UFC Lightweight Champ Frankie Edgar To Visit Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Frankie Edgar
January 22 Fight Card to be Broadcast Live On Spike TV from Fort Hood, TX
UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar will bring his championship belt to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum to greet fans, sign autographs and promote the upcoming “ Fight For the Troops II ,” a UFC event to raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, on Wednesday, January 19 from 11am to 12Noon ET at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, located at Hudson River Park Pier 86 (46th Street and 12th Avenue), Manhattan.
“Fight for the Troops” will broadcast live from Fort Hood, TX January 22 at 9 pm ET on SPIKE TV featuring many of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world. The first “Fight for the Troops” in 2008 raised $4 million for the IFHF.
UFC and SPIKE have teamed up with Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to support our nation’s military who have suffered injuries in service to our nation. The Fund has provided over $120 million in support for the families of military personnel lost in service to our nation, and for severely wounded military personnel and veterans.
Information about ways to donate can be found online at www.fightforthetroops.com, along with UFC.com and Spike.com.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events.
Frankie Edgar is a Toms River, NJ native and one of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world. Edgar captured the UFC lightweight belt last April in a win over UFC legend B.J. Penn. Edgar most recently fought to a draw with Gray Maynard on New Years Day at UFC 125, retaining his coveted title belt.
UFC Commits To Madison Square Garden And New York State
UFC.com
UFC Chairman And CEO Lorenzo Fertitta And UFC President Dana White Commit To Madison Square Garden, Plan At Least Two Annual UFC Events In New York Once Sport Is Regulated In NY State
New Economic Impact Study Finds Regulating Mixed Martial Arts in Empire State Would Bring Hundreds of Jobs, More Than $23 Million Annually
UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and President Dana White today unveiled plans to bring at least two UFC events to New York within the first year the sport is regulated in the state, including one to be held at Madison Square Garden. Joined at a press conference at The World’s Most Famous Arena by UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Scott O’Neil, President of Madison Square Garden Sports, White expressed his desire to finally bring UFC to the Empire State.
“It’s time to bring the fastest growing sport in the world to New York and Madison Square Garden,” White said. “We already know that New York is filled with UFC fans who want to see live UFC events in their home state. With the economic benefits that UFC would bring to New York, it’s time for UFC to do Madison Square Garden.”
“We are thrilled that Dana and the UFC are so committed to New York,” O’Neil said. “UFC and its passionate fans have a home here at Madison Square Garden, and we look forward to welcoming them as soon as the sport is regulated in New York. We have no doubt that UFC would be enormously popular at The Garden and a great addition to our lineup of world class sports and entertainment events.”
In addition to announcing plans to hold two annual UFC events in New York, UFC officials released the findings of a new economic study today.
“We’ve done similar economic studies in major cities such as Boston, Las Vegas and Philadelphia and each showed the substantial positive impact hosting a UFC event has on the local economy,” Fertitta said. “This study shows that by regulating MMA , New York can reap the economic benefits statewide.”
The study found that holding two UFC events in the state (one at Madison Square Garden and one in Buffalo) will create roughly $16 million in new spending. Additionally, the study found smaller MMA operators will likely hold events that would bring an additional $4 million. In total, $23 million of annual new spending and hundreds of new jobs will be created in the local economy by regulating MMA.
Many UFC fans travel from surrounding states, stay for extended periods (at least one night at a hotel), and often arrive hours early for fights, which boosts merchandise and concession sales. New York-based MMA gyms and related industries are also expected to see an increase in revenue from the regulation of the sport. Likewise, local businesses will benefit greatly from MMA bouts, particularly outside of New York City where the economic influx is proportionally greater. This trend follows that of surrounding states which currently regulate MMA fights.
“By bringing UFC events to New York, the state will see a positive financial impact,” White said. “The arenas will get to host major UFC events and local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses will attract new customers. They’ll look forward to the times we bring UFC to New York.”
“I grew up in New Jersey, so fighting in New York City at Madison Square Garden has always been a dream,” Edgar said. “Some of the greatest sports events ever have been held at MSG and it would be an honor to fight in New York. I know the fans here are hungry for it.”
The full economic impact study is available at www.mmafacts.com/econstudy.
Legislation to allow the New York State Athletic Commission to regulate MMA was included in the Executive Budget, passed the State Senate, and passed the New York Assembly Tourism Committee and Codes Committee for the second year in a row. Currently 44 other U.S. states regulate MMA, including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, where UFC will host an event at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 19.
All Heavyweight Card Set For Strikeforce World Grand Prix
Strikeforce
Top-Heavy: Shane Del Rosario-Lavar Johnson, Chad Griggs-Gian Villante, Valentijn Overeem-Ray Sefo At IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. Ticket Pre-Sale Begins Tomorrow/Wednesday
Six additional hard-hitting heavyweight fighters have been called to action for the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promotion and historic kick-off of the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The three fights are: Undefeated top prospect Shane Del Rosario (10-0) of Irvine, Calif., vs. hard-hitting Lavar “Big’’ Johnson (15-3) of Madera, Calif., Chad “The Grave Digger’’ Griggs (9-1) of Tucson, Ariz., vs. Gian (pronounced “John”) Villante (7-1) of Bellmore, N.Y., and Valentijn Overeem (28-25) of Amsterdam, Holland, vs. Ray “Sugarfoot’’ Sefo (2-0) of Las Vegas.
“This event will showcase the depth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight roster,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “Shane and Lavar are two products of the STRIKEFORCE Challengers series that has been instrumental in developing new talent. We are proud to welcome them to our championship series for the first time on Feb. 12 and excited to show the world that STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweights on the planet.”
The all heavyweight main card will be highlighted by two sensational quarterfinal bouts in the single-elimination STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament .
Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC), of Stary Oskol, Russia, returns against Brazil’s Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) of Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil in the main event. The co-feature will match former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8), of Chicago by way of Minsk, Belarus, against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4) of Moscow, Russia. Kharitonov is the last fighter to defeat STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair Overeem.
The promising 6-foot-4, 27-year-old Rosario has won nine of his 10 fights in the opening round, including a 3:38 first-round TKO (knees and punches) over Lolohea Mahe during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in his last outing on July 23, 2010, at Everett, Wash. Prior to that, Rosario registered a rare omoplata submission victory over Brandon Cash at 2:27 of the first on Nov. 6, 2009, on STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Fresno, Calif.
“I’m looking forward to fighting again and fighting Lavar on Feb. 12,” said Rosario, a Muay Thai specialist whose longest fight lasted a total of 4:07. “We’ve both fought on Challengers and now we get to show what we can do on a big show. I’m excited about that. This will be a great fight between two hungry fighters.”
The heavy-handed Johnson has been triumphant in seven consecutive fights, winning all by (T)KO, including three straight on Challengers. This will be his third fight since returning to the cage after he was gunned down while attending a family barbeque during the July 4 holiday in 2009. Johnson survived three gunshot wounds from a walk-by shooting that led to the death of his cousin. A father of two boys, Johnson spent 30 days in a hospital fighting for his life and several more months rehabilitating.
“I want to be known as a fighter, not as a guy who got shot, and this is my greatest opportunity to do that,” said the 6-foot-3, 33-year-old who stopped Virgil Zwicker at 2:17 of the first round on Oct. 22, 2010. “I feel like I’m ready to move up to the big stage. Fighting a talented fighter like Rosario is a huge step and, with our records, there is no way this cannot be one of the most exciting fights of the night.”
Thirteen of Johnson’s 15 victories have come via either knockout or TKO.
Griggs, a winner in four consecutive fights, is coming off a bloody, upset second-round TKO (retirement) over former pro wrestling superstar and previously unbeaten MMA fighter, Bobby Lashley, on Aug. 21, 2010, in Houston, on SHOWTIME.
A fulltime Tucson firefighter and paramedic, the 6-foot-1, 32-year-old Griggs opened up a gushing cut over Lashley’s left eye in the first round after getting taken to the ground and ultimately outlasted the previously unbeaten MMA fighter in the second as a still-bleeding Lashley seemed to gas.
The courageous, come-from-behind triumph may have been the most noteworthy for a well-rounded, strong finisher known for quick endings and tricky submissions. Six of Griggs’ victories came in the first round, and he has scored knockouts in eight of his nine victories.
“It was a dream come true to fight for STRIKEFORCE and getting a super win in a big fight like that was huge for me,’’ Griggs said. “I appreciate the opportunity to show what I can do again against another tough opponent.”
Villante is a 6-foot-2, 25-year-old grappling stud who was born and raised on Long Island. Before he wrestled and played football at Hofstra University, he was an All-State football player and All-American wrestler at MacArthur High in Levittown, N.Y.
After trying out with the NFL’s New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, Villante turned to MMA in late 2008. “I got hooked the first time I went to an MMA fight card and saw one of my high school wrestling coaches KO some guy in a few seconds,” he said. “I was still a senior in high school but I got that feeling that I could maybe do this, and it was always in the back of my mind.
“I knew when my dream to play in the NFL ended that this was what I wanted to do. Now, fighting MMA has become more of a dream than football. I’m extremely excited about fighting for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. This is a tremendous opportunity and it is like a home game for me.”
Without the benefit of an amateur career, Villante turned pro on Feb. 20, 2009, and won his initial six fights. His lone defeat came when he dislocated an elbow in a bout halted in the opening round on April 16, 2010. Villante is coming off a 1:03, first-round TKO over Joseph Reyes on Dec. 3, 2010. It was his sixth success in the first round.
The older brother of Alistair Overeem, Valentijn Overeem is a fierce, dangerous striker who has won his last two fights in a combined time of 47 seconds. The 6-foot-3, 34-year-old Dutch Destroyer scored a 40-second KO (knee) over Catalin Zmarandescu on May 21, 2010. In his outing before last, the previous April 17, a head kick finished off Tengiz Tedoradze seven seconds after the opening bell.
Overeem, who injured an elbow during training and withdrew from a match last Dec. 4 against “Big Foot’’ Silva, has several notable victories, including a 0:56, first-round submission over all-time great Randy “The Natural” Couture and a 2:19, first-round submission over former STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral. Overeem has only gone the distance twice in a 53-fight career.
A member of Team Golden Glory like his brother, Alistair, Valentijn is a four-time winner in PRIDE Fighting Championship competition. He’ll be making his debut for STRIKEFORCE after signing with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion last June.
Sefo is one of the most devastating knockout artists in the history of kickboxing and many are excited to see him return to STRIKEFORCE. This will be the native of Auckland, New Zealand’s first MMA start since he defeated (knee injury) Kevin Jordan in his STRIKEFORCE debut during a Challengers event on Sept. 25, 2009.
After turning professional and earning more than a dozen kickboxing championships, Sefo turned his focus to the mecca of kickboxing, K-1, in Japan. While competing under the K-1 banner, Sefo quickly earned a reputation as a power puncher with a penchant for knocking his opponents out. During his time with in K-1, Sefo notched wins over the likes of MMA notables Mark Hunt, Melvin Manhoef, 7-foot-2 Hong Man Choi, Gary Goodridge, Marvin Eastman and Gilbert Yvel along with scores of champion kickboxers.
The 6-foot, 39-year-old Sefo’s level of kickboxing is rarely seen in MMA, yet with just two pro MMA fights in five years he remains a question mark in a heavyweight division regarded as the best in MMA. Sefo, who went undefeated his entire career as an amateur kickboxer, won his MMA debut with a second-round KO (head kick) over Min Soo Kim on July, 6, 2005, in Japan.
A special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders,” begins tomorrow/Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. ET and ends Thursday at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at STRIKEFORCE.com
Tickets for the Feb. 12 mega-event go on sale to the public on Friday, Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. ET at the IZOD Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
Lesnar and Dos Santos are The TUF 13 Coaches
Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos Coaches for TUF 13
Brock Lesnar And Junior Dos Santos To Coach Season 13 Of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
The most compelling fighter in the sport of mixed martial arts and the UFC, Brock Lesnar , will serve as a coach for the 13th season of Spike TV’s popular original series, The Ultimate Fighter. Announced today by Dana White, UFC President and host of the series, Lesnar will be opposed by hard-hitting top contender Junior dos Santos .
Lesnar and dos Santos will fight at a later date in June for a shot at the heavyweight title. But first, they will collide as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter . The show goes into production in late January in Las Vegas and premieres on Spike TV Wednesday, March 30. Season 13 features 14 of the best unsigned fighters in the welterweight (170 lbs) division. The cast will be announced in late February.
Fighting out of Alexandria, Minn., Lesnar was an All-American wrestler at the University of Minnesota and 2000 NCAA heavyweight champion. Lesnar joined the WWE in 2002 and quickly became one of the popular names in sports entertainment. Lesnar left the WWE after three years and, after a brief career as a defensive end with the Minnesota Vikings, began training in mixed martial arts.
In 2008, Lesnar made his UFC debut, and later that year, in just his fourth professional MMA fight, Lesnar’s meteoric rise culminated in a TKO victory over Randy Couture at UFC 91 to win the heavyweight title. After exacting revenge on Frank Mir at UFC 100 in July 2009, Lesnar suffered a life-threatening intestinal disease that sidelined him for a year. Lesnar returned to the Octagon in July 2010 to defeat Shane Carwin at UFC 116 and regain his title belt. And though he lost his most recent fight to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 last October, he vows to beat dos Santos and regain his crown.
Brazilian heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos honed his skills as a mixed martial arts fighter under the tutelage of UFC superstars Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva. One of the sport’s rising stars and the number one contender in the division, dos Santos made his UFC debut with a stunning knockout of Fabricio Werdum at UFC 90 in October 2008. He has since won his next five bouts over the division’s top fighters including Mirko Cro Cop, Gabriel Gonzaga, and most recently, Roy Nelson, at UFC 117 last August.
Spike TV is available in 99.4 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.
Pettis Honored in Hometown
UFC Lightweight Star Anthony Pettis To Receive Official Proclamation From City Of Milwaukee Tomorrow For Winning WEC Lightweight Title And Commitment To His Hometown
It was a whirlwind year for UFC lightweight star Anthony Pettis in 2010. Unbeaten in four fights last year, Pettis added the WEC lightweight title to his resume, as well as a nationally-televised appearance on MTV’s hit show “World of Jenks.”
Those accomplishments, plus his work in the community, have earned the 23-year-old an official proclamation from his hometown of the city of Milwaukee, Wisc. Pettis will receive the proclamation during a meeting with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 3:45pm CT at the Mayor’s Office.
Pettis, whose “Showtime” kick landed against Ben Henderson on Dec. 16 was named one of the top 10 plays of the year by ESPN’s SportsCenter, expressed his sincere gratitude to Mayor Barrett and the city of Milwaukee for such an honor.
“This is an amazing feeling,” Pettis said. “It’s been a crazy year. I’ve won a world title, been featured on MTV and SportsCenter and threw out the first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers game. I never imagined myself being in this position. I’m really thankful that Mayor Tom Barrett and the city of Milwaukee have chosen to honor me. Milwaukee means so much to me and I’m proud to represent it every time I compete.”
The Return Of Fedor, Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament
Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Bracket
Saturday, Feb. 12, IZOD Center, East Rutherford, N.J.; Ticket Pre-Sale Begins Next Wednesday, Tickets On Sale To The Public Next Friday
Fans wishing to purchase tickets for the blockbuster Mixed Martial Arts ( MMA ) mega-event featuring the return of legendary Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko and the kickoff of the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., won’t have to wait long.
A special ticket pre-sale for “ STRIKEFORCE Insiders,” begins Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. ET and ends Thursday at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at STRIKEFORCE.com .
Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. ET at the IZOD Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.
A three-stage, single-elimination tournament comprised of eight of the world’s top heavyweights will begin with two tremendous quarterfinal matches on Feb. 12.
In the main event, Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC) will take on Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. The co-feature will pit former world champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-8) against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.
The famed Fedor, 34, of Stary Oskol, Russia, will be making his first start since it was announced earlier this week that STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL, in association with SHOWTIME, had signed a new, multi-year agreement to co-promote events headlined by the MMA legend.
In his last fight, the 6-foot Fedor suffered a shocking upset loss to Fabricio Werdum on June 26, 2010. Until then, Fedor had manufactured an unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 consecutive victories, earning him recognition as the world’s all-time greatest pound-for-pound fighter.
Silva is a 6-foot-4, 31-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has won eight of his last night fights. All but two of his victories have come by knockout. Only five of his fights have gone past the first round.
Arlovski, of Minski, Belarus, is one of the most popular and recognizable fighters in the history of MMA. A hard-hitting, extremely athletic 6-feet-4, 31-year-old, he has fought and defeated some of the best since turning professional in April 1999.
A winner in four of his last five fights, the 6-foot-4, 30-year-old Kharitonov is the last man to defeat Overeem. On Sept. 17 2007, he scored a thunderous first-round KO of Overeem with a single punch in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Kharitonov is coming off a 1:25, first-round TKO (knee) destruction of Tatsuya Mizuno this past Dec. 31 in Japan.
The UFC Brings A Hard-Hitting Card To Louisville For UFC Live
Sanchez vs Kampmann at UFC on VERSUS
Diego ‘Nightmare’ Sanchez Vs. Martin ‘Hitman’ Kampmann are slated as the main event while the Co-Main Event will feature Mark Munoz Vs. Cb Dollaway
On Thursday, March 3, the UFC brings its prized thoroughbreds to the city made famous by the Kentucky Derby. For the first time ever, UFC delivers its hard-hitting action to the Bluegrass State for UFC LIVE, from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville and broadcast on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez, fresh off his Fight of the Night win against Paulo Thiago at UFC 121, will take on fellow welterweight contender Martin “Hitman” Kampmann in the night’s main event. Plus in the night’s co-main attraction, middleweight star Mark Munoz meets the versatile CB Dollaway.
“Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann are two fighters who always go for broke, so this should be a great fight,” UFC President Dana White said. “Both of these guys feel they belong at the top of the welterweight division and they’ll have a chance to prove it on March 3. The same goes for Munoz and Dolloway. They push the pace and look to finish fights and both want to fight the best middleweights out there. We’re really excited to bring a card like this to Louisville.”
“We are excited to welcome UFC to Louisville and to the KFC Yum! Center for the first time,” Edward Browne, Director of Public Relations and Media for the Kentucky State Fair Board, said. “This will be an excellent opportunity to showcase Louisville’s newest multi-purpose arena and its amenities to the UFC live and television audiences.”
Tickets for this event will go on sale Friday, January 14 at 9 a.m. ET. Tickets are priced at $200, $150, $125, $80 and $40. Tickets can be purchased in person at the KFC Yum! Center, Kentucky Exposition Center, Kentucky International Convention Center Box Offices or at any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or over the phone by calling 1-800-745-3000.
UFC Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event on Wednesday, January 12 at 10 a.m. ET via the website ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers on Thursday, January 13 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.
After reenergizing his career with a win over Paulo Thiago that earned him Fight of the Night honors last October, Diego Sanchez (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M. / 24-4) is ready to make a run up the text for hyperlinkwelterweight ladder. Also holding victories over Clay Guida, Kenny Florian, Joe Stevenson and Nick Diaz in the UFC, “Nightmare” is now focused and determined as he prepares to battle one of his most dangerous opponents to date.
“I want to fight the toughest guys out there to prove to the UFC and the fans that I’m ready for another title shot,” Sanchez said. “I want the opportunity to show everyone what I can do when I am training the right way and focused. Kampmann is very tough and he is also looked at as a top contender.”
Martin Kampmann (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 17-4) has fought to an impressive 8-3 mark in the UFC and built a reputation as a devastating striker and slick grappler. With wins over Carlos Condit, Paulo Thiago, Jorge Rivera and Jacob Volkmann, “Hitman” hopes to propel himself into the welterweight title picture by adding Sanchez’s name to his resume.
“It’s an honor being in the main event,” Kampmann said. “I’ve never been to Kentucky before and I’m looking forward to beating up Diego Sanchez in Louisville and showing everybody what the UFC is all about.”
On March 3, Mark Munoz (fighting out of Vallejo, Calif. / 9-2) looks to pick up his fifth win in his last six UFC fights. An NCAA Division I national champion at Oklahoma State University, “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” has quickly become an all-around mixed martial artist, with a knockout win over Kendall Grove and a submission victory over Ryan Jensen. Coming off a hard-fought win over Aaron Simpson, the 32-year-old will be taking on his second straight Arizona State University All-American wrestler in CB Dollaway (fighting out of Tempe, Ariz. / 12-3).
Nicknamed “The Doberman”, Dolloway has won three straight fights, including a first round Submission of the Night victory over Joe Doerksen in September. Now the 27-year-old looks to avenge the loss of his teammate Simpson in Kentucky.
Additional fights for the card will be announced at a later date. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com , UK.UFC.com , GERMANY.UFC.com , UFCJapan.jp or UFCEspanol.com . All bouts live and subject to change.
The Ring Girls of King Of The Cage
First of all, who knew the King of the Cage MMA promotion had such a stranglehold on the ring girl population. KOTC has a line-up of 15 ring girls that rotate through events, to make things even better they wear next to nothing when it comes time to make the rounds. If you ever have the chance, be sure to tune into one of their fight cards, cause if the fights don’t entertain you, these beautiful ladies definitely will. For Information on future fight cards head on over to KingOfTheCage.com .
UFC Holds Auction To Raise Funds For The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
UFC's Fight For The Troops
Live UFC Event to Raise Money For Members Of the United States Armed Forces With Traumatic Brain Injuries
From walking out to the Octagon with your favorite fighter to having dinner with the lovely UFC Octagon Girls, place your bids now in the “UFC Fight For The Troops” auction in anticipation of the “UFC Fight For The Troops” event live from Fort Hood, Texas on Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT on Spike TV. The main event showcases two of the most dynamic lightweights in the world, Evan Dunham and Melvin Guillard.
Bidders have a chance to win the UFC VIP experience, which includes airfare for the winner and a guest to a UFC event. From there, the winner will get to meet and hang out with their favorite fighter at the weigh-ins, walk out with him on fight night and will be granted unprecedented access into the Octagon to celebrate with their fighter should he win.
This special live UFC event will raise funds for the brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces with traumatic brain injuries. Information about ways to bid and to donate can be found online at FightForTheTroops.com.
Other featured auction items include: Dinner with the UFC Octagon Girls, a UFC Custom-made Camaro, a private training session with UFC fighters Randy Couture and Forrest Griffin, attending the Season 8 Premiere of the smash hit TV show “Entourage,” a chance to meet Philadelphia Phillies star outfielder Shane Victorino and many more…
The deadline is Monday, January 24, so get your bids in while you can. For more information on the available prizes, please visit: FightForTheTroops.com.
Spike TV and the UFC are partnering with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund for this second “Fight for the Troops” show. The first event took place in Fayetteville, North Carolina in December 2008, raising over 4 million dollars. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) provides assistance to our nation’s military heroes who have been critically injured in the performance of their duty, and their families.
Fort Hood is home to the largest active duty armored post in the United States Armed Services. The “Great Place” is home to over 349,000 military personnel, Family members, retirees and civilian employees. Thousands of soldiers from Fort Hood, the proud home of III Corps, the reigning All Army Combatives Championship Team, 1st Cavalry Division, 13th Sustainment Command, First Army Division West, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 41st Fires Brigade, among others, will be in attendance.
Fedor Returns in STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix: Heavyweight Tournament
Fedor vs Werdum
Quarterfinals Begin Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011; Live on SHOWTIME From IZOD Center, E. Rutherford, N.J.
STRIKEFORCE, M-1 GLOBAL in Association with Showtime Networks Inc. Sign New Multi-Fight Agreement To Co-Promote Events Headlined By Fedor
World championship Mixed Martial Arts ( MMA ) promotions STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL, in association with premium television network SHOWTIME have signed a new, multi-year agreement to co-promote events headlined by the MMA legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC).
In addition, STRIKEFORCE has assembled eight of the world’s top ranked heavyweights to compete in the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament, a three-stage, single-elimination tournament that will take place over several events in 2011. The first two quarterfinal fights begin on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME from the IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, N.J. In the main event, the 34-year-old Emelianenko will face the towering Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. Co-featured on Feb. 12, former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) will face Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat current STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.
The other two quarterfinal matchups are as follows: Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), while the heavy-handed Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2) will meet a hungry Josh Barnett (29-5). The location and date for these quarterfinal tournament fights are to be announced.
“We are thrilled to have come to a long-term agreement with Fedor and M-1 GLOBAL,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “To have the greatest MMA fighter of all-time put his legacy on the line in a single-elimination tournament will truly captivate MMA fans worldwide. STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweight division in the world; the athlete who runs the gauntlet in a tournament such as this would have to be considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world.”
“I’m very pleased to be working with SHOWTIME and STRIKEFORCE and Mr. Coker and Mr. Hershman personally. Thanks to their interest and efforts, we’ve created what will go down in history as MMA’s greatest heavyweight tournament of all time,” said Vadim Finkelchtein, co-founder of M-1 Global. “M-1, STRIKEFORCE and SHOWTIME have built a partnership committed to the future growth of MMA—a sport where organizations represent a working collaborative that enable the best fighters in the world to fight each other. This agreement benefits everyone, especially the fans who’ll see Fedor in action more often.
“With SHOWTIME’s significance in the U.S. and M-1’s development of the European and Asian MMA markets, the cooperation will also deliver a global roster of talented fighters to viewers,” Finkelchtein continued. “During the coming year, we’ll be showcasing spectacular Grand Prix events using the same M-1 Selection tournament format, a series of events generating enthusiastic spectator interest keeping fans glued to their screens.”
“I can’t think of a better way to start 2011 than with this major announcement,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. “Fedor is universally known to sports fans throughout the world and it is an honor to continue our work with M-1 GLOBAL and STRIKEFORCE in presenting this legendary fighter to SHOWTIME subscribers.
“SHOWTIME has enjoyed great success with its two most recent boxing tournaments—the Super Six World Boxing Classic and The Bantamweight Tournament,” Hershman continued. “And now, with the breadth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight division, we have the privilege of staging one of the biggest tournaments in the history of this growing sport. With the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix’s single-elimination format and the biggest names in the sport today, this tournament is something that no sports fan will want to miss.”
“I have been training very hard since my last fight and can’t wait to get back in the cage,” said the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko, who hails from Stary Oskol, Russia and is promoted by M-1 GLOBAL. “STRIKEFORCE has assembled a roster filled with the best heavyweights in the world and, together with M-1 GLOBAL, we have the opportunity to fight the best in a great tournament format.”
Fedor’s unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 professional MMA bouts without a defeat has prompted many MMA enthusiasts to label Fedor as the greatest of all time. Since his career began 10 years ago, Fedor has faced and defeated many rival superstars and champions of this era including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.
In what ranks among the most watched MMA fights in the United States, Fedor made his live primetime network television debut on Nov. 7, 2009 on CBS, when he defeated unbeaten rising star Brett Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. Despite a difficult first round in which he sustained a deep cut above his eye, Fedor turned the tide early in the second round with one vicious right-hand punch and finished Rogers shortly after.
Then, on June 26, 2010, Fedor suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., in one of the most watched MMA bouts on SHOWTIME. Werdum, who has defeated a host of top rivals including Overeem, Silva and Brandon “The Truth” Vera, trapped Fedor’s arm in a triangle armbar that forced Fedor to tap out at the 1:09 mark of the opening round.
Fedor has only one other official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000. Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first-round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.
