San Diego, CA is 7-3.

Eddie Gordon won the Ultimate Fighter Middleweight title by pounding out Dhiego Lima in the 1st round of their 3-round fight.

Gordon got Lima down and started drilling Lima with hard shots while Lima was prone and the fight was stopped just 71 seconds into the contest.

Gordon, 186 lbs of Uniondale, NY is now 8-1. Lima, 185 lbs of Atlanta, GA is now 10-2.

Derrick Lewis scored a 1st round stoppage over Guto Inocente in a Heavyweight bout.

Lewis had Inocente on the ground and landed 4 crushing blows to the face that bloodied the right eye of Inocente and the fight was stopped at 3:30.

Lewis, 264 lbs of Houston, TX is now 11-2-1. Inocente, 232 lbs of Boca Raton, FL is 6-1.

Dustin Ortiz scored a 3-round split decision over previously undefeated Justin Scroggins in a Flyweight bout.

Ortiz, 125 lbs of Franklin, TN is ranked number 13 and is now 14-3. Scroggins, 124 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL is now 9-1.

Kevin Lee scored a 3-round split decision over Jesse Ronson in a Lightweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 and 29-28 for Lee , 156 lbs and is now 8-1. Ronson, 155 lbs is 13-5.

Leandro Issa acored a 3rd round tap out via arm bar over Jumabieke Tuerxun in the final round of their Bantamweight bout.

The two landed some good shots. Issa was docked a point in round two for grabbing the cage. Issa was dominant in the 3rd round as he almost choked out Tuerxun, landed some hard punches and finally made him submit with the armbar at 3:49 of round three.

Issa, 135.5 lbs of Singapore is now 12-4. Tuerxun, 136 lbs of Xián, China is now 17-2.

Adriano Martins scored an explosive 1-punch knockout over Juan Manuel Puig in the 1st round of their Lightweight bout.

Martins landed a perfect left hand but seconds later he was hit low with a kick. That must have infuriated Martins as he landed a perfect inside right hook that knocked Puig out and the fight was immediately stopped at 2:21.

Martins, 155.5 lbs of Brazil is now 26-7. Puig, 155 lbs of Mexico City is now 11-3.

Patrick Walsh scored a 3-round unanimous decision over Daniel Spohn in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Walsh, 206 lbs of Stoughton, MA won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 5-2. Spohn, 205 lbs of Columbus, OH is now 8-5.




UFC 175 WEIGHTS FROM LAS VEGAS

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Chris Weidman 185 – Lyoto Machida 184.5
(UFC Middleweight Title)
Ronda Rousey 135 – Alexis Davis 135
(UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title)
Matt Mitrione 254 – Stefan Struve 251.5
Uriah Hall 185 – Thiago Santos 185
Marcus Brimage 135.5 – Russell Doane 136
Urijah Faber 136 – Alex Caceres 135
Ildemar Alcantara 170 – Kenny Robertson 171
Chris Camozzi 185 – Bruno Santos 185
Rob Font 135 – George Roop 135
Guilherme Vasconcelos 185 – Luke Zachrich 185
Kevin Casey 185 – Bubba Bush 185




CES MMA champ Font makes UFC debut Saturday

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 3rd, 2014) – When Rob Font received a phone call one morning from his head trainer, Mark DellaGrotte, asking if he happened to be sitting down at the moment, Font wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I figured it was either going to be really good or really bad,” Font recalled.

It was the best news of the his life, the call all aspiring mixed martial arts fighters wait for, an invitation to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC).

“Why be in this sport if you’re not trying to get to the UFC? It’s not something you play with,” said Font, the Tampa, Fla., native who now lives and trains out of Boston.

Now that Font (10-1, 3 KOs) has had to time to let it all sink in, make his rounds within the local media circuit and shed the extra 15 or so pounds to move from featherweight to bantamweight, the reigning CES MMA champ is finally in Las Vegas decompressing before he makes his UFC debut Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the undercard of UFC 175 against George Roop (15-10-1, 4 KOs).

Prior to getting the call from the UFC, Font dominated the northeast at 145 pounds, winning nine consecutive fights, six under the promotional guidance of CES MMA. Now he’ll fight at 130 against the 32-year-old Roop, an eight-time UFC vet with a 4-4 record on the big stage and victories in three of his last four fights.

Roop earned his stripes on the eighth season of the popular reality television series, The Ultimate Fighter, and parlayed his success into undercard bouts at UFC 137, UFC 158 and UFC 160. He also competed for the now-defunct World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), where he beat future UFC title contender Chan Sung Jung, and also defeated former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles at UFC 160.

At this stage, every fight is difficult, so Font is making sure he’s equally prepared mentally, specifically trying to avoid the pre-fight jitters that tend to plague UFC rookies the first time they step inside the octagon. Regional standout Tom Egan, a native of Ireland, admitted the butterflies affected him when he made his UFC debut at UFC 93 in Ireland as the only Irish fighter on the card.

“Honestly, I’m trying not to expect anything,” Font said. “People always talk about the UFC jitters, but I hope it’s not true. I’m expecting it to be another day in the gym, but you never know. The lights are brighter, there are tons of cameras, you see [UFC color commentator] Joe Rogan. It can be overwhelming, but it’s just another fight.”

Having DellaGrotte in his corner is a huge advantage. A former professional Muay Thai kickboxer, DellaGrotte owns the Boston branch of Sityodtong, where Font honed his skills, and has trained several UFC standouts, including Frank Mir, Jorge Rivera, Kenny Florian, Stephan Bonnar and Marcus Davis.

“This is nothing new to him,” Font said. “He’s always kept me level-headed. He knew I put the work in and that it was just a matter of time. He would always pull me to the side and tell me I have what it takes and that I just had do it, so I’ve always trusted him.

“We did everything we had to do. Hard work pays off, and now we’re here.”

Roop’s experience won’t be the only intangible Font has to be wary of. Speed will be a factor, too. Fighting at a lighter weight than usual, Font fully expects Roop to be faster than some of the opponents he’s faced in recent years. The weight-cut itself was a breeze thanks in large part to DellaGrotte’s guidance.

“Right after my last fight, my managers told me to enjoy it, but not party too hard because you never know when you’ll get that call,” Font said. “We did it right. We got a nutritionist on board. I’m finally eating like an adult. Lots of spinach, kale. I’m as light as I’ve ever been. I can handle everything as far as the wrestling and scrambling is concerned, but the big thing is dealing with the speed.”

There’s also the pressure of making sure he not only wins, but also looks sharp in the process. UFC fighters tend to be expendable. Even those who win might end up one-and-done if they don’t do enough inside the cage to pique the viewers’ interest. Font’s made it clear his goal isn’t just to get to the big stage, but to be a fixture for years to come.

“Your job is pretty much on the line every time you fight,” Font said. “You not only have to win, but you have to perform. You’ve got to be exciting. You have to be someone everyone else is talking about the next day. If you’re not that guy, what do they need you for?

“It definitely plays into your nerves, but I’ve always done well with that. I just need to go in there and do what I need to do. It’s great getting a lot of attention now, but I know I have to stay in there and get the job done. It’s one thing to get there, but it’s a whole different animal to stay there and be a household name. That’s my next goal.”

Font is now the second fighter from the northeast to jump directly from CES MMA to the UFC. Boston’s John “Doomsday” Howard, who spent two years with the UFC before the company released him in 2011, bounced back with five consecutive wins under CES MMA’s guidance to earn a return trip to the octagon. CES MMA will continue to break new ground in August when it’s “CES MMA XXV” event airs live on AXS TV, the home of Inside MMA.

“Going back to 2010, before I was even fighting as an amateur, I went to a CES show with [teammate] Tyson [Chartier] and said to him, ‘Hey, man, I would love to fight for this promotion,’” Font recalled. “It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to fight for CES, especially with how they helped ‘Doomsday.’

“When they finally got me on a card, I knew I didn’t want to fight for anyone else. They have all the top fighters, and it’s an all-pro card, 10 to 11 solid fights, not two pro fights and then a thousand amateur fights. Now with AXS TV, it’s a huge platform. If you’re an up-and-coming amateur, you should definitely consider fighting for CES.”

UFC 175 features the middleweight main event between reigning champion Chris Weidman and former light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida. The preliminary card, featuring Font’s bout against Roop, will air live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Early prelims are available beginning at 7 through UFC Fight Pass on www.ufc.com while the main card begins live at 10 on Pay Per View.

For more information on Font and all of CES MMA’s upcoming events, visit www.cesmma.com, follow CES MMA on Twitter at @CESMMA and Instagram at CESMMA, or “like” CES MMA on Facebook by clicking the corresponding link.




THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER®: A CHAMPION WILL BE CROWNED CAST REVEALED

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Las Vegas, Nev. – For the first time in history, the new season of The Ultimate Fighter® will feature an all-female cast and will have a UFC® championship title on the line. The storied reality series will feature a women’s 115-pound tournament to determine the first ever UFC® women’s strawweight champion. UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and No. 2-ranked lightweight contender, Gilbert Melendez, will serve as coaches and meet in a championship showdown of their own at the conclusion of the season.

The Ultimate Fighter®: A Champion Will Be Crowned kicks off with a two-hour premiere Wednesday, September 10, at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

The top 115-pound females on the planet will compete over the course of the season for the honor of being the UFC’s second female champion, alongside bantamweight (135 pound) champion Ronda Rousey. Amongst the cast are two former Invicta FC champions, a former International Kickboxing Federation women’s bantamweight, a United States kickboxing champion, an astrophysicist and a former professional ice hockey player.

In line with previous seasons, the women will be divided into two teams, coached by Pettis and Melendez. The series will follow the teams as they live and train together in preparation for their fights. The culmination of the season will see the two semifinalists meet at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in late 2014, where the inaugural champion will be crowned.

The list of competitors includes fighters hailing from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, United States and Tasmania. The competitors are listed in alphabetical order (Name, Professional MMA record, Age, Hometown):

Joanne Calderwood (8-0), 27, Glasgow, Scotland
Alex Chambers (4-1), 35, Sydney, Australia
Heather Jo Clark (6-4), 34, Los Angeles, Calif.
Aisling Daly (14-3), 26, Dublin, Ireland
Lisa Ellis (15-8), 31, Olympia, Wash.
Carla Esparza (9-2), 26, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Felice Herrig (9-5), 29, Crystal Lake, Ill.
Angela Hill (1-0), 29, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Emily Peters Kagan (3-1), 32, Bangor, Maine
Justine Kish (4-0), 26, Cramerton, N.C.
Angela Magana (11-6), 30, Farmington, N.M.
Randa Markos (4-1), 28, Windsor, Canada
Rose Namajunas (2-1), 22, Milwaukee, Wis.
Jessica Penne (11-2), 31, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Bec Rawlings (5-3), 25, Launceston, Tasmania
Tecia Torres (4-0), 24, Fall River, Mass.

UFC Champions Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Matt Serra and TJ Dillashaw have all emerged from The Ultimate Fighter series, which has also produced many of today’s top athletes including, season winners Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and John Dodson.

For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @TUFonFS1 or on Facebook.com/TUF.

###

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.

About FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 1 is America’s new national multi-sport channel that launched on August 17 in approximately 90 million homes and boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually. The channel has several pillar sports: UFC, MLB, NASCAR, college basketball and football, NFL (ancillary programs), international soccer and Golden Boy boxing, and adds USGA events, including the U.S. Open, and FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015. FOX SPORTS LIVE is FOX Sports 1’s flagship 24/7 news, opinion and highlights program, providing around the clock coverage through regularly scheduled programs, hourly updates and an information rich ticker. Original programs include: UFC TONIGHT, AMERICA’S PREGAME; NASCAR RACE HUB; MLB WHIPAROUND and the groundbreaking BEING: documentary franchise. FOX Sports GO, a new authenticated mobile sports experience for iPhone, iPad, Android devices and the web, serves as the channel’s digital extension. The app offers more than 1,100 live games and events from cross FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports’ 22 regional sports networks, as well as scores, highlights, news, stats and analysis. For more information visit http://foxsports.com/watch/foxsports1.




UFC ULTIMATE MEDIA DAY TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ON UFC® FIGHT PASS™ TOMORROW

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Las Vegas, Nevada – For the first time ever, the UFC’s digital streaming service UFC® FIGHT PASS™ will broadcast UFC’s Ultimate Media Day live from Las Vegas ahead of the star-studded weekend of fights at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Hosted by Karyn Bryant, with UFC analysts Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz, the exclusive coverage begins tomorrow at 9 a.m. PT. Click HERE for the link to the broadcast (subscription required).

In hour one, the entire cast of The Ultimate Fighter® season 20 will be made available to the media just days after arriving into Las Vegas to begin filming. This season’s coaches, UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and No. 2 contender Gilbert Melendez, will also participate.

In hour two, the stars of UFC 175 and THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: TEAM EDGAR vs. TEAM PENN will be on hand to take questions from media.

The exclusive broadcast of Ultimate Media Day on UFCFIGHTPASS.com will also feature live interviews with Pettis, Melendez, UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, and UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, as well as a variety of other UFC competitors.

The event will close with UFC President Dana White’s scrum with media in attendance.

For more information on UFC 175 and THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: TEAM EDGAR vs. TEAM PENN, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




Fight Network to Air Extensive UFC 175 Fight Week Coverage

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Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, will broadcast extensive UFC 175: Weidman vs. Machida and The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale fight week coverage, including live weigh-ins, press conferences and exclusive pre and post-fight interviews on the scene from Las Vegas.

Fight Network’s live coverage will be broadcast on Cablevision’s Optimum TV in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, as well as internationally as part of Fight Network’s expansion on ZON in Portugal, Telenet in Belgium, D-Smart in Turkey, ZAP in Angola and Mozambique, and OSN across the Middle East and North Africa.

Premiering on Wednesday, July 2, at 7 p.m. ET, Fight News Now: MMA Edition will break down the UFC’s doubleheader in Las Vegas, including previews, features, predictions and much more.

Additional fight week coverage will be featured throughout the week during Fight News Now Extra, highlighting the official media day, UFC Fan Expo festivities and pre-fight interviews.

On Friday, July 4, at 7 p.m. ET, Fight Network will air a live broadcast of the official weigh-ins for UFC 175: Weidman vs. Machida, as all the fighters tip the scales ahead of their fights on Saturday night. Weigh-ins will include original commentary and analysis from Fight Network’s studios.

The live weigh-ins for The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale take place on Saturday, July 5 at 4 p.m. with headliners B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar weighing in for Sunday’s trilogy bout.

Immediately following Saturday’s pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 175, Fight Network will broadcast a live post-show that includes the official post-fight press conference, interviews from the winners, fight highlights and analysis.

Finally, on Monday, July 7, at 7 p.m. ET, the premiere of 5 Rounds will showcase a full recap of both cards, including a look ahead to what the future has in store for the winners and losers.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.




UFC TEAMS UP WITH BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA AND ULTIMATE ALLIANCE

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Las Vegas, Nev. ? The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) announced a new partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and the Ultimate Alliance to develop a grassroots sports program providing local youth the access and opportunity to excel in wrestling. The program will provide children the resources to develop techniques, fundamentals, and the mindset to perform successfully in the sport of wrestling as well as teaching discipline, focus, and accountability for daily life.

“The UFC is thrilled to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and the Ultimate Alliance to help provide young athletes in the region the necessary resources to succeed in the sport of wrestling and to maximize their fullest potential,” said UFC Vice President of Community Relations Reed Harris. “Participants of this program will be given exclusive instruction from the best wrestling and mixed martial arts athletes in the world as well as equipment and funding for practice and competition.”

Bryan Lindsey, Volunteer Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Ultimate Alliance, added, “Teaming up with the UFC and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada to coach, develop and mentor the youth of Nevada and the United States has been a vision of mine for years. We are all very excited to work closely together to grow the sport of wrestling to a level we have yet to see in the history of the sport.”

UFC stars and wrestling legends Matt Hughes and Daniel Cormier will serve as UFC Ambassadors of the Boys & Girls Clubs Wrestling Program. With their extensive careers in amateur wrestling and mixed martial arts, Hughes and Cormier are the perfect representatives to teach and educate the youth about the transformative potential of wrestling. The UFC will also support the program by conducting clinics with various athletes and providing financial assistance and training equipment.

The partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and the Ultimate Alliance represents a strong commitment from the UFC to help the local youth of Southern Nevada. Along with an extensive community outreach program, the UFC has continually built relationships with local organizations dedicated to making a positive impact in the local community. This new program will serve as a springboard for a national campaign that will ultimately provide the resources necessary to educate youth about the positive influence of wrestling.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

About the Ultimate Alliance
The Ultimate Alliance was formed to create massive change in the sport of wrestling at the grass roots in the United States. Three of the largest youth wrestling organizations in the United States have come together to create this movement of change. We are about being creative and entrepreneurial and providing a platform for the youth of the United States to participate in a progressive program that teaches the children of the U.S. dedication, focus, determination, respect, accountability and a passion for greatness.

About the National High School Coaches Association
The NHSCA is a 501c3 non-profit organization with a mission statement to provide leadership and support to the nation’s 1 million high school coaches and 10 million high school athletes. The NHSCA selects the national coach and athlete of the year in 22 boys and girls sports that will be featured in the NHSCA National High school Sports Hall of Fame Museum. The museum serves as a home for all of the 20,000 high schools in America to honor their outstanding coaches, athletes and administrators. The NHSCA Educational Resource Center provides educational programs for coaches as well as a coach certification program. The NHSCA also provides unlimited liability insurance for all of its members.

About National United Wrestling Association for Youth
NUWAY is a grassroots organization that looks at every decision as one of investment to make sure that every child has an opportunity to have a full wrestling experience from the moment they begin at their respective youth wrestling club, into elementary and high school, college, international competition and finally, to compete at the professional level. Investing back into our own state is the backbone of our organization! We believe that in order for each state to become a strong and independent state organization, we must invest in the wrestling programs in our community at the youth, high school, and college level. Our vision is become a stronger sport nationally by investing in local wrestling programs. For more info, go to www.nuwaywrestling.com.

About Rocky Mountain National Events (RMN Events)
Rocky Mountain National Events is a youth wrestling organization serving wrestlers across the nation. We are a wrestling organization that provides the opportunity for youth to participate in wrestling championships, which encourages their development not only as athletes but as students as well. Involvement with wrestling and sports in general has been shown to increase youths’ self-esteem, confidence, and social skills. Our championship wrestling meets are listed in our calendar and we welcome new athletes all the time as well as spectators. We invite you to get involved with the most unforgettable youth wrestling tournaments in the country. Help us Inspire, Encourage & Recognize the future leaders of our great nation. For more info, go to www.rmnevents.com.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada
The new Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada is a merger of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Henderson and Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas. The new nonprofit organization operates 14 facilities and three summer outreach programs in Southern Nevada, and serves more than 31,000 youth in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Southern Highlands and Summerlin. Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada provides every child with the essential tools needed for a successful and bright future through a variety of daily creative, fun, and educational programs. For information, visit www.bgchenderson.org, http://www.bgclv.org, and coming soon http://www.bgcsnv.org, or call 702.367.2582




UFC AND FOX SPORTS TERMINATE BROADCASTING SERVICES AGREEMENTS WITH CHAEL SONNEN

Las Vegas, Nev. – The UFC and FOX Sports organizations announced today the termination of their respective broadcasting services agreements with analyst Chael Sonnen. This decision comes in light of Sonnen failing a second test conducted by the Nevada Athletic Commission for banned substances in June. Sonnen was previously under temporary suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission for failing an initial test conducted in May.




‘ULTIMATE GRAPPLER’ SUPERFIGHT TOURNAMENTS HEADLINE GRAPPLERS QUEST® at UFC FAN EXPO® JULY 5-6 IN VEGAS

LAS VEGAS (June 30, 2014) — The Ultimate Fighting Championship® is proud to announce the Official Superfight Tournaments for Grapplers Quest®, the official grappling tournament at the UFC Fan Expo® on Saturday and Sunday, July 5-6 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Amateur Competitors can Pre-Register, Save $21+ and get a limited edition competitor shirt until Wednesday, July 2nd at 11:59 PM http://bit.ly/UFCFanExpo2014 or register at the door with cash only (MAC machines on site).

The two-day tournament will feature All Children and Teens No-Gi and BJJ Divisions and All adult No-Gi submission grappling divisions for Adults 18+ and the first rounds of the 16-Man and 16-Woman LIVE “Ultimate Grappler” Submission Only Tournaments hosted over two days, with qualifying rounds of the tournaments on Saturday, July 5. Then, on Sunday, July 6, the tournament will feature all-adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Divisions as well as the LIVE “Ultimate Grappler” Finales of the Men’s and Women’s Submission Only Professional Divisions.

Special Glass Plaques for All No-Gi Absolute Division Winners, All Men’s and Women’s No-Gi Advanced Divisions, All Men’s and Women’s BJJ Black Belt Absolute divisions and No-Gi Advanced Children’s and Teen’s Divisions will be competing for the prestigious Glass Octagon Awards sponsored by “Meditate With Me” Book & Video Series at: http://KidsCanMeditate.com and Grapplers Quest Founder, Brian Cimins’ Life Coaching Blog at: http://YourStrategyCoach.com

Huge custom Octagon medals and Full Color Certificates will be awarded for All divisions are sponsored by EZ Flex Sports Mats (http://EZFlexMats.com), The Official Mat Sponsor of Grapplers Quest plus OTM Fightshops and Built To Fight Industries at http://OnTheMat.com – the official pro tournament sponsor and official Grapplers Quest rashguard manufacturing company.

$40,000 in Competitor Registration Fees will also be up for Grabs for ALL UFC Fan Expo Champions

All division champions, amateur and professional, All Champions in All Skill Levels Grapplers Quest at UFC Fan Expo on July 5-6 in Las Vegas will win a FREE COMPETITOR Sponsorship ($150 value) for the Official 16th Annual U.S. Nationals of Grappling and Jiu Jitsu Presented on July 26, 2014 in Morristown, New Jersey. Pre-Register, Save $21, Plus Get a FREE T-Shirt, Register now at: http://bit.ly/UFCFanExpo2014

The Amateur UFC Fan Expo grappling tournament is limited to 1,500 competitor slots with nearly 1,100 slots already taken. Competitor pre-registrations end Wednesday, July 2nd at 11:59 PM PST – hurry and register today at: http://bit.ly/UFCFanExpo2014 and registrations will be available at the door.

OUR COMPETITORS RECEIVE:
* Full Access to the UFC Fan Expo both days ($50 value)
* Free Grapplers Quest at UFC Fan Expo Fighter T-Shirt ($40 value)
* Includes $21+ off at-the-door pricing
* Free Limited Edition Grapplers Quest Sticker
* Discount for Friends and Family to Join in YOUR GLORY!

Fighters can Pre-Register Online or At-The-Door, but Tournament Space is limited to 1,500 competitor slots so register today to guarantee your place in history at
http://bit.ly/UFCFanExpo2014

Grapplers Quest Superfight Tournaments start on Saturday, July 5th at 10:30 AM at UFC Fan Expo nicknamed “The Ultimate Grappler Tournaments” will feature Special Rules developed by Brian Cimins featuring two 10 Minute Submission Only Rounds followed by a Six-minute Overtime, if necessary, using Grapplers Quest points. The Finals will be Submission Only with No Time Limit and the UFC Fan Expo will host the LIVE Finals for The Ultimate Grappler Tournaments on Sunday, July 6 starting at 10:30 AM in the Center Rings.

Men’s “Ultimate Grappler” 175 lb. Tournament featuring:
1. Garry Tonon (America’s #1 Grappler)
2. Vitor Henrique Silva Oliveira (#1 IBJJF Black Belt No-Gi Middleweight Champion)
3. Bill Cooper (Defending UFC Fan Expo Superfight Champion)
4. Ronaldo Candido (ATOS, IBJJF World Champion)
5. Arnaldo de Oliveira (ChekMat – IBJJF Champion)
6. Sean Roberts (Black Belt under Ralph Gracie)
7. Kyle Griffin (Robert Drysdale Jiu Jitsu)
8. Enrico Cocco (#1 Southeast RATED Grapplers Quest Champion)
9. Jake Sweeney (Xtreme Couture)
10. Nathan Orchard (Eddie Bravo Black belt)
11. Nathan Mendelsohn (OnTheMat.com)
12. Ross Daniel Keeping (Gracie Humaita Vegas)
13. Lance Glynn (Paragon Black Belt)
14. Joey Hauss (Jean Jacques Machado)
15. Damien Nitken (NAGA advanced division Champion)
16. Benji Silva (Dream Submission only Champion)

Alternates:
Erik Cruz (10th Planet Brown Belt)

16-Woman “Ultimate Grappler” Submission Only Under 145 lbs. Tournament featuring:
1. Nyjah Easton (IBJJF World Champion, Abu Dhabi Pro Champion, European Champion – Team Lloyd Irvin)
2. Amanda Leve (2-Time Grapplers Quest Beast of the East Champion)
3. Rachael Cummins (Pro MMA Fighter and Submission Specialist – Jason Manly)
4. Pati Fontes (Checkmat brown belt)
5. Illa Erickson (Punch Kick Grapple)
6. Chelsea Donnar Branbridge (Atos new* black Belt) (won Worlds 2014 brown belt)
7. Vivian Velez (Pan Am No-Gi champ)
8. Jennifer Perez (Easton Bjj)
9. Colleen Schneider (Ultimate Fighter competitor)
10. Gillian Silver (PGL 135 women’s champion – Catch Wrestler)
11. Jessy Miele (International Martial Arts and Boxing Academy of Connecticut)
12.-16. PROS and ALTERNATES NEEDED: Send Resumes to: Director@Grapplers.com

“The new Grapplers Quest Submission Only Rules for the Superfights and the line-up will have every grappling fan on the edge of their seats. The two-day format will feature the largest crowd in grappling history!” an excited Brian Cimins, President of Grapplers Quest commented. The Superfight Tournaments are sponsored by Built To Fight Industries and http://OnTheMat.com

Tickets for the UFC Fan Expo® are on sale NOW at http://bit.ly/UFCFanExpoTix

The UFC Fan Expo® in July will feature more than 300,000 gross square feet of activities for UFC fans, including meet and greets and autograph sessions with top UFC and STRIKEFORCE® fighters, Q&A sessions with top UFC personalities, as well as grappling tournaments and other special events. More than 100 exhibitors will also be on hand, giving fans the opportunity to purchase and experience some of the best sports and lifestyle products on the market today. This marks the third UFC Fan Expo® held in Las Vegas since its inception in 2009, with additional UFC Fan Expos being held in Boston, London, Toronto and Houston.

For more information on grappling and jiu jitsu tournaments and events worldwide hosted by Grapplers Quest® and to register online, visit: http://GrapplersQuest.com

For more information on UFC Fan Expo® and to purchase tickets, visit www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo® newsletter visit www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Brian Bernstein, Sales Executive at 203-840-5474 or email bbernstein@ufcfanexpo.com. Don’t wait, space is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
ABOUT GRAPPLERS QUEST: Grapplers Quest is the World’s Largest Submission Grappling & Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament Circuit. Grapplers Quest is a world class, family-oriented Martial Arts competition and entertainment experience, challenging our fighters to become the next generation of Mixed Martial Arts champions. The Company produces The World’s Grappling Competition Supershows for the Ground Fighting Sport of Mixed Martial Arts, DVD and VOD PPV Video Production and Distribution, Apparel Development, Design and Production, Tradeshow Sponsorships, Exhibitor Sales, and much more. Home of the World’s Best Submission Fighters Since 1998, original Grapplers Quest athletes have gone on to become 147 UFC or Ultimate Fighter Contestants, 30 ADCC World Champions and 200+ World and Pan American IBJJF Titles. Upcoming events include July 5-6 at UFC Fan Expo, July 26 in New Jersey, October 10-12 in Liverpool, New York and Las Vegas on November 15th. For upcoming events worldwide, visit: http://GrapplersQuest.com




ULTI-MAN™ 5K CHARITY RUN TO FEATURE UFC STARS CHUCK LIDDELL, FORREST GRIFFIN, MATT HUGHES, MIESHA TATE AND MORE!

Las Vegas, Nev. – UFC® president Dana White, Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Matt Hughes, UFC FIT Coach Mike Dolce, flyweights Joseph Benavidez and John Dodson, women’s bantamweight Miesha Tate, welterweight Tyron Woodley and Octagon Girls® will be in attendance at the Ulti-man™ 5k charity run presented by UFC FIT™ and UFC GYM® on Friday, July 4 in Downtown Las Vegas.

The Ulti-man 5k charity run will donate net proceeds to Three Square Food Bank, ONE DROP, The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada and Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada through the UFC Community Works® program.

Ulti-man 5k Schedule of Events
Downtown Las Vegas

Starts and finishes at Hogs & Heifers Saloon, 201 N. 3rd Street

7:00 a.m. Ulti-man 5k check in starts
· All participants receive an official Ulti-man race t-shirt and a medal

7:30 a.m. UFC FIT inspired warm-up
· Led by UFC FIT Coach Mike Dolce and women’s bantamweight Miesha Tate

8:00 a.m. Ulti-man 5k run commences
· Non-competitive event for participants of all ages and fitness levels

· The flat, easy 3.1-mile course runs through the heart of Downtown Las Vegas

· Runners and walkers will encounter three UFC FIT stations along the way

· UFC stars and UFC GYM coaches will be at the UFC FIT stations to encourage participants through the course

*All times PT

Participants are encouraged to register in advance at UFCFightWeek.com. Registration fee is $45 per participant (increases June 30 to $50). Registration will close at 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 3.

Assets: Ulti-man 5k sizzle video from UFC president Dana White available at http://www.ufc.com/media/ultiman-5k-promo.

For more information about the Ulti-man 5k run or to register, please visit www.UFC.com/fightweek-ultiman-5k-run.

About UFC International Fight Week™

UFC International Fight Week™ returns to the Fight Capital of the World July 1-6, 2014. The weeklong celebration includes something for everyone from entertainment and arts to charitable events, and, of course, all things UFC. The event will also feature for the first-time ever, two huge fight cards in one weekend in the UFC’s hometown – UFC® 175 and The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale. Other fan favorite activities will return including UFC Fan Expo, a pool party with Octagon Girls®, training sessions with fighters, a free concert, weigh-ins and more! Tickets and event details are available at www.UFCFightWeek.com. Stay connected with UFC International Fight Week news on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/UFCFightWeek), Twitter and Instagram (@UFCFightWeek).

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




GET READY TO BID! UFC INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK™ AUCTION STARTS TODAY

Las Vegas, Nev. – Want to ride The High Roller, the world’s tallest observation wheel and newest attraction in Las Vegas with UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, or bowl with UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell? Starting today, Monday, June 23, fans are invited to take part in the exclusive UFC International Fight Week™ auction on UFC.com/FightWeek.

The online auction features an assortment of UFC fighter experiences and items for every fan. And the best part: it’s all for charity! The items include a VIP experience to bowl with UFC fighters at Brooklyn Bowl, VIP access to the 20th Century FOX advance screening of “Let’s Be Cops,” as well as the opportunity to take in amazing nighttime views of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip as you mingle with UFC fighters on the all-new High Roller at the LINQ. The auction also features three different works of art, including a Bruce Lee painting by Octagon Girl® Brittney Palmer and multiple pairs of autographed fight gloves.

A complete list of items fans can look forward to is available at UFC.com/FightWeek.

Through the UFC Community Works® program, net proceeds from the 2014 UFC International Fight Week online auction will help support Three Square Food Bank, The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, One Drop and Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada. To learn more about the UFC Community Works program visit UFC.com/Community.

About UFC International Fight Week™

UFC International Fight Week™ returns to the Fight Capital of the World July 1-6, 2014. The weeklong celebration includes something for everyone from entertainment and arts to charitable events, and, of course, all things UFC. The event will also feature for the first-time ever, two huge fight cards in one weekend in the UFC’s hometown – UFC® 175 and The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale. Other fan favorite activities will return including UFC Fan Expo, a pool party with Octagon Girls®, training sessions with fighters, a free concert, weigh-ins and more! Tickets and event details are available at www.UFCFightWeek.com. Stay connected with UFC International Fight Week news on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/UFCFightWeek), Twitter and Instagram (@UFCFightWeek).

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




MORE THAN 50 UFC® STARS TO APPEAR AT UFC FAN EXPO® IN LAS VEGAS JULY 5 & 6

Las Vegas, Nev. – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is excited to announce more than 50 UFC stars scheduled to appear at the 2014 UFC Fan Expo® on Sat., July 5 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sun., July 6 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. PT at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

The largest gathering of the biggest names in mixed martial arts will come together under one roof for this special fan experience. Fans will have the opportunity to meet their favorite UFC stars, get autographs and photos, learn their techniques during training and development seminars and get insight from them during Q&A sessions. The UFC Fan Expo also features live amateur tournaments, the opportunity to purchase and experience some of the best sports and lifestyle products on the market today, special presentations and announcements on the main stage, photos with a championship belt and more unique experiences for fans.

UFC fighters, Hall of Famers and Octagon Girls® scheduled to appear at the UFC Fan Expo include*:

Cain Velasquez, UFC heavyweight champion
Johny Hendricks, UFC welterweight champion
Anthony Pettis, UFC lightweight champion
TJ Dillashaw, UFC bantamweight champion
Demetrious Johnson, UFC flyweight champion

Stephan Bonnar, UFC Hall of Famer
Forrest Griffin, former UFC light heavyweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer

Matt Hughes, former UFC welterweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer
Chuck Liddell, former UFC light heavyweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer
Dan Severn, UFC Hall of Famer
Ken Shamrock, former UFC champion and UFC Hall of Famer

Georges St-Pierre, former UFC welterweight champion
Junior dos Santos, former UFC heavyweight champion
Rashad Evans, former UFC light heavyweight champion
Carlos Condit, former interim UFC welterweight champion
Dominick Cruz, former UFC bantamweight champion
Renan Barao, former UFC bantamweight champion
Jens Pulver, former UFC lightweight champion

Urijah Faber, UFC bantamweight
Daniel Cormier, UFC light heavyweight
Michael Bisping, UFC middleweight
Miesha Tate, UFC women’s bantamweight

Luke Rockhold, UFC middleweight
Joseph Benavidez, UFC flyweight
Ian McCall, UFC flyweight
Diego Sanchez, UFC lightweight
Chad Mendes, UFC featherweight

Joe Lauzon, UFC lightweight
Jake Ellenberger, UFC welterweight
Gilbert Melendez, UFC lightweight
Travis Browne, UFC heavyweight
Phil Davis, UFC light heavyweight
John Dodson, UFC flyweight
Ryan Bader, UFC light heavyweight
Tyron Woodley, UFC welterweight
Glover Teixeira, UFC light heavyweight
Cub Swanson, UFC featherweight
Jamie Varner, UFC lightweight
Brendan Schaub, UFC heavyweight
Dustin Poirier, UFC featherweight
Stipe Miocic, UFC heavyweight
Kelvin Gastelum, UFC welterweight
Francisco Rivera, UFC bantamweight
Ross Pearson, UFC lightweight
Raphael Assuncao, UFC bantamweight
Court McGee, UFC welterweight
Danny Castillo, UFC lightweight
Bobby Green, UFC lightweight
Chris Holdsworth, UFC bantamweight
Ed Herman, UFC middleweight
Anthony Njokuani, UFC lightweight
Luke Barnatt, UFC middleweight
Cat Zingano, UFC women’s bantamweight

Juliana Pena, UFC women’s bantamweight
Andrew Craig, UFC middleweight
Andre Fili, UFC featherweight
Josh Sampo, UFC flyweight
Chris Beal, UFC bantamweight

Jhenny Andrade, UFC Octagon Girl (Brazil)
Carly Baker, UFC Octagon Girl (UK & AU)
Chrissy Blair, UFC Octagon Girl (US)
Kahili Blundell, UFC Octagon Girl (UK & AU)
Arianny Celeste, UFC Octagon Girl (US)
Camila Oliveira, UFC Octagon Girl (Brazil)
Vanessa Hanson, UFC Octagon Girl (US)
Kristie McKeon, UFC Octagon Girl (UK & AU)
Brittney Palmer, UFC Octagon Girl (US)

*Fighters, Hall of Famers, Octagon Girls and personalities subject to change. Additional talent may be added in the coming days.

The UFC Fan Expo will also feature appearances by Best of PRIDE® host Kenda Perez, television personality Rachelle Leah, UFC commentator Chael Sonnen and Octagon® announcer Bruce Buffer.

To receive the latest news and updates on UFC Fan Expo, exclusive deals and discounts, training & development sessions and more, sign up for the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter (www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter) or follow @UFCFanExpo on Twitter.

Tickets for the UFC Fan Expo are on sale now at www.ufcfanexpo.com. Tickets for Saturday, July 5 are priced at $45, while tickets for Sunday, July 6 are priced at $40. A two-day pass is also available and is priced at $60. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets now and save, as ticket pricing will increase at the door.

About UFC International Fight Week™

UFC International Fight Week™ returns to the Fight Capital of the World July 1-6, 2014. The weeklong celebration includes something for everyone from entertainment and arts to charitable events, and, of course, all things UFC. The event will also feature for the first-time ever, two huge fight cards in one weekend in the UFC’s hometown – UFC® 175 and The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale. Other fan favorite activities will return including UFC Fan Expo, a pool party with Octagon Girls®, training sessions with fighters, a free concert, weigh-ins and more! Tickets and event details are available at www.UFCFightWeek.com. Stay connected with UFC International Fight Week news on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/UFCFightWeek), Twitter and Instagram (@UFCFightWeek).

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




TOP 10 REASONS TO ATTEND UFC FAN EXPO® 2014

Las Vegas –Fans of the fastest growing sport in the world have another can’t-miss item to add to their UFC International Fight Week™ bucket list: the UFC Fan Expo® 2014. The two-day UFC Fan Expo is on Saturday, July 5 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 6 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. PT at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Single and two-day event tickets are available at UFCFanExpo.com.

The UFC Fan Expo provides the ultimate fan experience with something for everyone! This interactive, family-friendly event affords fans the opportunity to interact with UFC stars past and present through training sessions, interactive Q&A’s, autograph signings, shopping, and more!

A complete list of activities and times are listed on UFCFanExpo.com. To help enhance your experience, we’ve compiled the “Top 10 Reasons to Attend the UFC Fan Expo”:

1) Train with a UFC Hall of Famer: The UFC Fan Expo will host training and development sessions with UFC legends Stephan Bonner, Forrest Griffin, Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell, Fitness Kickboxing Canada and MMA Draft Combine. The sessions are interactive and allow fans to meet their favorite fighters, learn their techniques and showcase their talent. World-renowned Jiu-Jitsu instructor Rener Grace will also host four special mastery seminars.

2) Come face-to-face with some of the greatest athletes in sports today: Fans will meet UFC title holders Demetrious Johnson (flyweight), TJ Dillashaw (bantamweight), Anthony Pettis (lightweight), Johny Hendricks (welterweight) and Cain Velasquez (heavyweight) at the UFC Fan Expo during photograph, autograph and Q&A sessions. Later, at UFC 175 on July 5 at Mandalay Bay Events Center, fans will witness middleweight champion Chris Weidman take on former light heavyweight titleholder Lyoto Machida in the main event, and women’s bantamweight champion and Hollywood superstar Ronda Rousey battling Alexis Davis in the co-headliner.

3) Take a photo inside the Octagon® with a championship belt: Fans will be able to experience what it feels like to be a champion as they step inside a full-sized Octagon and take a photo wearing an official championship belt.

4) An incredible lineup of talent and speakers: More than 50 UFC fighters, industry icons, Octagon Girls® and talent will participate in interactive Q&A sessions, sign autographs, take photos and meet fans.

5) Be a part of a live taping of UFC Tonight®: Live from the main stage at the UFC Fan Expo on Sun., July 6 will be a special edition of UFC Tonight, the official weekly news and information show of the UFC that airs on FOX Sports 1.

6) Nearly 2,000 athletes from 30 nations will compete in live amateur tournaments: Exceptional youth and adult wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu and grappling talent will be showcased during The Ultimates® tournament at the UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) will present the first ever World Championship in amateur MMA.

7) Watch THEULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: TEAM EDGAR vs. TEAM PENN weigh-ins: The Ultimate Fighter Finale coaches and finalists will step on the scale on the main stage of the UFC Fan Expo for the official weigh-ins. The finale will take place on Sunday, July 6 at Mandalay Bay Events Center as coaches Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn settle their score once and for all in the main event. Plus, four exciting finalists compete for a chance at a UFC contract. Along with UFC 175, this is the first-time ever that the UFC will host two huge fight cards in one weekend in the Fight Capital of the World, Las Vegas.

8) Enjoy main stage activities including Q&A sessions, special presentations, keynote addresses and more: Guest speakers will take the main stage at the UFC Fan Expo, including a keynote from UFC President Dana White. Other main stage events include award presentations, special partner announcements, exclusive first looks and, new this year, performances by Las Vegas show talent.

9) UFC Store will give fans a first look at new products, exclusive offers and contests: UFC Store will offer fans an exclusive first look at new UFC apparel, merchandise and featured collections including The Ultimate Fighter® season 20 and Latin America outfits. There will be interactive displays for fans to Tweet their favorite outfits, win prizes and fans will have their choice of limited-time-only, unique product exclusives, making the UFC Store display a must-see stop. In addition to UFC Store, nearly 100 vendors will be on the exhibit floor for fans to purchase and experience some of the best sports and lifestyle products on the market today.

10) Experience all things UFC: From UFC GYM® to UFC FIT®, fans will have the opportunity to experience and interact with all things UFC. Fans will be able to play the newly launched EA SPORTS UFC® videogame against fighters, get advice from UFC FIT Coach Mike Dolce, watch exclusive UFC FIGHT PASS™ videos, check out new features on the UFC Fan App, powered by MetroPCS, enjoy special Fight Club® member offers, purchase UFC merchandise, and more!

To receive the latest news and updates on UFC Fan Expo, exclusive deals and discounts, training & development sessions and more, sign up for the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter (www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter) or follow @UFCFanExpo on Twitter.

Tickets for the UFC Fan Expo are on sale now at www.ufcfanexpo.com. Tickets for Saturday, July 5 are priced at $45, while tickets for Sunday, July 6 are priced at $40. A two-day pass is also available and is priced at $60. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets now and save, as ticket pricing will increase at the door.

About UFC International Fight Week™

UFC International Fight Week™ returns to the Fight Capital of the World July 1-6, 2014. The weeklong celebration includes something for everyone from entertainment and arts to charitable events, and, of course, all things UFC. The event will also feature for the first-time ever, two huge fight cards in one weekend in the UFC’s hometown – UFC® 175 and The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale. Other fan favorite activities will return including UFC Fan Expo, a pool party with Octagon Girls®, training sessions with fighters, a free concert, weigh-ins and more! Tickets and event details are available at www.UFCFightWeek.com. Stay connected with UFC International Fight Week news on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/UFCFightWeek), Twitter and Instagram (@UFCFightWeek).

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.




UFC® BRINGS FIRST LIVE EVENT TO MAINE ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

Las Vegas –The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced that Bangor, Maine, childhood home of UFC® president Dana White, will host the state’s first ever UFC event at Cross Insurance Center on Saturday, August 16. UFC® Fight Night will showcase local talent, in addition to some of the sport’s top contenders. The five-round main event will be announced in the coming days.

“I’m so excited to finally bring the UFC to Maine,” UFC president Dana White said. “People in Maine have been asking me to bring the UFC there for a long time, so we’re bringing a great card to Bangor on August 16! I love Maine, I have a home and family there, and I’m really looking forward to this event!”

UFC Fight Night is a treat for locals, as Lincolnville native and 13th-ranked middleweight Tim Boetsch (17-7, fighting out of Sunbury, Pa.) comes home to face No. 14 contender Brad Tavares (12-3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Kailua, Hawaii). Boasting an impressive resume that dates back nearly a decade, Boetsch holds wins over C.B. Dollaway, Hector Lombard, and Yushin Okami. This August, “The Barbarian” takes on one of the division’s rising stars in Tavares. After making his debut on The Ultimate Fighter® Season 11, Tavares quickly racked up seven UFC wins, including a five-fight unbeaten stretch, and he will return to the Octagon on Boetsch’s home turf with the intent to spoil his opponent’s homecoming.

Plus, fans will witness a heavyweight showdown between two former collegiate athletes as Shawn Jordan (15-6, fighting out of Baton Rouge, La.) takes on Jack May (7-1, fighting out of Fullerton, Calif.). Jordan, a former star fullback at LSU and member of the 2007 National championship team, has used his superior athleticism and power to successfully transition into the world of mixed martial arts. With 11 knockout victories to his name, “The Savage” is primed and ready for a run at UFC gold. Standing in his way, is the 6-foot-8 kickboxing specialist and former college basketball standout May. With six of his seven victories by way of first-round knockout, May will be no easy feat for Jordan. The Savage takes on “The Outlaw,” with the victor a step closer to becoming one of the division’s elite.

In addition, Tom Watson (16-7, fighting out of Southampton, England) takes on UFC newcomer Sam Alvey (24-5, 1NC) in a middleweight matchup.

Don’t miss this chance to watch the best fighters in the world compete at the UFC’s first ever event in Maine. More fights to be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for UFC® FIGHT NIGHT go on sale June, 20 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $150, $100, $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 Cross Insurance 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, June 18 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, June 19 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT will air live on FOX Sports 1, at 10:00 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, August 16, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 2 at 8:00 PM ET/5 p.m. PT.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.
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A WORLD TITLE SHOT IS ON THE LINE AS ROBBIE LAWLER BATTLES MATT BROWN JULY 26 IN SAN JOSE

Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC® returns to SAP Center at San Jose with a title elimination match pitting two knockout artists against one another as No. 1-ranked Robbie Lawler will take on No. 5-ranked Matt Brown with the winner earning a shot at champion Johny Hendricks. Additionally, the card will feature several Bay Area-based fighters in Josh Thomson, Noad Lahat and Kyle Kingsbury.

Coming off an impressive third-round finish over an always game Jake Ellenberger, Lawler (23-10, 1 NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) will take on the surging Brown (21-11, fighting out of Columbus, Ohio) in hopes of securing a second crack at UFC gold. Brown, who has put together one of the most impressive runs in mixed martial arts today, currently rides a seven-fight win streak, and will be looking to lock down a title shot he feels is long overdue. On July 26 at SAP Center, two of the best welterweights in the world will put it all on the line in a battle for the top contender position.

In addition, light heavyweight (No. 5) Anthony Johnson (17-4, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) is back in the Octagon® after an impressive decision victory over Phil Davis in his return to the UFC earlier this year. The hard-hitting “Rumble” will take on Brazilian star Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) as he primes himself for title contention. “Lil Nog” makes his return to the cage for the first time since defeating former champion Rashad Evans, and the two-time Brazilian boxing champion plans to tack another win on to his already stellar MMA career.

Also, fresh off a controversial loss to former lightweight champion Benson Henderson, San Jose native (No. 3) Thomson (22-6, 1 NC, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) will look to put on a show in front of his hometown fans as he meets former The Ultimate Fighter finalist (No. 10) Michael Johnson (16-8, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.). “The Menace,” who is riding a three-fight win streak, will look to climb the ladder in the talent-rich lightweight division with a victory over the former STRIKEFORCE® lightweight champion.

Also scheduled for the event:
No.7-ranked featherweight Clay Guida (31-11) vs. four-time “Fight Night” bonus winner and eleventh-ranked Dennis Bermudez (14-3).
Second degree taekwondo black belt Daron Cruickshank (15-4) vs. 14th-ranked Jorge Masvidal (26-8) at lightweight.
Welterweight Tim Means (20-6-1) vs. Rio de Janeiro’s Hernani Perpetuo (17-4, 1 NC).
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Noad Lahat (7-1) vs. California native and fellow submission ace Steven Siler (23-12).
San Jose native Kyle Kingsbury (11-5, 1 NC) returns to action in the light heavyweight division.

Tickets for FOX UFC® SATURDAY: LAWLER vs. BROWN go on sale June 6 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $175, $125, $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 SAP Center ticket office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, June 4 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, June 5 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

FOX UFC SATURDAY: LAWLER vs. BROWN will air live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, July 26, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




THE UFC® RETURNS TO ATLANTIC CITY ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 16 WITH A LIGHTWEIGHT CLASH AS DONALD ‘COWBOY’ CERRONE BATTLES NEW JERSEY’S JIM MILLER

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® is bringing the Octagon® back to Atlantic City on Wednesday, July 16 at Revel Casino Hotel. In the evening’s main event, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone takes on New Jersey’s own Jim Miller in a five-round bout featuring two of the sport’s most exciting lightweights.

Currently riding a three-fight win streak, fifth-ranked lightweight contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (23-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) returns to action for the fourth time in eight months to take on tough veteran Jim Miller. After stopping Evan Dunham (Submission of the Night), Adriano Martins (Knockout of the Night), and Edson Barboza (Performance of the Night), Cerrone is as dangerous and hungry as ever with plans to add Miller’s name to his list of accomplishments. After besting Joe Lauzon, Fabricio Camoes, and Yancy Madeiros, seventh-ranked Jim Miller (24-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Whippany, N.J.) knows that a win in his home state over fan-favorite Cerrone could stamp his ticket to title contention.

Other bouts include:
Veteran welterweight Rick Story (16-8) vs. hard-hitting Bostonian John Howard (22-9).
Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Gleison Tibau (37-10) vs. durable grappler Pat Healy (31-18, 1 NC) at lightweight.
Dynamic striker and twelfth-ranked lightweight Edson Barboza (13-2) vs. submission specialist Evan Dunham (14-5).
No. 7 Brazilian flyweight John Lineker (23-7) vs. Istanbul’s Alptekin Ozkilic (9-2).
Undefeated Long Islander, Aljamain Sterling (9-0) vs. Brazilian bantamweight Hugo Viana (8-2).
Well-rounded finisher Lucas Martins (14-1) vs. New York’s Jim Alers (13-1) at featherweight.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: CERRONE vs. MILLER, go on sale Friday, May 30 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $402, $282, $182 and $62. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges. Tickets are also available at the Revel Casino box office.

A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, May 29 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: CERRONE vs. MILLER will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Wednesday, July 16, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 2 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




CES champ Font inks deal with UFC

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 27th, 2014) – The hottest fighter in the northeast and the most promising regional prospect in the featherweight division is taking his talent to new heights.

Rob Font, a Tampa native now living in Boston, Mass., and training out of Sityodtong, has inked a promotional agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), joining fellow Bostonian John “Doomsday” Howard as the second fighter under the guidance of Rhode Island-based promoter CES MMA to reach a deal with the UFC within the past year.

“Although I’m thankful to all the promotions I’ve fought for, CES has by far provided me with the best platform,” Font said. “Everything about them is top notch. A huge thank you to CES!

“This is a dream come true.”

Font (10-1, 3 KOs), 26, has won nine consecutive fights, the last six under the promotional guidance of CES. The streak includes a first-round knockout win over fellow New EnglanderChris Foster for the then-vacant CES MMA featherweight championship in August of 2013 and another opening-round knockout win over Tristan Johnson in April in the main event of “CES MMA XXIII” at Twin River Casino.

“One of the first questions we ask a fighter is ‘What are you seeking to accomplish in this sport?’ Rob’s answer was simply, ‘To be a UFC champion,’” CES vice president Jimmy Burchfield Jr. said. “Rob has fought everyone we put in front of him. He has seized the opportunity, winning in impressive fashion. We have worked very closely with Team Sityodtong and [Font’s manager] Charles McCarthy of Guardian Sports Group to get Rob to this point. He deserves this opportunity. I am confident that he will make the most of it.”

With a killer instinct in the cage and a strong promotional push behind him, Font is quickly becoming a household name on the nationwide mixed martial arts circuit. Highlights of his win over Johnson were featured on the popular AXS TV series Inside MMA.

He’ll make his UFC debut July 5th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on the undercard of UFC 175, which features the middleweight title bout between Chris Weidmanand Lyoto Machida. The fight will be contested at 135 pounds – Font’s bantamweight debut.

Born in Tampa, Font moved to Boston in 2009 and had zero amateur fights on his record when he first stepped foot inside Mark DellaGrotte’s Sityodtong branch in nearby Somerville. Within two years, Font went from sparring partner to amateur standout before debuting as a professional in December of 2011.

Font’s deal with the UFC comes 10 months after Howard re-signed with the UFC. Howard’s first run lasted two years from 2009 to 2011. He’s 2-1 since returning last July. In between stints with the UFC, Howard went 5-0 with five knockouts under the guidance of CES.

“So many people have helped get me here, so I’m thankful for them,” Font said. “It feels amazing to say we’ve made it to the UFC, but it’s one thing to make it and quite another to remain in the UFC. Needless to say, it’s only the beginning. We have much more work to do.”




UFC® RETURNS TO THE VENETIAN MACAO TO HOST SECOND FIGHT NIGHT OF 2014

ufc_title-belt_206
SINGAPORE – Cementing a commitment to the burgeoning MMA scene in Asia and with Sands China Ltd., The Ultimate Fighting Championship® returns to Cotai Arena in Macao for a second time in 2014, and third overall, on Saturday, August 23 with UFC® Fight Night Macao: Bisping vs. Le.

Headlined by Vietnamese born Cung Le (9-2, fighting out of San Jose, California), the former Strikeforce middleweight champion and legend of combat sports returns to the Octagon for the first time since a dominant knockout of Rich Franklin in the same arena in 2012. After a successful stint coaching and teaching on The Ultimate Fighter China, Le looks to use his impressive arsenal of wrestling, Tae-Kwon-Do, Kung Fu and Sanshou in laying claim to the title of most entertaining fighter of his generation.

Standing in the way will be formidable UFC veteran and The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 champion Michael “The Count” Bisping (25-6, fighting out of Orange County, California by way of Manchester, England). A polarizing figure to fans, no one can dispute Bisping’s skills as he’s racked up three Fight of the Night bonuses and eight TKO victories in his long UFC career. With notable wins over Alan Belcher, Brian Stann and Chris Leben, the one thing that has eluded Bisping has been the UFC belt and a win over Cung Le would show the middleweight division that Bisping is ready to make one more title run.

“We’re excited to announce our return to Macao and the Cotai Arena, a venue that has seen incredible UFC performances over the last two years,” said Mark Fischer, UFC Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Asia. “Sands China Ltd. has proven to be an exceptional partner and visionary in helping us grow the sport of MMA and the UFC brand in South East Asia.”

In addition to the Bisping-Le showdown, two surging welterweights will meet in Macao when the division’s ninth-ranked competitor and Korean born Dong Hyun Kim (19-2-1, 1NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea) meets the explosive seventh-ranked Hector Lombard (34-4-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.), who has taken the 170lb. class by storm. Kim, who most recently overwhelmed John Hathaway by KO at the Cotai Arena in March, will look to build on his resume as one of the most accomplished Asian fighters in the UFC with a win over former Judo world champion Lombard.

For additional bouts on the card, please continue to visit UFC.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

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About Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a variety of multi-year broadcast agreements with some of the biggest networks throughout Europe, including BT Sport, TV12, C More, Abu Dhabi Media, Setanta and RTL9. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.




IT’S BACK AND BIGGER THAN EVER! TWO ACTION-PACKED CARDS HEADLINE UFC INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK™ IN LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is bringing the third annual UFC International Fight Week™ to Las Vegas once again this July! The week-long fan celebration returns with UFC events and related activities including entertainment, arts, charitable events, shopping and more. Plus for the first time, the event will feature two huge fight cards in one weekend – UFC® 175: WEIDMAN vs. MACHIDA and The Ultimate Fighter® Finale: EDGAR vs. PENN.

UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, fresh off two victories over the legend Anderson Silva, has set his sights on a new challenge in former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. The two will now meet in the main event of UFC 175 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, July 5.

Since making the decision to drop to his optimum weight of 185 pounds, (No. 3) Lyoto Machida (21-4, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) has notched consecutive victories over top contenders Mark Munoz (Knockout of the Night) and Gegard Mousasi (Fight of the Night). The Brazilian now looks to avenge the loss of his teammate, Silva, by handing Weidman the first loss of his career and becoming the third man in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes. Since adding a second TKO exclamation point to his first knockout victory over Silva, Chris Weidman (11-0, fighting out of Mineola, N.Y.) looks to extend his unblemished reign with a decisive win over the dynamic striker.

In addition, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (9-0, fighting out of Venice, Calif.) returns to the Octagon® for the third time in eight months to face surging contender Alexis Davis. After earning her third title defense and first TKO victory over fellow Olympian Sara McMann, Rousey looks to remain unbeaten with a win over Davis. Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt (No. 2) Alexis Davis (16-5, fighting out of Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada) boasts an impressive five-fight win streak that includes victories over Shayna Baszler, Rosi Sexton, Liz Carmouche and Jessica Eye.

Also, fan favorite (No. 9) Chael Sonnen (29-14-1, fighting out of West Linn, Ore.) meets former PRIDE middleweight champion (No. 6) Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) in a grudge match years in the making.

If that wasn’t enough, the following night on Sunday, July 6, UFC fans will see the long-awaited finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Edgar vs Penn, live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center. In the main event, the season’s coaches, former lightweight champions (No. 2) Frankie Edgar (15-4-1, fighting out of Toms River, N.J.) and BJ Penn (16-9-2, fighting out of Hilo, Hawaii), will face each other in the Octagon for the third time — a meeting which marks their first in the featherweight division. The finalists from the show’s middleweight and light heavyweight divisions will also square off for a six-figure UFC contract and the chance to be crowned The Ultimate Fighter®.
Additional bouts for UFC®175: WEIDMAN vs. MACHIDA can be found at:
http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC175

Additional bouts for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE: EDGAR vs. PENN can be found at: http://www.ufc.com/event/TUF19-Finale

Tickets for UFC®175: WEIDMAN vs. MACHIDA, presented by BUD LIGHT® go on sale Friday, May 23 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $1250, $850, $600, $400, $250 and $125 (prices do not include applicable service charges).

Tickets for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE: EDGAR vs. PENN go on sale Friday, May 23 at 12 p.m. PT and are priced at $175, $125, $100, $75 and $50 (prices do not include applicable service charges).

Tickets for both events 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 also are available at the Mandalay Bay box office.

Great VIP packages are also available! The UFC VIP Experience packages together your tickets with behind-the-scenes access to the official weigh-ins, backstage tours, meet and greet and autograph signings with top UFC stars, Q&A sessions, and photo opportunities, access to an in-arena VIP party room, a chance to hold the championship belt inside the Octagon® and more!

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to UFC 175 on Wednesday, May 21 at 10 a.m. and The Ultimate Fighter Finale at 12 p.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers for UFC 175 on Thursday, May 22 starting at 10 a.m. PT and for The Ultimate Fighter Finale at 12 p.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC®175: WEIDMAN vs. MACHIDA will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High -Definition.

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE: EDGAR vs. PENN will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Sunday, July 6, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 2 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

About UFC International Fight Week™

UFC International Fight Week™ returns to the Fight Capital of the World July 1-6, 2014. The weeklong celebration includes something for everyone from entertainment and arts to charitable events, shopping and, of course, all things UFC. The event will also feature for the first-time ever, two huge fight cards in one weekend in the UFC’s hometown – UFC® 175 and The Ultimate Fighter® Finale. Other fan favorite activities will return including UFC Fan Expo, Official Pool Party with Octagon Girls®, a free concert, UFC Downtown with fighter meet-and-greets, “The Art of Fighting” art exhibit, ULTI-MAN 5k run, training sessions with fighters, viewing parties, weigh-ins and more! Tickets and event details are available at www.UFCFightWeek.com. UFC Fan Expo tickets are on sale now at www.UFCFanExpo.com. Stay connected with UFC International Fight Week news on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/UFCFightWeek), Twitter and Instagram (@UFCFightWeek).

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




The Ultimate Fighter Latin America: Team Velasquez vs. Team Werdum Full Cast Revealed

Las Vegas, Nevada –The Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization can reveal the English-language version of The Ultimate Fighter® Latin America will screen exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS® for US subscribers.

Filming is already underway in Las Vegas, with UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez leading a Mexican team against No.1 contender Fabricio Werdum’s squad of fighters from across Latin American. The season is scheduled to premiere on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the UFC’s digital subscription service, in August with new episodes uploaded weekly.

“I’ve been waiting 15 years for this,” said UFC President Dana White. “Passion for fighting is unrivaled in Latin America. It’s part of their history and their culture. There’s a lot of potential in this season’s cast and I know they’re going to bring it every fight. Adding a little extra rivalry – pitting Mexico versus the rest of Latin America – doesn’t hurt either.”

Fans from the following countries will be able to catch the season on their respective free to air networks: Argentina: CN5, Bolivia: Red Uno, Mexico: Channel.5, Nicaragua: Channel 13, Panama: NexTV, Paraguay: Telefuturo and Uruguay: Channel 10. The season will premiere on these Networks the week of August 18, 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, additionally, subscribers to the UFC Network in Latin America will also get the chance to catch replays and watch exclusive content.

In the first Latin American edition of the series, the 27th edition overall, the eight bantamweight (135 lbs) and eight featherweight (155 lbs) fighters have been divided into two teams – Team Mexico, coached by Velasquez – and Team Latin America, coached by Werdum. Over the course of 12 weeks, they will face off in the most challenging sports tournament on television and compete for a six-figure contract with the UFC®.

The coaches will then face off in the famed UFC Octagon® for the heavyweight championship of the world on Saturday, November 15 at UFC® 180: VELASQUEZ vs. WERDUM at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City.

The list of finalists was trimmed from more than 600 applicants, with the final fighters hailing from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. The competitors are listed by weightclass and alphabetical order (Name, professional MMA record, age, hometown):

TEAM VELASQUEZ
TEAM WERDUM
Bantamweight
Bantamweight
Marco Beltran (5-2), 27, Morelia, Mexico
Guido Cannetti (5-1), 34, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Henry Briones (13-4), 33, Tijuana, Mexico
Fredy Serrano (1-0), 34, Bogota, Colombia
Alejandro Dominguez (22-6), Tlatenango, Mexico
Bentley Syler (5-0), 31, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Jose Quinonez (10-1), 23, Tlatenango, Mexico
Marlon Vera (5-1), 22, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Featherweight
Featherweight
Gabriel Benitez (16-4), 25, Tijuana, Mexico
Humberto Brown (4-4), 29, Panama City, Panama
Masio Fullen (6-4), 27, Guadalajara, Mexico
Leonardo Morales (4-0), 21, Managua, Nicaragua
Yair Rodriguez (2-1), 22, Parral, Mexico
Diego Rivas (5-0), 22, Temuco, Chile
Rodolfo Rubio (12-6), 27, DF, Mexico
Alex Torres (1-1), 25, Bogota, Colombia

Front row (left to right): Quinonez, Rubio, Briones, Dominguez, Velasquez, Werdum, Serrano, Cannetti, Syler and Rivas.
Back row (left to right): Benitez, Beltran, Fullen, Rodriguez, Brown, Morales, Torres and Vera.

The Ultimate Fighter® has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and produced UFC champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Matt Serra and season winners including Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and Nate Diaz. Mexico-born Efrain Escudero captured the season eight lightweight title, while Mexican-American Diego Sanchez was the first ever winner of the franchise, defeating Kenny Florian, a fighter of Peruvian descent, at The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale in 2005. Other Mexican Americans to follow in his stead include, Tony Ferguson, season 13 winner, Kelvin Gastelum, winner of season 17 and the first ever female winner of the series, Juliana Pena, winner of season 18.

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

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About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LATIN AMERICA – TEAM VELASQUEZ vs. TEAM WERDUM SET TO BEGIN FILMING MAY 12

as Vegas, Nev. – Two of the world’s fiercest mixed martial artists are set to let their rivalry play out in front of millions of fans as coaches on the newest season of The Ultimate Fighter®, the UFC®’s storied reality series, in the lead up to their title clash at UFC® 180 in Mexico City. The series will premiere the week of August 18.

UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez (13-1 in his professional career, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.), an agile and explosive heavyweight with a strong wrestling base, is currently the only heavyweight titleholder of Mexican descent in combat sports around the world. Often referred to as “the baddest man on the planet”, he is considered the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time thanks to career wins over former champions Minotauro Nogueira, Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos as well as Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

No.1 contender Fabricio Werdum (17-5-1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif. by way of of Porto Alegre, Brazil) is currently on a four-fight win streak that includes victories over fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Minotauro Nogueira, Fedor Emelianenko, Roy Nelson and most Travis Browne. A two-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, he is also known as a technical fighter with heavy hands. Outside of the Octagon®, Werdum is seen across Latin America every week hosting the UFC Network™’s weekly magazine show, UFC® Ahora.

In this seventh international edition of the most challenging sports tournament on television, Velasquez will lead a team of four Mexican featherweight (135lbs) and four Mexican bantamweight (145lbs) fighters against Werdum’s squad of eight similarly divided fighters from other Latin American countries. The complete list of fighters will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

“I’m very excited about this – amazing talent is going to come out of Mexico and Latin America,” said UFC President Dana White. “This is a region we are working hard to develop. There is a lot of talent and a lot of great potential in multiple weightclasses. We know that the fans in Mexico and throughout Latin America will totally get behind this thing and it’ll blow up and it’ll be huge just like Brazil.”

The show which follows fighters training and competing against each other for a prized UFC contract, all while living under one roof, will air on Televisa Channel.5 in Mexico beginning in August 2014. UFC Network subscribers will also get the chance to catch replays and watch exclusive content on the channel as well as ufcnetwork.com.

José Baston, President of Television and Content for Televisa said: “We have huge expectations from this partnership between the UFC and Televisa, to produce the new season of The Ultimate Fighter Latin America. This partnership allows us to reunite the vast experience and ability of both companies, for a project that we are sure will be a great success. I’d also like to point out the superb performance that the UFC Network has had since last year, a channel that has been transmitting at a pan-regional level by Televisa Networks. And emphasize that mixed martial arts is one of the new sports with the highest growth, for Televisa it is very important to be able to offer it to its audiences.”

The coaches, UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will battle No. 1 contender Fabricio Werdum for the heavyweight championship title at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City on Saturday, November 15, in the main event of UFC® 180. The main card will also feature the final featherweight and bantamweight bouts of the series, crowning the first ever winners of The Ultimate Fighter Latin America. Further event and ticket details will be released later this summer ahead of the scheduled on-sale in the final week of August.

“For me, it’s an honor to be named the first coach of The Ultimate Fighter Latin America,” said Velasquez. “I’m excited to share my experience and help train a young team of up and coming Latin American men. And then, to be able to do something I’ve always dreamed of doing, defending my title in Mexico in November, will be a dream come true.”

There is nothing Werdum would rather do: “To have a shot at the belt is all I ever wanted and knowing it’s against Cain makes it even better. Fighting for the heavyweight title and coaching against Cain in The Ultimate Fighter Latin America is like having two dreams come true.”

The Ultimate Fighter® has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and produced champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Matt Serra and season winners including Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and Nate Diaz. Mexico-born Efrain Escudero captured the season 8 lightweight title, while Mexican American Diego Sanchez was the first-ever winner of the franchise, defeating Kenny Florian, a fighter of Peruvian descent, at The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale in 2005. Other Mexican Americans to follow in his stead include, Tony Ferguson, season 13 winner and Kelvin Gastelum, winner of season 17.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com.

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About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




DAN HENDERSON VS. DANIEL CORMIER NAMED AS CO-MAIN EVENT FOR UFC® 173 ON MAY 24 IN LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas, Nevada – Former PRIDE® and STRIKEFORCE® champion (No. 6) Dan Henderson will take on surging title contender (No. 5) Daniel Cormier in a highly-anticipated light heavyweight clash at UFC® 173 on Saturday, May 24 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Henderson-Cormier bout will serve as the night’s co-main event.

Coming off an impressive KO victory against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in March, Henderson (30-11, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) proved he still has what it takes to compete with the UFC’s best. Currently ranked sixth in the division, Henderson owns career victories over some of the sport’s top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Vitor Belfort, Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin and Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante. Now, he looks to derail Cormier and move closer to a coveted UFC title shot.

Undefeated in his professional career and currently ranked fifth in the UFC’s talented 205-pound division, Cormier (14-0, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) made his light heavyweight debut in February by knocking out Patrick Cummins. A teammate and training partner of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, “DC” holds signature victories over former UFC champions Josh Barnett and Frank Mir. A victory over MMA legend Henderson on May 24 could secure him a date with the UFC light heavyweight champion.

The bout is subject to all licensing rules and regulations set forth by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Tickets for UFC®173: BARAO vs. DILLASHAW, presented by BUD LIGHT®, are on sale now and are priced at $750, $500, $325, $200, $125, and $75. 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 MGM Grand box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

Get your VIP package today! The UFC VIP Experience packages together your tickets with behind-the-scenes access to the official weigh-ins, backstage tours, meet and greet and autograph signings with top UFC stars, Q&A sessions, and photo opportunities, access to an in-arena VIP party room, a chance to hold the championship belt inside the Octagon® and more!

UFC®173: BARAO vs. DILLASHAW will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High -Definition.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




FIVE MUST-SEE FEATURES ON UFC’S FAN APP, POWERED BY METROPCS

owered by MetroPCS®. Available for free worldwide, UFC’s Fan App is designed to enhance the way fans around the world watch fights and interact with the UFC. As the ultimate all-in-one fight night companion, the app helps fans to enhance the fight night experience no matter if they are watching at the arena, at home, at a bar or somewhere else around the world. Fans can download the UFC Fan App for free on Android devices in Google Play and on iPhone or iPad devices in the App Store.

Here are five must-see updates and features to the app:

1) Enhance Your Live Event Experience with Red & Blue Corner In-Arena Audio: Fight fans attending a live event will have access to red and blue corner in-arena audio feeds as they watch the fight.

2) Throw Away Your Sharpie for a Digital Autograph: Fans can throw their sharpie away and receive an e-signature in-person on their phone or tablet from fighters. The digital autograph makes it easier to share with friends or family online. Fans can take photos to be signed and then store or share them socially.

3) Follow a Fighter’s Movements Inside the Octagon® with a Live Fight Rhythm Tracker: Exclusively for the app, fans can receive live, real-time statistics during UFC events with a Fight Rhythm Tracker. The tracker will show which fighters are in control inside the Octagon to bring fans closer to the action.

4) Watch Fight Highlights During & After Events: Fans can watch fight highlights during and after events, keep-up-to-date with breaking UFC news, view content including matchup features and on-going segments such as the MetroPCS® Move of the Week, receive fight updates and schedule announcements, watch live streams of official weigh-ins and press conferences, view fighter profiles and access personal social media accounts for content sharing and interaction.

5) Participate in UFC Fantasy Pick’Em Games to Win Prizes: Play UFC fantasy games from your mobile device to make your picks, compete with friends and fans worldwide to win great prizes. Fans can also opt for customized push notifications so that they can quickly respond to engaging comments.

FOX UFC SATURDAY®: WERDUM vs. BROWNE will be available live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 19. FOX Sports 1 airs the Preliminary Card action live beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

About MetroPCS
MetroPCS provides the freedom and convenience of unlimited, no-annual-contract wireless services on a nationwide 4G LTE network for a flat rate. With MetroPCS, customers get great value and a wide variety of device choices from leading brands. A flagship brand operated by T-Mobile US, Inc. (NYSE: “TMUS”), MetroPCS products and services are available online and across the United States through a network of company-owned stores, authorized dealer locations, and leading national retailers. For more information, please visit www.metropcs.com.




UFC® HEADS TO ALBUQUERQUE SATURDAY, JUNE 7 AT TINGLEY COLISEUM

Las Vegas –The Ultimate Fighting Championship® will make its highly anticipated debut in Albuquerque on Saturday, June 7 at Tingley Coliseum. In the five-round main event, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will take on the surging Rustam Khabilov, a winner of six straight.

Owning wins over some of the sport’s top names such as Josh Thomson, Gilbert Melendez and Frankie Edgar (twice), Henderson (20-3, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) is eager to reclaim the lightweight crown. To do so, he must diffuse the relentless Khabilov (17-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.). Nicknamed “Tiger”, the 27-year-old Khabilov trains at the famed Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA gym in Albuquerque and has reeled off three straight wins to start his UFC career. Now he’ll meet the toughest test of his young career against the former UFC lightweight champion.

In the night’s co-main event, Albuquerque’s own Diego Sanchez (26-7) will compete in front of his hometown fans in a potential Fight of the Year candidate against Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson (17-6-1NC, fighting out of San Diego). Plus, flyweight sensation and hometown superstar John Dodson (16-6, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) looks to secure a title shot when he collides with No.4 flyweight contender John Moraga (14-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.).

If that wasn’t enough, Mexican bantamweight star and Jackson-Winkeljohn product Erik “Goyito” Perez takes on Bryan Caraway in a pivotal fight between rising title contenders.

Also scheduled for the card:

Bobby Voelker (24-11, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) takes on Lance Benoist (6-2, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) in a welterweight collision.
A bantamweight bout between Sergio Pettis (10-1, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wis.) and up-and-comer Yaotzin Meza (19-9, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.)
In a lightweight matchup, versatile Yves Edwards (42-20, 1NC, fighting out of Austin, TX) vs. submission specialist Piotr Hallman (14-2, fighting out of Gdynia, Poland)
A light heavyweight matchup featuring All-American wrestler Patrick Cummins (4-1, fighting out of Dana Point, Calif.) taking on Francimar Barroso (16-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

Additional bouts will be announced in the weeks to come at UFC.com.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: HENDERSON vs. KHABILOV, go on sale Friday, April 18 at 10 a.m. MT and are priced at $175, $125, $75 and $50. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

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

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

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




UNDISPUTED BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION RENAN BARAO DEFENDS TITLE AGAINST TJ DILLASHAW AT UFC® 173 SATURDAY, MAY 24 IN LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC® bantamweight champion Renan Barao looks to stake his claim as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world when he meets the explosive and dangerous TJ Dillashaw Saturday, May 24 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Barao (34-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has amassed an unprecedented 35-fight unbeaten streak, including victories over championship contenders Urijah Faber (twice), Michael McDonald and Eddie Wineland. Now, the Brazilian sensation will collide with Dillashaw (10-2, fighting out of Sacramento Calif.), a dynamic finisher who poses a serious threat to the champion’s reign. What’s more, Dillashaw comes into the title fight motivated and inspired to avenge the losses of his teammate and mentor, Faber.

“Renan Barao is on a 35-fight unbeaten streak and he’s the No. 3 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the sport,” UFC President Dana White said. “He is incredibly talented and has the killer instinct that fight fans love! He is on his way to becoming the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. This is an amazing fight! Dillashaw has never looked better and is an aggressive beast who will try to finish Barao and end his unbeaten streak.”

Also, fresh off a razor thin defeat to current welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, hard hitting fan-favorite (No. 1) Robbie Lawler (22-10, 1 NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) returns to the Octagon® to meet fellow heavy-handed contender (No. 5) Jake Ellenberger (29-7, fighting out of Lake Forest, Calif.).

Other bouts for UFC 173 include:
No. 7 bantamweight Takeya Mizugaki (19-7-2) vs. No. 10 Francisco Rivera (10-2, 1 NC).
Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner (21-9-1, 2 NC) vs. well-rounded contender James Krause (20-5).
The Ultimate Fighter 15 winner Michael Chiesa (10-1) vs. Brazilian submission specialist Francisco Trinaldo (16-7).
The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner Tony Ferguson (15-3) vs. Tokyo’s Katsunori Kikuno (22-5-2).
The Ultimate Fighter 18 winner Chris Holdsworth (6-0) vs. Milwaukee’s Chico Camus (14-4).
New York’s Al Iaquinta (8-2-1) vs. Canadian lightweight Mitch Clarke (10-2).
Las Vegas resident Anthony Njokuani (17-7) vs. hard-hitting lightweight Vinc Pichel (8-1).
Heavy-handed striker Sam Sicilia (12-4) vs. South Korean featherweight Doo Ho Choi (11-1).
English welterweight Danny Mitchell (14-5-1) vs. newcomer Li Jingliang (8-2).

Tickets for UFC®173: BARAO vs. DILLASHAW, presented by BUD LIGHT®, go on sale April 11 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $750, $500, $325, $200, $125, and $75. 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 MGM Grand box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, April 10 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC®173: BARAO vs. DILLASHAW will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High -Definition.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




Lou Lauria Joins Ultimate Fighting Championship® as Vice President, Governing Body Relationships and International Fight Week

Las Vegas, Nev. – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is pleased to announce that Lou Lauria has joined the company as Vice President, Governing Body Relationships and International Fight Week. In this role, Lauria will oversee the company’s relationships with national, continental, and international sports federations. He will also spearhead the UFC’s global expansion and influence during International Fight Week™ in Las Vegas.

“I have watched with great interest over the years the emergence of the UFC as an innovative property that has become a true industry leader,” said Lauria. “The opportunity to become engaged in the global development of this sport and bring the combat sports community together around what will become an iconic annual event in International Fight Week was what attracted me to the UFC.”

Lauria’s extensive knowledge and background will shape the UFC’s continued support for various governing bodies and provide leadership on issues relating to the development of mixed martial arts (MMA) around the world. As the UFC continues to expand internationally, Lauria’s expertise in global development will help further the company’s growth as a leader in MMA.

“Developing existing relationships and identifying potential partners is vital to the UFC as it continues to promote MMA and combat sports around the world,” added Lauria. “We have already seen the explosive growth of the UFC and with International Fight Week serving as the premier MMA event of the year we will continue to work with governing bodies around the world to help better serve MMA and expand the sport globally.”

Lauria brings over 20 years of experience of fostering international partnerships and developing projects for various sports federations around the world. He joins the UFC from Helios Partners, an international sports consulting agency, where he was most recently responsible for the Bid City and Organizing Committee Consulting business unit. Previously, Lauria worked with the International Olympic Committee as a Partnership Services Manager for their Television and Marketing Services division. He also worked in sport and venue roles for the Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Salt Lake 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committees.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




EA MAKES HISTORY AS BRUCE LEE STEPS INTO THE OCTAGON® FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH EA SPORTS UFC LAUNCHING JUNE 17

Las Vegas, Nev. – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) announced today that Bruce Lee, “The Father of Mixed Martial Arts”, will make his historic first step into the Octagon® in EA SPORTS™ UFC, launching June 17, 2014. Fans can pre-order today to get instant day-one access to Bruce, or they can complete the game’s career mode at Pro difficulty to unlock him. Players can fight with the legend across four different weight classes and test his legacy against the best of the best in the UFC. To see Bruce Lee realized in game, watch the EA SPORTS UFC Gameplay Series: Bruce Lee Reveal, the first cinematic trailer from EA SPORTS UFC that was released today. For more information on the Bruce Lee pre-order offer, please visit http://o.ea.com/20562.

“I am so excited about this opportunity to bring my father back to videogames!” said Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter, CEO of Bruce Lee, LLC and Chairperson of the Bruce Lee Foundation. “I’m thrilled that fans can now interact with him in a new way. The EA SPORTS UFC development team has been incredible to work with, and they’ve done a great job capturing the look and feel of my father. I think people will love getting a chance to fulfill a fight fantasy by playing Bruce Lee in the new UFC game.”

“There’s no debate, Bruce Lee is the father of mixed martial arts,” said Dana White, UFC President. “He believed not one style of fighting was the best and that you had to have a little piece of everything to be a complete fighter. He was proven right when the first UFC event took place in 1993.”

“It has always been part of our vision to have Bruce Lee, the most iconic martial artist of all time, in the first ever EA SPORTS UFC,” said Brian Hayes, Creative Director, EA. “The team is very excited and tremendously honored to have the privilege of bringing Bruce Lee to life in our game. We’ve been working closely with the Bruce Lee team to ensure we represent the legend with as much visual and gameplay fidelity as possible.”

Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE technology, EA SPORTS UFC is built from the ground up exclusively for Gen 4 platforms, EA SPORTS UFC captures the human athleticism, physiology and emotion of the athlete like nothing before it. Step into the Octagon® and Feel the Fight with every strike, takedown and submission.

Assets: To download assets, please visit the EA press site at http://info.ea.com. Visit the EA SPORTS UFC website for more details.

EA SPORTS UFC is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver and will be available for Xbox One and PlayStation®4 consoles. The game has not yet been rated the ESRB and PEGI; visit www.esrb.org and www.pegi.info for more information. Become a fan of EA SPORTS UFC on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/easportsufc and follow us on Twitter via http://www.twitter.com/easportsufc.

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 industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC. For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com.

*Conditions apply. Visit http://o.ea.com/20562 for details

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players in over 200 countries. In fiscal year 2013, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.8 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news. EA SPORTS, The Sims, SSX, Need for Speed, Mass Effect and Battlefield are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and affiliated entities in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners. John Madden, NFL, NCAA, NHL, NBA, PGA TOUR and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.




UFC® TO MAKE LONG-AWAITED SAN ANTONIO DEBUT SATURDAY, JUNE 28 AT AT&T CENTER

Las Vegas, Nevada – For the first time in company history, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® will come to San Antonio on Saturday, June 28 at AT&T Center. The main event will feature a five-round featherweight bout between two of the division’s top contenders and most exciting strikers in Cub Swanson and Jeremy Stephens .

Winner of five straight bouts, the fourth-ranked Swanson (20-5, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) headlines his first UFC® event and eyes a potential shot at the title later this year. The Palm Springs, Calif. native has long been one to watch at 145 pounds with his blend of precision striking and seemingly endless cardio. With recent wins over Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, Ross Pearson and Dennis Siver, Swanson looks to cement his status as the next title contender with a win in San Antonio.

Longtime veteran Stephens (23-9, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) will step into the Octagon® for the 19th time on June 28, looking to get one step closer to his ultimate goal of claiming the UFC title. The tenth-ranked Stephens was entrenched in the sport from a very early age, competing in amateur bouts at 16 and turning pro at 18. Having first competed at UFC 71 in May 2007, “Lil’ Heathen” has since gone on to collect wins over Cole Miller, Rafael dos Anjos, Sam Stout and Marcus Davis. Undefeated since dropping to featherweight, Stephens looks to continue his career resurgence and win his fourth straight bout.

Also scheduled for the card:
The return of The Ultimate Fighter® season 16 winner and active member of the U.S. Army Colton Smith (6-3, fighting out of Ft. Hood, Texas), as he takes on undefeated Carlos Diego Ferreira (9-0, fighting out of Edcouch, Texas) at lightweight.
A welterweight bout between Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Marcelo Guimaraes (8-1-1, fighting out of Vila Velha, Espirito Santo, Brazil) and submission specialist Andy Enz (8-1, fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska).
A heavyweight matchup featuring promotional newcomers Anthony Hamilton (12-2, fighting out of Seattle, Wash.) and Oleksiy Oliynyk (48-13-1, fighting out of Vologda Oblast, Russia).

Additional bouts will be announced in the weeks to come at UFC.com.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SWANSON vs. STEPHENS, go on sale Friday, April 11 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $175, $125, $75 and $50. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges. Tickets are also available at www.attcenter.com and the AT&T Center box office.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, April 9 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, April 10 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SWANSON vs. STEPHENS will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 28, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER®: TEAM EDGAR vs. TEAM PENN INITIAL CAST REVEALED

Las Vegas, Nev. – On Wednesday, April 16, Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) fans will get their fill of the UFC’s long-running reality series, The Ultimate Fighter®, as FOX Sports 1 showcases the season-ending The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale live from Quebec City, followed by the two-hour premiere of the hotly anticipated 19th season headlined by former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and two-division champion BJ Penn.

In the 19th edition of the series, 16 middleweight (185 lbs.) and 16 light heavyweight (205 lbs.) fighters will square off in the most challenging sports tournament on television. The premiere episode will determine the eight men from each division who will successfully move into The Ultimate Fighter house and compete for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a six-figure contract with the UFC.

See this season’s newly released promos featuring Frankie Edgar, BJ Penn and the latest cast of Ultimate Fighters.

The successful fighters will be divided into two teams, coached by Edgar and Penn respectively. The series will follow the teams as they live and train together in preparation for their fights. Then, both coaches will settle their score once and for all at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 6, in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale.

“Frankie Edgar is a guy who many believed should have fought at 145 pounds but fought at 155 pounds and beat everybody including BJ Penn – twice,” said UFC president Dana White. “This kid went from being a one-dimensional wrestler to having some of the best hands, knockouts and toe-to-toe wars.

“BJ Penn is one of the legends in the sport. He basically built the 155-pound division in the sport and had championship belts at 155 and 170 pounds. I can’t wait to see this third fight.”

The competitors are, in alphabetical order (name, professional MMA record, age, fighting out of):

The competitors are:
Corey Anderson (3-0), 24, Lincoln, Ill.
Cathal Pendred (13-2), 26, Dublin, Ireland
Kelly Anundson (6-1), 29, Deerfield Beach, Fla.
John Poppie (3-1), 24, Ettrick, Wis.
Anton Berzin (3-1), 24, Philadelphia, Pa.
Doug Sparks (7-2), 31, Bloomington, Ind.
Josh Clark (7-2), 29, Richmond, Ky.
Daniel Spohn (8-3), 29, Columbus, Ohio
Chris Fields (8-4), 30, Dublin, Ireland
Joshua Stansbury (4-2), 29, East Liverpool, Ohio
Matthew Gabel (8-3), 28, Le Mars, Iowa
Ian Stephens (4-0), 25, Ringgold, Ga.
Lyman Good (15-3), 28, New York, N.Y.
Adam Stroup (5-1), 27, Denver, Colo.
Eddie Gordon (6-1), 29, Uniondale, N.Y.
Nordine Taleb (8-2), 32, Montreal, Canada
Jacob Heun (6-3), 26, Coconut Creek, Fla.
Hector Urbina (16-8), 26, Coconut Creek, Fla.
Mike King (5-0), 30, Naples, Fla.
Matt Van Buren (6-2), 27, Chula Vista, Calif.
Tyler King (7-1), 33, North Attleboro, Mass.
Bojan Velickovic (8-2), 33, Delray Beach, Fla.
Dhiego Lima (8-1), 33, Sugar Hill, Ga.
Daniel Vizcaya (7-2), 28, Aurora, Ill.
Adrian Miles (14-5), 30, Biloxi, Miss.
Patrick Walsh (4-1), 25, Stoughton, Mass.
Tyler Minton (5-1), 26, Johnson City, Tenn.
Tim Williams (8-1), 27, Millville, N.J.
Todd Monaghan (8-2), 31, Clinton, Iowa
Roger Zapata (5-1), 27, New York, N.Y.
Cody Mumma (5-1), 30, Henderson, Colo.

The official headshots may be downloaded using the following link: ftp://upload:upload@ftp.ufc.com/2014-03-19-TUF-19-CAST-32-PRE-ELIMINATION-HEADSHOTS.zip (cut and paste link into your web browser to properly download files).

The Ultimate Fighter®: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn will run for 13 weeks in its regularly scheduled timeslot of 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Each episode’s winners will advance in the single-elimination tournament, which will culminate in a three-hour finale, live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 6.

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 and Matt Serra and season winners Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and Nate Diaz.

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

###

The Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.

FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 1 is America’s new national multi-sport channel that launched on August 17 in approximately 90 million homes and boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually. The channel has several pillar sports: college basketball and football, MLB (in 2014), NASCAR, NFL (ancillary programs), international soccer, UFC and Golden Boy boxing, and adds USGA events, including the U.S. Open, and FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015. FOX SPORTS LIVE is FOX Sports 1’s flagship 24/7 news, opinion and highlights program, providing around the clock coverage through regularly scheduled programs, hourly updates and an information rich ticker. Original programs include: AMERICA’S PREGAME; MLB WHIPAROUND; NASCAR RACE HUB; CROWD GOES WILD, a new live sports entertainment talk show hosted by Regis Philbin; and the groundbreaking BEING: documentary franchise. FOX Sports GO, a new authenticated mobile sports experience for iPhone, iPad, Android devices and the web, serves as the channel’s digital extension. The app offers more than 1,100 live games and events from cross FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports’ 22 regional sports networks, as well as scores, highlights, news, stats and analysis. For more information visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1.




UFC FAN EXPO® RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS THIS JULY DURING INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK

ufc_title-belt_206
Las Vegas – As part of UFC International Fight Week™, thousands of fans from all over the world will celebrate their passion for mixed martial arts (MMA) during UFC Fan Expo® July 5-6 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. During the two-day event fans will have access to the sport’s biggest names, interact with industry icons and more than 150 vendors, participate in exhibitions, fighter autograph and training sessions, and enjoy other special events and competitions. The UFC Fan Expo will culminate with the exciting conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale on Sunday, July 6 at Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Tickets and VIP packages for the UFC Fan Expo are on sale NOW at www.ufcfanexpo.com. Tickets for Saturday, July 5 are priced at $45, while tickets for Sunday, July 6 are priced at $40. A two-day pass is also available and is priced at $60. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets now and save, as ticket pricing will increase at the door. Ticket on-sale for The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale will be announced at a later date.

This marks the fifth UFC Fan Expo held in Las Vegas since its inception in 2009, with additional UFC Fan Expos being held in Boston, London, Toronto and Houston.

Activities, appearances and sessions will be announced in the coming weeks. Current highlights include:

· 50+ UFC stars and celebrities

· Youth and adult, grappling and mixed martial arts tournaments

· Autograph sessions with fighters

· Q&A sessions with fighters and personalities

· Training and development sessions with some of the most influential figures in MMA

· Live performances that showcase Las Vegas’ entertainment

· Interactive fan events

To receive the latest news and updates on UFC Fan Expo, exclusive deals and discounts, Training & Development sessions and more, sign up for the official Expo newsletter (www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter) or follow @UFCFanExpo.

About UFC International Fight Week™

UFC International Fight Week™ returns to the Fight Capital of the World July 1-6, 2014. The weeklong celebration includes something for everyone from entertainment, dining and arts to charitable events, shopping and, of course, all things UFC. The event will also feature for the first-time ever, two huge fight cards in one weekend in the UFC’s hometown – UFC® 175 and The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale. Other fan favorite activities will return including UFC Fan Expo, a pool party with Octagon Girls®, training sessions with fighters, a free concert, weigh-ins and more! Tickets and event details are available at www.UFCFightWeek.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.




UFC INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK™ RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS JULY 1-6 WITH BIGGEST PLANS YET, SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AND ALL THINGS UFC

Las Vegas – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) and Las Vegas are teaming up for the third annual UFC International Fight Week™ July 1-6, 2014. The weeklong celebration for fans around the world returns with its biggest plans yet and something for everyone including entertainment, dining, arts, charitable events, shopping and, of course, all things UFC. The event will also feature for the first-time ever, two huge fight cards in one weekend in the UFC’s hometown of Las Vegas – UFC 175 and The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale and multiple events offered around town every day.

Several of the hottest locations in Las Vegas will host UFC themed events and fans will have access to UFC stars and celebrities. The UFC Fan Expo® will also return with new activities, youth and adult, grappling and martial arts tournaments, fan contests, live performances showcasing Las Vegas talent, more main stage activities, and exciting experiences for fans to interact with fighters. Other fan favorite activities will return including a pool party with Octagon Girls®, training sessions with fighters, a free concert, weigh-ins and more. Appearances, activities and on-sale dates will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets and event details are available at www.UFCFightWeek.com. UFC Fan Expo tickets are on sale NOW at www.UFCFanExpo.com.

“Two of the world’s most recognizable brands, UFC and Las Vegas, have developed a strong and successful partnership that delivers unrivaled excitement to millions of loyal fans around the world,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “UFC International Fight Week provides fans with unprecedented access to UFC stars and no destination matches the passion and energy like Las Vegas.”

During UFC International Fight Week, tens of thousands of fans head to Las Vegas, the UFC’s hometown and fight capital of the world, to meet UFC fighters and talent, experience what Vegas has to offer and witness action-packed events. Some of the most memorable UFC events in history have taken place around Fourth of July weekend. To date, the UFC has hosted more than eighty events in Las Vegas, which have drawn more than half a million fans. The last UFC International Fight Week event generated more than $146 million in economic impact for Las Vegas.

UFC Fight Club® members will enjoy exclusive members-only benefits during UFC International Fight Week including VIP access at select events, 10% off discount offer on UFC Fan Expo tickets, The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale and UFC 175 pre-sale offers and more. For more information on becoming a UFC Fight Club member visit www.ufcfightclub.com.

Get your VIP package today! The UFC VIP Experience packages together your tickets with behind-the-scenes access to the official weigh-ins, backstage tours, meet and greet and autograph signings with top UFC stars, Q&A sessions, and photo opportunities, access to an in-arena VIP party room, a chance to hold the championship belt inside the Octagon® and more!

To book travel for UFC International Fight Week visit www.lasvegas.com/ufc or www.ufcfightweek.com. Stay connected with UFC International Fight Week news on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/UFCFightWeek), Twitter and Instagram (@UFCFightWeek).

Assets: To view the UFC International Fight Week sizzle, please visit www.UFC.com (full link: http://www.ufc.com/media/ufc-intl-fight-week-sizzle).

About Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.

About the LVCVA
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.8 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.LasVegas.com.




THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® 20 TRYOUTS OPEN TO STRAWWEIGHT WOMEN

Las Vegas, Nevada – In the aftermath of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization’s 20th anniversary, the UFC is kicking off its next two decades with a fresh twist on its storied reality television series, The Ultimate Fighter®. For the first time ever, the series’ 20th season will feature an all women cast in the UFC’s newest weight division and a new title for the winner – that of UFC champion.

In addition to the lucrative contract with the UFC, the winner of this season of The Ultimate Fighter® will be crowned the UFC strawweight division’s inaugural champion.

Women in the 115-pound division are invited to attend the official tryouts in Las Vegas, Nev. on Monday, April 28. Candidates must be female, 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 verifiable records). Applications, which should be completed and brought to the tryouts, can be found online at http://www.ufc.com/tuf20. 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 28
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.

Questions can be directed to: tufcasting@ufc.com

The Ultimate Fighter, which debuted in 2005, has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and produced champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Matt Serra and season winners including Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and Nate Diaz.

The Ultimate Fighter 20 will begin filming in May and premiere on FOX Sports 1 on Sept. 10

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About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns more than100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.