Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada (“The Center”) have announced a dynamic new partnership, designed to raise awareness of the realities of HIV among young individuals under 30.

In the 1990s, there were major breakthroughs in both the treatment of and education about the HIV pandemic. Because of anti-viral drugs, HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was; and because of the tremendous mainstream media focus on the disease in the 1990s there was an educated population who practiced safe sex. The result was infection rates fell significantly.

Over the last 15-years complacency has set in, however, resulting in a younger generation ill-informed about the dangers and realities of the disease. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated the ignorance of young Americans on the realities of HIV and AIDS is “shocking”, “astonishing” and “just unacceptable”. Last year, half of the 50,000 Americans infected with the disease were under the age of 30.

The UFC and The Center are now picking a fight with that ignorance by launching an awareness campaign called “Protect Yourself At All Times”.

UFC COO Ike Lawrence Epstein said: “As someone who grew up in the 1980s and saw the virus beaten back with education in the 1990s, I was stunned to learn from our friends at The Center that HIV is still having such a dramatic impact on young people. No other sport reaches the under 35 demographic like the UFC does and the UFC felt a duty to try and do something about this situation. It gives me great pride to announce the UFC will be partnering with The Center, LBGTQ+ and other organizations for a project we are calling “Protect Yourself At All Times”. This will be a local, national and ultimately international campaign designed to educate the UFC’s vast core audience of under 35s about the realities of HIV.”

Robert (“Bob”) Elkins, CEO of The Center, said: “HIV stopped being a ‘gay issue’ long ago but, unfortunately, it has now very much become a ‘young issue’. The jarring fact is that young gay men are becoming infected at a much higher rate. The lack of both awareness and accessible information for teenagers and young adults is truly frightening. It’s like the 1990s never happened in terms of education and public awareness. In the UFC, we have the perfect partner to fight this ignorance, and we thank them for joining us in this battle.”

Elkins, who is openly HIV positive after contracting the virus 27 years ago, added: “When I first found I was HIV positive, my friends and family thought it was a death sentence. But I wouldn’t accept that and started anti-retroviral treatment which I’ve continued ever since. Today, my viral load is virtually undetectable, thanks to my doctors and the meds. But through education and medical advances we began to fight back against the disease. Living with HIV is manageable, but we cannot allow advancements to take away our focus on preventing new infections through public awareness and education.”

Protect Yourself At All Times has two key messages:

· Get tested; know your status

· Protect yourself with safe sex practices

UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin will serve as a spokesman for the campaign. He said: “I had 15 fights in the UFC Octagon during my career, and before each and every one of them, I had a HIV test. I’m encouraging everybody to show themselves and their partners the same respect I showed my opponents by getting tested and protecting themselves at all times.”

UFC No.5 ranked women’s bantamweight Liz Carmouche, who is also a spokesperson, added: “There’s a feeling of invincibility that comes with being young, with being fit and the prime of your life. But I learned when I was in the US Marines just like I’ve learned as a UFC fighter, no-one is invincible, and that you have to project yourself at all times.”

The on-going Protect Yourself At All Times campaign will be rolled out during the lead-up to World AIDS Day on December 1 and will include:

· The UFC will fully support The Center’s LGBTQ+ programme, which offers free HIV tests to the wider Las Vegas community

· UFC athletes and personalities visiting centers nationwide who offer free HIV tests and educational initiatives

· The UFC will be creating public service announcements which will be distributed across its powerful media platforms

· The UFC will also be donating promotional inventory to the campaign, beginning with a full-page ad in next month’s UFC 360 magazine, and ask its partners to donate similar space to raise issue awareness.

For more information on The Center’s efforts with LGBTQ+ visit www.lgbtqpoz.org.

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About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 35 live events annually. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group for live events and thousands of hours of programming including the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, moving to FOX Sports 1 in September 2013.

The UFC has a long history of teaming up with charities and continue to fund and support local organizations that empower youth and promote a healthy family environment for children. For more information about UFC in the Community visit www.UFC.com/community.

About The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada

The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada (The Center) is a community-based organization which supports and promotes activities directed at furthering the well-being, positive image and human rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, its allies, and low to moderate income residents in Southern Nevada.

Las Vegas, Nevada – In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that its top stars will be visiting different cities across North America for 20 days leading up to UFC® 167: ST-PIERRE vs. HENDRICKS on Saturday, Nov. 16 in Las Vegas.

The tour will begin in Denver, Colo., the site of UFC 1, on Oct. 28, and make stops in nearly two dozen cities. Current and past UFC competitors such as Georges St-Pierre, Johny Hendricks, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes and Forrest Griffin are just some of the many stars set to participate. The tour will feature a mixture of fan, media and sponsor events, as well as a social media scavenger hunt spanning the globe.

“We built an incredible card for our 20th anniversary and now we’re hitting the road to celebrate with our fans and the media all across North America,” said UFC president Dana White. “We’re going to cities that held historic UFC events and to locations we hope to bring the Octagon to soon.”

The 20 Days to UFC 167 Tour will also feature the launch of UFC’s new OCTAGON apparel line. UFC legends Liddell, Hughes and Griffin will be wearing this new apparel at each stop, as UFC showcases the “Evolution of Training” gear.

UFC® 167: ST-PIERRE vs. HENDRICKS will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, Nov. 16 on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada.

20 Days to UFC 167 Schedule
· Monday, Oct. 28 – Denver, Colo. – UFC 167 lightweight star Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and rising women’s star Cat Zingano conduct a media tour in Denver, the site of UFC 1. They’ll also visit DISH Network headquarters for a meet-and-greet with staff, as well as pose for photos at the site of UFC 1, formerly McNichols Sports Arena. Later in the day, Cerrone will host a live social media chat from the MusclePharm facilities.

· Monday, Oct. 28 – Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Georges St-Pierre, UFC welterweight champion and UFC 167 main event star, will participate in a media day at Tristar Gym. Press only.

· Monday, Oct. 28 – Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas – UFC welterweight contender and UFC 167 main event star Johny Hendricks will participate in a media day at his gym in Pantego. Press only.

· Tuesday, Oct. 29 – Philadelphia, Pa. – UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin will conduct a press tour in the City of Brotherly Love, as well as visit the Comcast Headquarters for a meet-and-greet with employees.

· Tuesday, Oct. 29 – Chicago, Ill. – UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes will conduct a press tour across Chicago. Hughes will also meet with members of the Chicago Bears.

· Tuesday, Oct. 29 – Washington, D.C. – UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones will conduct a press tour in the nation’s capital.

· Wednesday, Oct. 30 – Atlanta, Ga. – UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin will conduct a press tour in Atlanta and visit the COX Communications corporate offices for a social media promotion. He’ll also visit the Hooters corporate headquarters.

· Wednesday, Oct. 30 – Cleveland, Ohio – UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes will conduct a press tour across Cleveland, alongside UFC heavyweight star and Cleveland native Stipe Miocic. The fighters will also meet with members of the Cleveland Browns.

· Wednesday, Oct. 30 – Baltimore, Md. – UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones will conduct a press tour in Baltimore and visit his brother, Baltimore Ravens’ star Arthur Jones, and the rest of the city’s Super Bowl champion team.

· Thursday, Oct. 31 – Detroit, Mich. – Red-hot UFC welterweight star Matt “The Immortal” Brown will conduct a press tour in Detroit.

· Friday, Nov. 1 – Raleigh, N.C. – UFC heavyweight star Brendan Schaub, a former professional football player, will speak to the N.C. State football team prior to the team’s game against rival UNC. He’ll also sound the Carolina Hurricanes’ Warning Siren before the team’s game against Tampa Bay at PNC Arena.

· Saturday, Nov. 2 – Concord, Calif. – UFC heavyweight star Daniel Cormier and middleweight star Luke Rockhold will sign autographs from 1-3 p.m. PT at the UFC Gym in Concord.

· Sunday, Nov. 3 – Rosemead, Calif. – UFC middleweight star Michael Bisping will sign autographs from 3-5 p.m. PT at the UFC Gym in Rosemead.

· Monday, Nov. 4 – San Francisco, Calif. – UFC 167 welterweight star Josh Koscheck will conduct a press tour in San Francisco.

· Monday, Nov. 4 – Bay Area, Calif. – UFC lightweight star Gilbert Melendez will visit the campuses of YouTube and Twitter and meet with staff.

· Tuesday, Nov. 5 – St. Louis, Mo. – UFC 167 welterweight star Tyron Woodley, a St. Louis native, will conduct a press tour in his hometown. He’ll also meet with members of his hometown St. Louis Rams.

· Tuesday, Nov. 5 – St. Louis, Mo. – UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes will visit the headquarters of longtime UFC partner Anheuser-Busch. While at Anheuser-Busch Headquarters, Matt will be guided through a behind-the-scenes tour of the Brew House and Packaging Line, sampling from the fermentation and finishing tanks.

· Tuesday, Nov. 5 – FOX Sports 1 – 9 p.m. ET – FIGHTING FOR A GENERATION: 20 YEARS OF THE UFC premieres

· Wednesday, Nov. 6 – New Orleans, La. – UFC heavyweight star and Louisiana native Daniel Cormier will conduct a press tour in New Orleans. He’ll also meet with members of the New Orleans Saints.

· Wednesday, Nov. 6 – Fort Campbell, Ky. – UFC Fight for the Troops event on FOX Sports 1

· Thursday, Nov. 7 – San Antonio, Texas – UFC heavyweight star Daniel Cormier and Mexican bantamweight star Erik Perez will be in town for a variety of events.

· Thursday, Nov. 7 – State College, Pa. – UFC light heavyweight star and 2008 National Champion from Penn State Phil Davis visits State College for a press tour.

· Friday, Nov. 8 – Pittsburgh, Pa. – UFC light heavyweight star Phil Davis will conduct a press tour in Pittsburgh, Pa. and meet with members of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

· Saturday, Nov. 9 – Torrance, Calif. – UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell will sign autographs from 3-5 p.m. PT at the UFC Gym in Torrance.

· Saturday, Nov. 9 – Goiania, Brazil – UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BELFORT vs. HENDERSON on FOX Sports 1

· Sunday, Nov. 10 – The UFC will release its 20 greatest knockouts of all time at UFC.com. Visit the official website of the UFC to watch them all for free!

· Monday, Nov. 11 – Los Angeles, Calif. – UFC 167 star Chael Sonnen will conduct a press tour in Los Angeles.

· Monday, Nov. 11 – New York, N.Y. – UFC 167 star Rashad Evans will conduct a press tour in New York.

· Tuesday, Nov. 12 – Phoenix, Ariz. – UFC will conduct a press tour in Phoenix. Talent to be named shortly.

· Tuesday, Nov. 12 – Las Vegas, Nev. – UFC stars past and present will participate in a community event at Three Square.

· Wednesday, Nov. 13 – Las Vegas, Nev. – UFC 167 Open Workouts. Location TBA. Free and open to the public.

· Thursday, Nov. 14 – Las Vegas, Nev. – UFC Press Conference. Location TBA. Free and open to the public.

· Friday, Nov. 15 – Las Vegas, Nev. – UFC 167 Weigh-ins at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Free and open to the public.

· Saturday, Nov. 16 – Las Vegas, Nev. – UFC 167, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, live on Pay-Per-View

*Appearances subject to change*

All bouts live and subject to change. Visit UFC.com for more information. Follow @UFC on Twitter for more information on the social media scavenger hunt.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FOX Sports 1.
In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with more than 2.6 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, UFC FIT®, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

Jake Shields won a five round split decision over Demien Maia in Maia’s hometown of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Shields, 171 lbs of San Francisco, CA won by scores of 48-47 on two cards and is now 29-6-1-1. Maia, 171 lbs is now 18-5.

Dong Hyung Kim scored an explosive 2nd round stoppage over Erick Silva in a Welterweight bout.

Kim rocked Silva with a perfect left to the jaw that slumped silva to the mat and took one crushing blow while being defenseless and the fight was stopped at 3:01 of round two.

Kim, 171 lbs of Busak, South Korea is now 18-2-1-1. Silva, 170 lbs of Brazil is 15-4-1.

Thiago Silva scored a three round unanimous decision over Matt Hamil in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Silva, 208 lbs of Brazil won by scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-27 and is now 16-3-2. Hamil, 205 lbs of Utica, NY is now 12-5.

Fabio Maldonado scored a three round split decision over Joey Beltran in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Maldonado, 204 lbs of Brazil won two cards by a score of 29-28 and is now 21-4. Beltran, 205 lbs of Carlsbad, CA took a card at 29-28 and is now 14-9-1.

Rousimar Palhares scored a first round submission over Mike Pierce in a Welterweight bout.

Palhares made Pierce tap out with a leg lock just 31 seconds into the bout.

Palhores is now 24-5. Pierce, 171 lbs of Portland, OR is 17-6.

Raphalel Assuncao scored a three round split decision over TJ Dillashaw in a Bantamweight contest.

Assuncao won by scores of 29-28 on two cards while Dillashaw took a card at 29-28.

Assuncao, 135 lbs of Alpheretta, GA is now 20-4. Dillashaw, 136 lbs of Sacramento, GA is now 9-2.

Igor Arauju scored a three round unanimous decision over Ildemar Alcantara in a Welterweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on all cards for Arauju, 171 lbs of Albuquerque, NM and is now 24-6-1. Alcanatra, 171 lbs of Squire Para, BRA is now 19-6.

Yan Cabal scored a three round unanimous decision over David Mitchell in a Welterweight fight.

Scores were 30-27 on all cards for Cabal, 170 lbs of Rio and is now 11-0. Mitchell, 171 lbs of Santa Rosa, CA is now 12-4.

Chris Cariaso scored a second round stoppage over Iliarde Santos in a Flyweight bout.

After a good first round for Santos, Cariaso scored with hard shots that backed Santos up on the cage and three hard shots slumped Santos over and the fight was stopped at 4:31 of round two.

Cariaso, 125 lbs of Tucson, AZ is ranked number eight at Flyweight and is now 15-6. Santos, 126 lbs of Bleem Para, Brazil is now 27-9.

Alan Patrick scored a 1st round stoppage over Garrett Whiteley in a Lightweight bout.

Patrick landed a straight left that sent Whiteley down and Patrick jumped all over a prone Whiteley and pounded him in the face several times before the fight was stopped at 3:54 of round one.

Patrick, 155 lbs of Rio is now 11-0. Whiteley, 156 lbs of Indianapolis is now 8-1.

New Hyde Park, N.Y. – UFC GYM® invites the Long Island, N.Y. community to celebrate the grand opening of its first 24-hour full-service gym on the East Coast (2020 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park) on Saturday, October 12, beginning at 10 a.m. ET. UFC superstars Frankie Edgar, Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell and BJ Penn will be in attendance for the grand opening celebration, presented by Rockin’ Wellness. UFC executives and Long Island officials will take part in the ceremonial ribbon-cutting. Members joining during the grand opening will receive special membership offers.

“The Long Island market is special and we are so thrilled to show the community how to TRAIN DIFFERENT® through our fitness innovation, full amenity facility and world class team members,” said Adam Sedlack, senior vice president of UFC GYM. “This Grand Opening will be a great chance for everyone to see what the buzz is all about.”

Throughout the day, UFC GYM will host a variety of activities. UFC fighters will sign autographs inside the Octagon® and participate in Q&A sessions with fans. Additionally, fitness demonstrations will take place, including UFC FIT®, Muay Thai, kickboxing and Daily Ultimate Training® (DUT). There will also be giveaways for fans including UFC GYM prize packages and UFC tickets for an upcoming event.

The full schedule for the grand opening is available below. Activities are free and open to the community. For more information on UFC GYMs, visit UFCgyms.com.

GRAND OPENING FULL SCHEDULE

PRESENTED BY ROCKIN’ WELLNESS

(All times ET and subject to change)

10:00 a.m. GRAND OPENING officially begins with music, food and festivities presented by Rockin’ Wellness, including UFC GYM fitness demonstrations and complimentary tours

10:15 a.m. CEREMONIAL RIBBON CUTTING featuring UFC featherweight Frankie Edgar, UFC Hall of Famers Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell and BJ Penn, as well as UFC GYM co-founder Jim Rowley and Long Island officials

11:00 a.m. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING with Chuck Liddell and Frankie Edgar

11:30 a.m. Q&A SESSION with BJ Penn and Forrest Griffin

1:00 p.m. UFC GYM FITNESS DEMONSTRATION

2:00 p.m. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING with BJ Penn and Forrest Griffin

2:30 p.m. Q&A SESSION with Chuck Liddell and Frankie Edgar

4:30 p.m. PRIZE RAFFLES

5:00 p.m. GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION CONCLUDES

6:00 p.m. GYM OPENS FOR WORKOUTS AND SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP RATES CONTINUE

The 37,000 square-foot gym offers a TRAIN DIFFERENT® approach as an alternative to the traditional workout. The gym fuses together martial arts with cutting-edge equipment and conventional fitness. The much-anticipated 24-hour full-service gym features a 30-foot Octagon, an indoor turf area, free weights, cardio machines and the latest in strength and conditioning equipment.

Members can train like world-class UFC athletes while maximizing results by participating in UFC GYMs signature MMA inspired Ultimate Classes including Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, Daily Ultimate Training® (DUT), hot hula, shock yoga, women’s self-defense, performance cycling, POUND – Rockout Workout™ and other technique-driven fitness classes. Additional amenities include a UFC KIDS’ GYM with private training area offering youth fitness, UFC GYM store, an Arm Bar Café and video wall of twenty 50-inch TV screens, plus a member lounge with free Wi-Fi service.

The UFC GYM Long Island location will be the first 24-hour full-service gym on the East Coast and fifth UFC GYM in the state of New York. UFC GYM franchises also continues to grow following its acquisition of LA Boxing® earlier this year and is expected to expand to more than 100 open gyms in over 25 states in the U.S. by the end of the year.

UFC GYM is franchising a new model of boutique clubs driven by group fitness and personal training. Franchisees have the unique opportunity to own and operate a UFC GYM across the U.S. and the world. For franchise information, visit www.ufcgym.com/franchising.

For more information on the latest UFC Gym, please visit UFCgym.com.

About UFC GYM®

UFC GYM® is the first major brand extension of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, the world leader in the sport of mixed martial arts. In alliance with New Evolution Ventures® (NeV), developers of many of the world’s most successful fitness brands, the UFC Gym brand gives UFC enthusiasts and fitness seekers of all ages the opportunity to practice the training techniques of famed UFC athletes. Offering a full-range of group fitness classes, private MMA training, personal and group dynamic training, plus MMA style youth programming, UFC GYM creates something for all ages and fitness levels. As the first to combine the world of mixed martial arts and fitness, UFC GYM has developed an atmosphere where members can see immediate results. UFC GYM is the ultimate fitness experience. The brand is not what you expect, and more than you can imagine, aiming to continue revolutionizing the fitness industry. For more information, please visit www.ufcgym.com.

About New Evolution Ventures® (NeV)

Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures® (NeV) has a two-decade plus record of success in delivering superior returns on investment, specializing in the acquisition, development and operations management of both domestic and international fitness endeavors. Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney and following a strategic partnership with Vision Capital in 2011, the current team of NeV professionals is setting industry-wide standards one brand at a time. Operations have spanned over 20 countries worldwide and included hundreds of facilities. Our team’s industry experience has positioned NeV as a global leader in its field, expanding and reinventing the vision of fitness. For more information, visit www.nev.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group for live events and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2, including the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, now in its eighteenth season on FOX Sports 1.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to 882 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.5 million followers on Twitter. UFC businesses also include over 90 UFC GYM® locations in 28 US states and Australia, UFC FIT™ an in-home fitness and nutrition program, UFC 360 internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new videogame franchise with EA Sports, DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, branded apparel and trading cards.

Centennial, Colo. – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) returns to movie theaters nationwide on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m. PT as NCM Fathom Events and UFC bring UFC® 167: ST-PIERRE vs. HENDRICKS to the big screen. Fight fans will get a front-row view of all the pulse-pounding action when longest-reigning champion in the UFC, welterweight king Georges St-Pierre (also known as “GSP”), returns to the Octagon® to face No. 1 contender Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks. GSP will take on his most dangerous challenger to date in the sledge-hammer handed Hendricks. Broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, audiences will witness all the excitement as the undisputed champion in the UFC welterweight division is determined during the UFC’s 20th anniversary event.

Tickets for UFC® 167: ST-PIERRE vs. HENDRICKS are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. The event will be presented in more than 350 select movie theaters around the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

“UFC fans will want to experience GSP and Hendricks go head to head in UFC 167 on the big screen,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “Audiences will feel like they have a ringside seat with every move these fighters make. The only way to get closer to the action would be to get in the Octagon.”

Montreal’s finest, Georges St-Pierre (24-2), the UFC welterweight champion since April 2008, has posted an impressive 11-fight win streak during his reign atop the 170-pound division. The dynamic GSP holds black belts in both Kyokushin karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The two-time champion’s historic and unrivaled reign includes wins over UFC’s toughest including Matt Hughes, B.J. Penn and Jake Shields.

The hard-hitting Johny Hendricks (15-1), fighting out of Dallas, Texas, is the top-ranked challenger in the 170-pound division. He earned his shot at GSP by putting together a six-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC. A two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion with one punch knockout power, “Bigg Rigg” is set on derailing St-Pierre’s march to the Hall of Fame. He is known for his extensive wrestling background and powerful punches, particularly from the left hand, which has earned him three Knockout of the Night bonuses and one Fight of the Night award.

The event features an exciting co-main light heavyweight bout between former UFC champion Rashad Evans and former two-division title challenger Chael Sonnen.

The old school will also meet the new breed at UFC 167, as the resurgent “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler meets Canada’s Rory MacDonald. After returning to the UFC in 2013 following a more than eight year absence, Lawler has looked better than ever in knocking out Josh Koscheck and Bobby Voelker. The 24-year-old MacDonald is currently sporting a five-fight winning streak that includes wins over BJ Penn and Jake Ellenberger, but he has yet to face someone with the power of Iowa’s Lawler, making this a must-see welterweight battle.

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

About National CineMedia (NCM)

National CineMedia (NCM) operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom Events present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 183 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes approximately 19,600 screens (approximately 18,800 digital). During 2012, over 710 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place. The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is comprised of approximately 750 locations in 173 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 37 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 47.0% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com. (NCMI-E)

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group for live events and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2, including the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, now in its eighteenth season on FOX Sports 1.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to 882 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.5 million followers on Twitter. UFC businesses also include over 90 UFC GYM® locations in 28 US states and Australia, UFC FIT™ an in-home fitness and nutrition program, UFC 360 internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new videogame franchise with EA Sports, DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, branded apparel and trading cards.

Las Vegas, Nevada – Fresh off a brilliant submission victory over John Moraga at UFC® on FOX: Johnson vs. Moraga, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson returns to defend his flyweight title Saturday, Nov. 30 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas against Joseph Benavidez in a can’t-miss flyweight showdown.

Johnson, 27, beat Benavidez in September 2012 at UFC 152 to become the first champion in the newly minted flyweight division and looks to retain his status as the only champion the 125lb class has ever known.

A UFC® standout, the 29-year-old Benavidez has reeled off three straight victories over the likes of Ian McCall, Darren Uyenoyama and Jussier Formiga to earn a rematch with the champion. Benavidez also holds notable victories over Eddie Wineland and Rani Yahya and has developed a reputation as one of the division’s most dynamic fighters.

“UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and No. 1 contender Joseph Benavidez will meet again in the main event of the TUF Finale on Nov. 30 in Las Vegas,” UFC president Dana White said. “Their first fight was fast-paced and featured five rounds of really close, back and forth action. I’m really excited for this flyweight title rematch and then the crowning of the winners of this season of The Ultimate Fighter!”

In addition to the Johnson-Benavidez main event, this season’s The Ultimate Fighter® winner will be crowned when the Octagon® makes its way back to the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The Ultimate Fighter® Finale card also includes:

· Former UFC title contenders Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz in a battle of Top 10 lightweights.

· Jared Rosholt vs. Walter Harris face off in the heavyweight division

· Akira Corassani vs. Maximo Blanco in a matchup of rising featherweights

Tickets for The Ultimate Fighter® Finale go on sale Friday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $175, $125, $75 and $50. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com, or charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000.

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

The main card also will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Catch all new episodes of this season of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

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

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About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group for live events and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2, including the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, now in its eighteenth season on FOX Sports 1.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to 882 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.5 million followers on Twitter. UFC businesses also include over 90 UFC GYM® locations in 28 US states and Australia, UFC FIT™ an in-home fitness and nutrition program, UFC 360 internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new videogame franchise with EA Sports, DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, branded apparel and trading cards.

Santa Ana, CA – UFC GYM® announced today that it will partner with former two-division UFC champion and coach of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter® BJ Penn to open a second signature fitness facility in the fighter’s home state of Hawaii. The fitness destination, which will begin enrolling members on September 24, 2013, is set to open for workouts early in 2014. The gym will serve the Central and Leeward Oahu community and will be located in the Waikele Center at 94-875 Lumiana Street, Suite 15, Waipahu, HI.

“I’m excited to partner with UFC GYM to open another location so soon after the successful opening of our first Oahu gym nearly two years ago,” said BJ Penn, a native of Hilo. “We wanted to expand on the west side of the island to continue to share our workouts and lifestyle that have proven successful not only for our members, but for me, personally, as well as many of the world’s most elite UFC athletes.”

The 30,000 square-foot facility will feature a 30 foot Octagon™, Brazilian jiu-jitsu studio, bag room, top-of-the-line strength training and cardio machines, battling ropes, agility ladders and other functional training equipment for dynamic workouts. The gym’s explosive workout environment will use cutting-edge training techniques inspired by BJ Penn and will provide members with everything needed for the entire family to sweat, move, and TRAIN DIFFERENT®.

Membership also includes unlimited access to UFC GYM’s signature classes such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai, women’s self-defense, Daily Ultimate Training (DUT), and more. A team of elite Personal Trainers will help members achieve indisputable results through personal and group training. The new location will also feature a UFC GYM retail store and UFC GYM Kids’ private training area offering specialized youth fitness classes.

An enrollment center is now open at the temporary address of Suite 105, 94-849 Lumiana Street, Waipahu, HI 96797, where memberships are available now at significant pre-opening discounts. The permanent club space will be in Suite 15. To find out more about UFC GYM, click on www.ufcgym.com.

In addition to the two UFC GYM BJ Penn signature gyms in Hawaii, UFC GYM signature clubs are located in Concord, Rosemead, Corona and Torrance, Calif., Long Island, N.Y., and Sydney, Australia. UFC GYM also franchises a new model of boutique clubs. Earlier this year, UFC GYM acquired LA Boxing® adding 81 LA Boxing locations in 23 states to their roster of ultimate fitness destinations. Franchisees have the unique opportunity to own and operate the new UFC GYM franchise model across the U.S. and the globe. For franchise information, visit www.ufcgym.com/franchising.

About UFC GYM®:

UFC GYM® is the first major brand extension of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, the world leader in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). In alliance with New Evolution Ventures™ (NeV), developers of many of the world’s most successful fitness brands, the UFC GYM brand gives UFC enthusiasts and fitness seekers of all ages the opportunity to practice the training techniques of famed UFC athletes. Offering a full-range of group fitness classes, private MMA training, personal and group dynamic training, plus MMA style youth programming, UFC GYM creates something for all ages and fitness levels. As the first to combine the world of mixed martial arts and fitness, UFC GYM’s TRAIN DIFFERENT® approach has developed an atmosphere where members can see immediate results. UFC GYM is the ultimate fitness experience. The brand is not what you expect, and more than you can imagine, aiming to continue revolutionizing the fitness industry. For more information, please visit www.ufcgym.com.

About New Evolution Ventures® (NeV):

Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures® (NeV) has a two-decade plus record of success in delivering superior returns on investment, specializing in the acquisition, development and operations management of both domestic and international fitness endeavors. Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney and following a strategic partnership with Vision Capital in 2011, the current team of NeV professionals is setting industry-wide standards one brand at a time. Operations have spanned over 20 countries worldwide and included hundreds of facilities. Our team’s industry experience has positioned NeV as a global leader in its field, expanding and reinventing the vision of fitness. For more information, visit www.nev.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 35 live events annually. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world with events distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group for live events and thousands of hours of programming including the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, on FOX Sports 1.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to 882 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.5 million followers on Twitter. UFC businesses also include over 90 UFC GYM® locations in 28 US states, UFC FIT™, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, UFC 360, the internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new videogame franchise in development with EA, best-selling DVDs, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards.

Wilson Reis scored a three round unanimous decision over Ivan Menjivar in a Bantamweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on all cards for Reis, 135 lbs of Philadelphia, PA and is now 17-4. Menjivar, 136 lbs of Montreal is now 25-11.

Steven Thompson stopped Chris Clements in round two of their Welterweight bout.

Thompson landed three hard punches that sent Clements plummeting into the cage and the fight was stopped at 1:27 of round two.

Thompson, 170/5 lbs of Simpsonville, SC is now 8-1. Clements, 169.5 lbs of of London ONT is now 11-5-1.

Mitch Gagnon scored a 1st round stoppage over Dustin Kiman in a Bantamweight bout.

Gagnon choked out Kiman at 4:05 of round one.

Gagnon, 136 lbs of Sudbury, ONT is now 10-2. Kiman, 135 lbs of Honolulu, HA is now 11-1.

John Makdessi scored a first round stoppage over Renee Forte.

Makdessi landed a hard punch that sent Forte to the canvas. Makdessi landed several punches to the face of a defensless Forte and the fight was stopped at 2:01 of round one.

Las Vegas, Nevada – Faced with the challenge of outdoing its current historic, adrenaline-charged season of The Ultimate Fighter®, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) today confirmed that the next season of its long-running reality series will feature former champions “The Prodigy” BJ Penn and Frankie “The Answer” Edgar as coaches. The storied foes will coach a cast of middleweight (185 lbs.) and light heavyweight (205 lbs.) fighters in their quest to win the title of Ultimate Fighter and a six-figure contract with the UFC.

“BJ Penn is moving down to 145 lbs. to coach The Ultimate Fighter against Frankie Edgar,” said UFC President Dana White. “BJ really hates the fact that he lost to Frankie Edgar. It’s something that’s been burning deep inside of him for three years now. So he’s moving down to 145 lbs. to not only avenge those defeats, but to try and become the first fighter in UFC history to win titles in three different weight classes.”

Widely considered one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, Penn (16-9-2 in MMA) is one of only two men to win UFC world titles in two separate divisions. The former welterweight and lightweight champion has defeated a Who’s Who of MMA, including UFC champions Matt Hughes, Matt Serra and Sean Sherk. His reign over the UFC’s 155lbs. division was ended in 2010’s Upset of the Year, when he was outpointed by Frankie Edgar. “The Prodigy” not only returns to the UFC but also The Ultimate Fighter, after coaching season five back in 2007.

After defeating Penn in two fights, Edgar (15-4-1) established a reputation for lightweight excellence. “The Answer” defended the lightweight championship in a pair of all-time classic battles with Gray Maynard before losing the title on a controversial decision to Benson Henderson. Edgar then dropped to featherweight, where many believe he will join Penn as a two-division world champion.

The series begins filming in mid-October in Las Vegas.

Catch all new episodes of this season of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, Wednesday’s at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

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About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, on FOX Sports 1.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, UFC FIT®, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

Number-two ranked Light Heavyweight Glover Teixeira scored a first round stoppage over Ryan Bader in a scheduled five round bout.

Bader did well in the first art of the round as he hit Teixeira with shots with both hands. Teixeira opened up with a two punch combination that sent Bader to the ground. From there, Teixeira pounded Bader until the bout was stopped at 2:55 of round one.

Teixeira, 206 lbs of Brazil is now 22-2. Bader, 205 lbs of Tempe AZ is now 16-4

Number-five ranked Jacare Souza scored a first round stoppage over number-three ranked Yushin Okami in a Middleweight bout.

Souza landed a huge right hand that put Okami to the ground and then proceeded to pound away at a defenseless Okami until the bout was stopped at 2:47 of round one.

Souza, 186 lbs of Brazil is now 19-3-1. Okami, 185 lbs of Japan is now 30-8.

Number-one ranked Joseph Benevidez scored a first round stoppage over Jussier Formiga in a scheduled three round Flyweight bout.

Benevidez rocked Formiga and knocked him to the ground and with Formiga laying face first, Benevidez opened

Piotr Hallman scored a second round submission Fabricio Trando on a Lightweight bout.

Hallman made Tranado submit with an armbar at 3:50 of round two.

Hallman, 155 lbs of Poland is now 14-1. Tranado, 155 lbs of Brazil is now 13-3.

Rafael Natal scored a three round unanimous decision over Tor Troeng in a Middleweight bout.

Natal, 185 lbs of Brazil won by scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, is now 17-4-1. Troeng, 185 lbs of Sweden is now 16-5-1.

Ali Bagautinov scored a third round stoppage over Marcos Vinicius in a Flyweight bout.

Bagautinov got Vinicius on the ground and pounded him several times in the face and the fight was stopped at 3:28 of round three.

Bagautinov, 125 lbs of Russia is now 11-2. Vinicius, 126 lbs of Brzail is now 20-6-1.

Kevin Souza eked out a split decision over Felipe Aramtes in a Featherweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on two cards for Souza, 146 lbs of Brazil is now 17-3. Aranates, 146 lbs of Brazil is now 15-5-1-2.

Lucas Martins choked out Junior Hernandez in round one of their scheduled three round Bantameight bout.

Martins landed a big right that sent Hernandez to a knee. Martins got behind and started choking Hernandez to the ground. Hernandez tried to punch his way put but succumbed to the choke at 1:10 of round one.

Martins, 136 lbs of Brazil is now 13-1. Hernandez, 135 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL is now 13-6.

Elias Silverio remained undefeated with a three round unanimous decision over Jaoa Zeferino in a Welterweight bout.

Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Silverio, 169 lbs of Brazil and is now 9-0. Zefereino, 170 lbs of Brazil is now 13-6.

Ivan Jorge scored a three round unanimous decision over Keith Wisniewski in a Welterweight bout.

Jorge, 169 lbs of Brazil won by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and and is now 25-3. Wisniewski, 170 lbs of Hobart, IN is now 28-13-1.

Anthony Pettis thrilled his hometown fans by winning the UFC Lightweight title with a 1st round submission over Benson Henderson at The Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wissonson.

Pettis won via armbar at 4:31. Pettis is now 17-2. Anderson is 19-3.

Josh Barnett stopped Frank Mir in the first round of their heavyweight bout with a knee to the face.

The time of the finish was 1:56.

Barnett, 255 lbs of Fullerton, CA is now 33-6. Mir, 248 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 16-8.

Chad Mendes stopped Clay Guida in the 3rd round of their featerweight bout.

Mendes dropped Guida in round three with a hard right. Fuida was on his saide and all he could do was cover up as Mendes jumped on him with punches and the bout was stopped at 30 seconds.

It was the 4th consecutive stoppage for Mendes. Guida had never been stopped before.

Mendes, 145 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 15-1. Guida, 146 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 30-11.

Ben Rothwell punched out Brandon Vera at 1:54 of round three of their heavyweight bout.

Rothwell, 262 lbs of Kenosha, WI uis 33-9. Vera, 241 lbs of San Diego, CA is 12-7-1.

Dustin Poirier won a unanimous decision over Eric Koch in a featherweight bout.

Poirier won by scores of 29-28 twice and 29-27 and is now 14-3.

Carlos Condit avenged a 2009 defeat when he stopped Martin Kampmann in round four of a scheduled five round Welterweight bout at the Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Condit battered Kampmann with a combination of knees and punches and the fight was stopped fifty-four seconds into round four.

Condit, 170.5 lbs is now 29-7. Kampmann, 170 lbs is now 20-7

Rafael Dos Anjos scored a three round unanimous decision over Donald Cerrone in a Lightweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on all cards for Dos Anjos, 155.5 lbs and is now 20-6. Cerrone, 156 lbs is 16-7

Court McGee won a three round split decision over Robert Whittaker in a Welterweight bout.

McGee won by scores of 39-27 and 29-28 and is now 16-3. Whittaker won a card by a 30-27 tally but falls to 12-3.

Takeya Mizugaki scored a three round split decision over Erik Perez in a Bantamweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on two cards while a 3rd card read 29-28 for Perez.

Mizugaki, 135 1/2 lbs is now 18-7-2. Perez, 135 1/2 lbs is now 13-5.

Brad Tavares scored a three round unanimous decision over Bubba McDaniel in a Middleweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on all cards for Tavares, 186 lbs and is now 12-2. McDaniel, 185 lbs is now 21-7.

Dylan Andrews scored a third round stoppage over Papy Abedi in a Middleweight bout.

Andrews landed a hard right that sent Abedi to the ground and he got pounded until the fight was stopped at 1:32 of round three.

Andrews, 185 lbs of Gold Coast, Aus is now 18-5-1. Abedi, 184 1/2 lbs of Stickholm, SWE 9-3.

Brandon Thatch scored a first round stoppage over Justin Edwards in a Welterweight bout.

Thatch landed some thunderous knees and the fight was stopped.

Thatch, 170 lbs is now 10-1. Edwards, 170 lbs is 9-3.

Darren Elkins scored a three round unanimous decision over Hatsu Hioki in a Bantamweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on all cards for Elkins, 145 lbs of Portage, IN and is now 18-3. Hioki, 146 lbs of Nagoya, JP is now 26-7-2.

Jason High scored a first round choke out over James Head in a Welterweight bout.

High used the guillotine choke and the fight was over at 1:41 of round one.

High, 171 lbs is 18-4. Head, 170 1/2 lbs is 9-4.

Zak Cummings scored a first round choke out over Benny Alloway in a Welterweight bout.

The time was 4:19 of round one for Cummings, 170.5 lbs of Kansas City and is now 16-3. Alloway, 170 lbs of Gulf Coast Australia is 13-6.

Abel Trujillo (10-5) and Roger Bowling (11-4) fought to a controversial no-contest in a lightweight bout.

Bowling had Trujillo in chokes at the end of both round’s one and two. Trujillo reversed the second one and landed two illegal knees that was followed by a devastating right hand that knocked Bowling out at 4:57 of round two.

Martin Kampmann 170 – Carlos Condit 170.5
Abel Trujillo 155 – Roger Bowling 155.5
Benny Alloway 170 – Zak Cummings 170.5
Jason High 171 – James Head 170.5
Hatsu Hioki 146 – Darren Elkins 145
Brandon Thatch 170 – Justin Edwards 170
Pepy Abedi 184.5 – Dylan Andrews 185
Bubba McDaniel 185 – Brad Tavares 186
Erik Perez 135.5 – Takeya Mizugaki 135.5
Robert Whittaker 170.5 – Court McGee 170
Brian Melancon 170 – elvin Gastelum 170
Rafael dos Anjos 155.5 – Donald Cerrone 156

Las Vegas, Nev. – On Wednesday, Sept. 4, history will be made as the Ultimate Fighting Championship®’s long-running reality series, The Ultimate Fighter®, makes its debut on America’s new sports network, FOX Sports 1. UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and No.1 title contender Miesha Tate serve as coaches in the first ever season to feature women as coaches and cast members. The Ultimate Fighter®: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate kicks off with a two-hour premiere beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

In this 18th edition of the series, 16 men and 16 women bantamweight (135 lbs.) fighters will face off in the most challenging sports tournament on television. The premiere episode will determine the eight men and eight women who will successfully move into The Ultimate Fighter house and compete for a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a six-figure contract with the UFC®.

Catch a series preview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl0MSMgIW4g&feature=youtu.be

The successful fighters will then be divided into two teams, coached by Rousey and Tate respectively. The series will follow the teams as they live and train together in preparation for their fights. The coaches will then face off in the Octagon® for the women’s bantamweight title on Saturday, Dec. 28, at UFC® 168: WEIDMAN vs. SILVA at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

“This season of The Ultimate Fighter was monumental, as we had women as coaches and competitors – fighting and living together with the men – for the first time ever,” UFC president Dana White said. “Obviously the fierce rivalry between Ronda and Miesha is going to get everyone’s attention, but it doesn’t take away from their dedication and success as coaches and the level of talent this season. One of the things that always makes The Ultimate Fighter great is the fights, and this season continues to deliver. Since we added the women’s division earlier this year, they’ve been putting on awesome fights, and the streak continues on the show, giving the men some serious competition and setting up some Fight-of-the-Night worthy battles.”

“FOX Sports 1 is now the exclusive home of the UFC. To have a show that packs this kind of power and gives our viewers a raw, emotional look into becoming an MMA professional is reality television at it’s best. We can’t wait for the September 4th premiere,” said FOX Sports 1 Co-president Eric Shanks.

The Ultimate Fighter®: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate will anchor FOX Sports 1’s UFC Wednesday block and run for 13 weeks. 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 Saturday, November 30. Tickets set to go on sale to the public on October 11.

The list of finalists was trimmed from more than 200 applicants, with the final fighters hailing from the United States, Canada, England, Ireland and Sweden. The competitors are, in alphabetical order (Name, Professional MMA record, Age, Fighting Out Of):

Shayna Baszler (15-8), 33, Sioux Fall, S.D.
Revelina Berto, (3-1), 24, Winter Haven, Fla.
Jessamyn Duke (2-0, 1NC), 27, Richmond, Ky.
Tonya Evinger (11-6), 32, Lake St. Louis, Mo.
Laura Howarth (4-0), 26, Hove, East Essex, ENG
Tara LaRosa (21-3), 35, Albuquerque, N.M.
Valerie Letourneau (4-3), 30, La Prairie, CAN
Bethany Marshall (4-1), 25, Newport News, Va.
Sarah Moras (3-1), 25, Kelowna, CAN
Margaret “Peggy” Morgan (2-0), 33, Nashua, N.H.
Gina Mazany (3-0), 25, Seattle, Wash.
Roxanne Modafferi (15-10), 30, Yokohama, JPN
Julianna Pena (4-2), 24, Spokane, Wash.
Raquel Pennington (3-3), 24, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jessica Rakoczy (1-3), 36, Las Vegas, Nev.
Colleen Schneider (4-3), 31, Las Vegas, Nev.

Christopher Beal (7-0), 28, Somis, Calif.
Cody Bollinger (14-3), 22, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Louis Fisette (6-1), 23, Winnipeg, CAN
Rafael Freitas (6-0-1), 29, Albuquerque, N.M.
David Grant (8-1), 27, Bishop Auckland, ENG
Tim Gorman (9-2), 30, West Des Moines, Iowa
Anthony Gutierrez (4-0), 22, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Emil Hartsner (4-0), 23, Luberod, SWE
Joshua Hill (9-0), 26, Binbrook, CAN
Chris Holdsworth (4-0), 25, Woodland Hills, Calif.
Patrick Holohan (9-0-1), 25, Dublin, IRL
Sirwan Kakai (9-1), 23, Coconut Creek, Fla.
Daniel Martinez (18-4), 28, San Diego, Calif.
Matthew Munsey (4-1), 26, Hollywood, Fla.
Lee Sandmeier (9-0), 30, Knoxville, Iowa
Michael Wootten (6-0), 24, Liverpool, ENG

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 @TUFonFS1 or on Facebook.com/TUF.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, moving to FOX Sports 1 in September 2013.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, UFC FIT®, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club® affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 1 is a new national 24-hour multi-sport channel launching on August 17 and boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually. The channel has eight pillar sports: college basketball and football, MLB (in 2014), NASCAR, NFL (ancillary programs), USGA events including the U.S. Open (2015), soccer and UFC. College football is highlighted by regular season coverage of Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA games, while the college basketball spotlight shines on the Big East, Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA and the Big East men’s basketball tournament. Starting in 2014, select MLB League Championship Series and Division Series games as well as regular season games are coming to the channel. FOX Sports 1 also carries select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events beginning in 2015; NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races; the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race; and all Speedweeks coverage, including Daytona 500 Qualifying, Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, (2014, 2017-22) the Budweiser Duel, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NCWTS Practice and Qualifying sessions. Additionally, FOX Sports 1 carries NASCAR RACEDAY, NASCAR VICTORY LANE and RACE HUB shows. The channel also carries the world’s most prolific club soccer competitions, like UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and CONCACAF Champions League, along with the world’s oldest soccer competition, the FA Cup; plus CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Qualifiers, EURO 2016 Qualifiers; 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers; FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019; FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2018 and 2022. In addition to Saturday pay-per-view preliminary cards, Wednesday nights are home to the UFC with UFC TONIGHT, live events and THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER. In Feb. 2014, FOX Sports 1 partners with The Jockey Club for newly created package of nationally televised races featuring the leading horses in the country. 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: FOX FOOTBALL DAILY, CROWD GOES WILD, a new live sports entertainment talk show hosted by Regis Philbin; and the groundbreaking BEING: documentary franchise. For more information visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1.

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighter®, The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s® long-running reality series, which 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, will be holding tryouts for its 19th season in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Middleweight (185lbs) and light heavyweight (205lbs) fighters are invited to attend the season 19 casting on Tuesday, August 27, ahead of Wednesday night’s UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: CONDIT vs. KAMPMANN 2, also in Indiana.

Middleweights were most recently featured on season 17, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen, where Kelvin Gastellum emerged the winner; while light heavyweights were last featured on season 8, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir, with the victory captured by Ryan Bader.

This September, the series moves to its new home on FOX Sports 1 with the two-hour season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, featuring UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and fierce rival Miesha Tate, set to air Wednesday, September 4 at 11 PM ET.

The Ultimate Fighter 19 candidates must be between 21 and 34 years old, be able to legally live and work in the United States, have a minimum of three professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights, and hold a verifiable winning record. Applications, which should be completed and brought to the tryouts, can be found online at http://www.ufc.com/tuf19. Tryout details are provided below:

Where:
The Westin Indianapolis
50 S Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204
*Tryouts will be held in the CAPITOL ROOM

When:
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Registration begins at 7:00AM
Tryouts begin at 9:00 AM.

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 advance in the selection process. Successful candidates will be required to be present at final casting in Las Vegas on September 2, 2013.

Questions can be directed to: tufcasting@ufc.com.
###

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, moving to FOX Sports 1 in September 2013.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, UFC FIT®, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club® affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

Demetrious Johnson retained the UFC Flyweight title with a fifth round submission over Jon Moraga at the Key Arena in Seattle.

Johnson made Moraga tap out with a Kimora Armbar just 1:17 before the final bell.

Johnson, 124.5 lbs of Parkland, WA is now 18-2-1. Moraga, 125 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is now 13-2.

In a lackluster three round Welterweight bout, Rory Macdonald scored a unanimous decision over Jake Ellenberger.

Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Macdonald, 170 1/2 lbs of Montreal ans is now 15-1. Ellenberger, 171 lbs of Lake Forrest, CA is now 29-7.

Robbie Lawler scored a second round stoppage over Bobby Volker when Lawler landed a vicious left kick to the head.

The time was for Lawler, 170 1/2 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL and is now 21-9-1. Volker, 170 lbs of Kansas City is now 24-10

Liz Carmouche scored a second round stoppage over Jessica Andrade in a scheduled three round Bantamweight bout.

Carmouche git Andrade on the ground and landed seven consecutive shots while Andrade was prone on the ground and the bout was stopped at 3:57 of round two.

Carmouche, 136 lbs of San Diego is now 8-3. Andrade, 134 lbs of Brazil is now 9-3.

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization returns to FUEL TV tomorrow with what UFC president Dana White called one of the best televised cards of the year.

All 22 fighters have weighed-in, and are ready to fight tomorrow.

Emanating from the Capital FM Arena in the historic City of Nottingham, England, the FUEL TV televised event features six sick fights including a heavyweight eliminator, a clash between a hometown hero and an Ultimate Fighter winner, an all-British welterweight battle, a bantamweight clash between a top five contender and an exciting talent looking to make a name for himself, an undefeated lightweight prodigy taking on a four-time ‘fight of the night’ winner, plus, a throwdown between two ‘bombs away’ welterweight punchers.

“If you don’t think this is a great card – you know nothing about mixed martial arts because this card is awesome,” said White. “The main event between Struve and Miocic is awesome and the winner of this fight becomes a top five heavyweight. These are the fights you have to win to get the world title – and it should be a great fight. These two have gone to a decision only once each – it could be the fight of the night. But I could say that about all the fights, though. You could throw a dart at the card and hit the fight of the night. Dan Hardy always, always brings it, and so does Amir Sadollah. That should be great too, especially with Dan fighting in front of his hometown fans.

“John Hathaway vs John Maguire should be sick, too. Both of them are right there looking to break into the top of the welterweight division – and whenever you’ve got two Brits fighting it always seems to wind up a great fight. And when have you ever seen Brad Pickett (who fights Yves Jabouin at bantamweight) in a bad fight? Paul Sass has huge potential, and he’s fighting a tough guy in Matt Wiman. Plus, Che Mills and Duane Ludwig are going to throw bombs. Top to bottom, this is a fight fan’s card – and it’s free on FUEL TV.”

Full weigh-in results for tomorrow’s big card live on FUEL TV:

FUEL TV Main Card, live coverage begins 12noon PT, 3pm ET

Heavyweights: Stefan Struve (251 lbs) vs. Stipe Miocic (239 lbs)

Welterweights: Dan Hardy (169 lbs) vs Amir Sadollah (169 lbs)

Welterweight: John Hathaway (169 lbs) vs John Maguire (169 lbs)

Bantamweights: Brad Pickett (135 lbs) vs Yves Jabouin (136 lbs)

Lightweights: Paul Sass (156 lbs) vs Matt Wiman (156 lbs)

Welterweight: Che Mills (170 lbs) vs Duane Ludwig (169 lbs)

FACEBOOK undercard

Featherweights: Jason Young (145 lbs) vs. Robbie Peralta (144 lbs)

Catchweight: DaMarques Johnson (183 lbs) vs. Gunnar Nelson (175 lbs)

Middleweights: Tom Watson (186 lbs) vs. Brad Tavares (185 lbs)

Featherweight: Andy Ogle (144 lbs) vs. Akira Corassani (144 lbs)

Light Heavyweight: Kyle Kingsbury (204 lbs) vs. Jimi Manuwa (204 lbs)

Also, tonight, the third episode of The Ultimate Fighter Friday airs on FX in the US at 10pm E/P, where one fighter engages in noisy late night activities – creating enemies on both teams. Plus, Coach Carwin announces his first match-up, sending two more welterweights into the Octagon for the second preliminary fight.

TUF video preview:

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

Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC® welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has scored nine consecutive victories en route to a five-year dominant reign atop the 170-pound division. On Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, the champion returns to his hometown after a 17-month absence due to injury looking to unify the welterweight title against dangerous striker Carlos Condit.

“One of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world, Georges St-Pierre, is coming home to Montreal to defend not only his pound-for-pound standing, but his welterweight world title,” UFC® President Dana White said.

“St-Pierre has been off for over a year recovering from knee surgery and now has to face his toughest test in interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit, who won the interim championship by defeating Nick Diaz while GSP was injured. So on Nov. 17, in Montreal, Canada, it’s champion vs. champion to see who will leave the undisputed UFC welterweight king!”

Boasting six defenses of his welterweight belt, the dynamic St-Pierre (22-2) has established a historic and unrivaled reign of the welterweight division. Now he faces his toughest threat to date in former WEC® and current UFC interim welterweight champion, Carlos Condit (28-5). Having routed his last five opponents on his road toward a shot against St-Pierre, the tactical Condit has shown he has the elusive footwork and pin point striking to silence the critics and dethrone the seemingly insurmountable St-Pierre.

“I’m excited to finally get back in the Octagon and reclaim my spot as the UFC welterweight champion,” St-Pierre said. “Carlos Condit is a very tough opponent. He has really good striking and very good submission skills. I respect him a lot and look forward to fighting him in front of my hometown fans in Montreal.”

An equally eager Condit said: “This is the fight the fans have been waiting so long to see. I still have not realized my goal of being the UFC welterweight champion, and to do that, I need to defeat Georges and unify the belt. I’ve worked my entire career for this fight, and I am excited it is finally happening.”

Also, Johny Hendricks (13-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) meets Denmark native Martin Kampmann (20-5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) in a compelling welterweight co-main event with title implications. As the only fighter to defeat interim champion Carlos Condit in the UFC, Kampmann feels a win over Hendricks will put him at the top of the 170-pound division.

Fresh off a pair of wins over former welterweight title challengers Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, the hard-hitting Hendricks is confident of his standing in the welterweight class and looks to add a fifth consecutive win to his impressive streak on Nov. 17.

In addition to Montreal’s Georges St-Pierre, eight other Canadians will step into the Octagon® on Nov. 17 as Thamesford, Ontario’s Mark Hominick returns against Pablo Garza (12-3, fighting out of Fargo, N.D.), Rimouski, Quebec’s Patrick Cote (18-8) faces middleweight Alessio Sakara (19-9, fighting out of Miami, Fla.), Toronto’s Mark Bocek (12-1) battles lightweight Rafael Dos Anjos (17-6, fighting out of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil), Montreal’s John Makdessi (9-2) takes on London, Ontario’s Sam Stout (19-7-1), Calgary’s Nick Ring (13-1) faces middleweight Constantinos Philippou (11-2, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y.), Montreal’s Ivan Menjivar (24-8) takes on bantamweight Azamat Gashimov (7-1, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J.), and Oshawa, Ontario’s native Antonio Carvalho (14-5) will challenge featherweight Rodrigo Damm (10-5, fighting out of Vila Velha, Brazil).

Tickets for UFC® 154: ST-PIERRE vs. CONDIT, presented by The United States Marine Corps, go on sale Saturday, Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $600, $400, $325, $250, $150, $100, and $75. Tickets will be at the Bell Centre box office, by phone at (514) 790-2525 / 1-877-668-8269 or at www.evenko.ca.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC® newsletter subscribers Friday, Sept. 28, starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC® newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC® 154: ST-PIERRE vs. CONDIT 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.

REMINDER: UFC will hold a 12 p.m. press conference at the Montreal Science Centre for UFC® 154: ST-PIERRE vs. CONDIT on Sept. 27 with St-Pierre and Condit in attendance. Please RSVP to Steve Keogh (skeogh@ufc.com).

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX in an exciting new live format.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization returns to Toronto this Saturday with a stacked card featuring two world title fights.

At an open workout today, here’s what the top four fighters on the card told the Canadian and travelling press:

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones said: “Vitor Belfort is a UFC original, a real, true legend. He has so much experience at so many different weight classes and I cannot underestimate him. He will have something planned for me, and I’ve prepared to react to anything he does.

“He’s a very powerful striker, but in this situation, I feel I am the more versatile striker in the fight. I won’t shy away from a striking battle just because he has a punch. He’s got a unique style and I enjoy matching up against guys like that. There are so many styles in MMA and, being the champion, you have to face all of them.

“In no way have I ‘cleared out’ the division. Everyone’s style is a puzzle for me, and who knows which style I will have the most trouble with. I’m about to fight my fifth straight UFC champion – which I was told is a UFC record – and I’m very proud of fighting the best guy available in each of my fights. That’s how you build a legacy in a sport.”

Vitor Belfort, challenger, said: “Everyday, I have the chance to be the best of myself. Every day I have a day to improve. I know I can win this fight and shock the world. I can bring the old guys some pride back (laughs).

“I am so ready in my mind, it is hard for me to explain. I am so ready to be the champion again. My brain, my body, they are so ready. That’s how I live my life, with belief. I am a winner. I am ready to win. As you get older you learn about yourself. I have the same abilities as I had when I was younger, but now I have more sense of myself. I know how I respond and learn. Whenever someone says something like ‘Can you speak French?’ I don’t say “no” I say “Not yet”.

“Against Jon Jones people ask ‘how can you beat this guy?’ and I say ‘I will show you how on Saturday’.”

Moving to the second UFC world title fight at UFC 152, the clash for the newly created UFC flyweight title, Joseph Benavidez said:

“The main goal in my career is to be the UFC champion. I would take that however it comes – but to be the first UFC champion is extra special. If I wasn’t a fighter, and I was just a fan, I would be a fan of DJ. He’s got a great all-action style and I love watching him. My coaches have broken his style down and we got a plan to beat him. My eye is on the prize but I am planning a long reign.

“It was frustrating to wait since February for this fight because DJ had a draw against (Ian) McCall but it was just extra time to get better. Most fighters train when they are fighting, I train to get better all the time. You get better as a fighter when you don’t have a fight but you in the gym – and you’ll see the best version of me yet on Saturday.”

And Demetrious Johnson added: “I first walked into Matt Hume’s gym after seeing Rashad Evans on the Ultimate Fighter (season two, 2006) and I said ‘I saw this guy who is a wrestler, like me, doing well, and I think I want to try it’. I had no idea I was too small for the smallest UFC division back then, but as they kept adding more and more smaller classes I started to believe I would fight at 125lbs in the UFC.

“This is where I belong. This is where I can perform to the best of my abilities. I want to be remembered as the George Washington of the 125lbs division, the first, the guy who was first in line and everyone else followed. All the hard work is worth that piece of the history books.”

UFC® 152: JONES vs. BELFORT, presented by Assassin’s Creed III – Igniting the Revolution on October 30th – will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on Shaw Communications, Bell TV, 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.

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

UFC middleweight kingpin and pound-for-pound best, Anderson Silva,will headline UFC 153 against long time veteran Stephan Bonnar in Riode Janeiro, Brazil on October 13th according to USA Today.

Bonnar (14-7), currently riding on a three fight win streak, is well known for his epic battle against Forrest Griffin on the UltimateFighter 1 finale. He has also been a regular on ESPN’s MMA Livebroadcast as an expert analyst.

Silva (32-4) is coming off arguably the most satisfying win of his career against Chael Sonnen in July and has yet to have been bested inside the UFC Octagon.

The card, which was expected to showcase an anticipated featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar, abruptly came to a halt when Aldo was forced to pull out after suffering a foot injury.

Making matters worse, former champion Quinton Jackson, who was supposed to challenge the prominent Glover Teixeira, has also pulled out citing injuries, putting an additional dent to the previously stacked card in Brazil. Countryman Fabio Maldonado is now slated to fill in to face Teixeira in a light heavyweight contest.

In other notable fights, former heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira returns against Dave Herman while rising welterweight sensation Erick Silva takes on the toughest challenge of his career against Jon Fitch.

Former Pride Middleweight and UFC Light Heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua scored a fourth round stoppage over Brandon Vera in a Light Heavyweight bout that headlined a UFC card at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

It was a back and forth battle that saw Vera attempt to choke Rua out in round one. Round two saw Rua rock Vera with some hard shots that caused a cut from the left eye of Vera. The two went back and forth landing hard shots on each other and the fight was setting up to be a war of attrition. Rua landed a huge right hand in round four that sent Vera wobbling back towards the cage. Rua quickly followed up with with punches to head while Vera was trying to cover up on the ground. Referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at 4:09 of round four.

Rua, 205 lbs of Cuntigua, Brazil is now 21-6. Vera, 203.8 lbs of San Diego is now 12-6-1.

Former Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida scored a chilling second round stoppage over Ryan Bader.

Machida dominated the first round with kicks to Bader, not offering Bader any opportunity to get inside. When Bader attempted to do that in round two, he got got with a huge right on the chin that had him down and out. Machida landed two needless punches before the fight was called.

After the show UFC head Dana White was to decide which of between Rua and Machida would get a crack at the winner of the upcoming UFC Light Heavyweight battle between Jon Jones and Dan Henderson

Machida, 201 lbs of Belem, Brazil is now 18-3. Bader, 205 lbs of Tempe, AZ is now 15-3.

Joe Lauzon scored a third round choke out of Jamie Varner in a thrilling Lightweight bout.

Varner came out strong as he landed some fast combinations. Lauzon had a strong round two as he had Varner in several near submissions. In round three, Lauzon was successful in locking in a triangle choke and Varner tapped at 2:44 of round three.

Lauzon, 155.8 lbsof Bridgewater, MA is now 21-7. Varner, 156 lbs of Dobson Shores, AZ is now 20-7-1-2

Mike Swick made a triumphant return after a lengthy illness as he knocked out DaMarques Johnson in round two of their Welterweight bout.

The two traded heavy blows in round one with Swick getting the better. In round Two, Johnson fell short with a right kick and Swick seized the counter opportunity and landed a booing right hand that sent Johnson to the canvas and two flush follow up right hands to the defenseless face of Johnson had the fight stopped at 1:20 of round two.

Swick, 170 lbs of San Jose, CA is 15-4. Johnson, 171 lbs of Salt Lake City, UT is now 18-11

FAIRFAX, VA – It was a pro-Korean Zombie crowd in Fairfax, VA and their man surely didn’t disappoint. Fighting in front of a supporting group of Korean Americans and hardcore MMA fans, Chan-Sung Jung (13-3) of South Korea put on a heck of a show, going toe-to-toe with the technically sound Dustin Poirier (12-2) over four scintillating rounds before emerging victorious with a perfectly executed d’arce choke.

After a quick clinch in the opening seconds, Jung secured a takedown and drew blood on the American’s head with sharp elbows from the top. Poirier’s tricky guard got him the reversal for a bit before the two stood back up in the final seconds to trade blows.

Jung dropped Poirier again in the beginning of the second and hurried to go for a ground and pound. Poirer pulled guard and eventually got back up. A flying knee followed by a series of uppercuts and a scramble led to Jung gaining full-mount. In another fast paced scramble, Poirier almost got caught in an arm bar, but managed to escape. Seconds before the bell, Jung nearly ended the fight again with a triangle lock.

Poised to box in the third, Poirier threw jabs and found his mark with well timed right hands. But call him the Arturo Gatti of MMA if you will, the man they chanted, ‘Zombie’ can’t seem to stay out of a brawl if he wanted to. Forcing the action against his tiring foe, Jung walked through punches to dish out punishment of his own, hurting Poirier against the cage before the bell.

The fourth saw another flying knee from Jung that had Poirier collapsing to his knees. Jung then immediately locked up a d’arce choke, which rendered Poirier unconscious. The referee stepped in at 1:07 to call a halt to the contest.

In the post fight interview, Jung alluded that his last win against Mark Hominick could’ve been a fluke, so he was reluctant on calling out the champ. But this time around, he begged to differ.

‘I want to thank all the Korean fans. He (Poirier) had me in trouble in the beginning of the third, but I just kept going and came up with the win. I want Jose Aldo!’ said Jung .

SADOLLAH EDGES LOPEZ

The main supporting bout evening saw a duel between welterweights Amir Sadollah (7-3) of Richmond, VA and Las Vegas, NV’s Jorge Lopez (11-3), won by Sadollah after three close, competitive rounds. Official scores were 29-28, 28-29, and 29-28.

After a feel out start to the round, Lopez was able to takedown Sadollah and attempted to maneuver a kimura. Sadollah got back to his feet and escaped the submission attempt, but didn’t do much else to take the round.

Lopez, a Wanderlei Silva’s protégé based out of Las Vegas, NV, went for the takedown again in round two, but was countered by a guillotine attempt from Sadollah, followed by a scramble that led both guys back to their feet. Just when Sadollah appeared to be in control of the final minute, Lopez caught a leg and finished with a takedown.

The third frame saw another arduous effort from Lopez to take Sadollah down, but the Ultimate Fighter 7 winner displayed solid defense against the cage. Sadalloh was briefly taken down and pull guard before standing back up. It was almost seemed like a stall tactic for Lopez to push his foe against the cage, garnering a loud jeer of boos from the crowd in the closing seconds. To Sadollah’s credit, he tried to keep the fight standing and contributed more in the striking department.

CERRONE BREEZES THROUGH STEPHENS

Fan favorite Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone (18-4-0, 1NC) didn’t disappoint the crowd, pounding out an easy yet still exciting unanimous decision (30-27 3x) win over San Diego, CA’s Jeremy Stephens (20-8). Cerreone, an Albuquerque, NM product, goofed and danced around in round one, but landed some sharp punches and leg kicks in the process. By the end of the round, the shorter Stephens appeared battered as his face was already busted up. In the second, Cerreone landed a crisp one two combination and launched a series of leg kicks that hurt his opponent. The third and last round was no different as the Greg Jackson trained fighter continued to dissect Stephens in every aspect of the game.

This was Cerrone’s first comeback fight since the disappointing loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 141. With the win, Cerrone keeps himself relevant in the lightweight picture.

With the great Georges St. Pierre nearby his corner, Montreal’s Yves Jabouin added himself to the red hot bantamweight mix with a brutal, impressive three round beat down of Enumclaw, WA’s Jeff Houghland.

Jabouin initiated action with a quick right hand and a spinning back kick that kept Hougland at bay. Towards the end of the round, Jabouin landed a hard kick to the midsection, dropping Hougland hard before relentlessly going for the finish with a series of hammer fists. The Washington native showed tremendous heart in absorbing the furious ground and pound attack before getting saved by the bell. Hougland regrouped in the second round, but Jabouin was the one on the offense, scoring with jabs and kicks to the body. A hard left hook dropped Hougland again and another assault from the top ensued. Managing to scramble out of position, Houghland hung on from half to full guard and eventually heard the final bell. Still, it was a dominant performance by Jabouin, who improves to 18-7. Scores were 30-27 (2x) and 30-26. ‘It feels awesome. Once that back kick sinks in, a lot of guys can’t withstand it. UFC does a great job matching me up with tremendous opponents.’ said the victorious Jabouin.

In a thrilling light heavyweight war, Croatia’s Igor Pokrajac (25-8) outlasted pro boxer Fabio Maldonado of Brazil (18-5) over three heated rounds.

The opening stanza saw Pokrajac quickly taking his boxer foe to his back, sustaining top position for the first half of the round. Maldonado eventually escaped and unleashed a barrage of unanswered combinations to the head that had Pokrajac in trouble. However, the Croatian was no slouch when it came to striking, coming back in the second round with combination punching of his own, staggering Maldonado and then going for a double leg, followed by a strong knee during a clinch. But the better boxer was Maldonado, who has an unbeaten professional boxing record of 22-0, 21KOs. Maldonado was landing hard shots to the body before stealing a takedown in the final seconds before the bell.

Maldonado was adamant in digging deep to the body in the third, something not commonly seen in the game of MMA. Pokrajac was more than just game, being able to fight off the fence and land hard shots of his own. The two hitters exchanged furiously in the closing seconds, but it was Maldonado who landed the cleaner shots with his superior boxing technique. Decision was met with a jeer of boos from the crowd as Pokrajac escaped with a controversial but unanimous scores of 29-28 (2x) and 30-27.

The animated Tom Lawlor (8-4, 1NC) of New England kicked off the FUEL telecast with an explosive first round stoppage win over rugged veteran Jason MacDonald (26-16) of Canada. Lawlor wasted very little time forcing the engage before landing a hard left and followed by a right to send his Canadian foe to the canvas. Before any further damage was inflicted, the referee stepped into call the bout to a halt at :50. Along with the win, Lawlor also celebrated his twenty ninth birthday. ‘It feels great (the win). I came back here started signing the checks — forgot what it was like to win and almost walked off without it. I really needed this win coming off a bad loss, a long layoff, switching camps and moving basically my whole life. I really needed something to validate that I’m making the right decisions in life.’ said Lawlor following the win.

In a crossroad bout between two fighters desperately in need of a win, Brad Tavares (7-2) of Las Vegas, NV edged Seoul, Korea’s Dongi Yang (10-3) in a three round middleweight contest. In round one, Yang was the aggressor, but Tavares was more versed in his attack, able to land leg kicks and cleaner punches. On three occasions, the bout paused abruptly, due to thumbing from both fighters. Yang was more composed in the second, landing a crisp front leg kick on the chin of Tavares. Both guys traded and checked leg kicks. Yang hurt Tavares with a straight left and moved forward with hard leaping hooks. The last two minutes of the round saw some clinching against the cage although neither guy held the clear upper hand. Tavares scored the first effective takedown of the fight in the opening seconds of the third. Yang was held down for nearly two minutes, which appeared to have taken some steam out of the South Korean. Tavares then followed with a kick to the groin, making matters worse for the fatiguing Yang. Not much happened in the final two minutes, but Tavares may have won that round based on the takedown early on in the round. When Bruce Buffer announced the decision, Brad Tavares was awarded with the unanimous verdict of 29-28 (3x).

‘It feels good to get back in the win column. It wasn’t the prettiest fight but I really did try to take his head off. I kicked him a lot and my shins are sore from kicking his elbows. He’s no chump, no walkover. Look at his record — he’s never been stopped and has only stopped people. I’m just glad I got the victory.’ said Tavares who was relieved with the unanimous decision win.

The first bout of the evening saw bantamweights Alex Soto (6-2-1) and Francisco Rivera Jr. (8-2) go head to head in a battle of Californians. From the opening round, Rivera was the aggressor, trying to time his right hand while Soto moved and circled to pick his Muay Thai kicks. Soto was wild in his attempt to shoot in for a takedown and paid the price when Rivera countered with punches. Rivera was more methodical in his approach in the second frame, still playing the aggressor, but effectively landing leg kicks. Soto was persistent in going for takedowns and Rivera seemingly took the round with harder shots. Soto briefly secured a takedown in the first minute of round three, but Rivera rose back shortly after and resumed in control with constant pressure and more accurate striking. All three judges at cageside scored the bout 30-27 in favor of Rivera.

Long time veteran Jeff Curran (35-15-1) is still winless in the UFC, after dropping a decision loss to Brazil’s Johnny Eduardo (26-9). Both veterans fought cautiously in the first round, but it was the Brazilian who consistently landed low kicks throughout. A lot of bobbing and weaving took place, but no major punches were landed in the first two rounds. In the third, Curran showed urgency by throwing more punches and was able to land something that seemingly bothered Eduardo. Eduardo briefly stopped engaging, claiming he was thumbed, but the ref did not intervene. Regardless, Eduardo kept landing his right kick while Curran continued to press the attack and headhunted. Neither guy was able to score a takedown. After three rounds, scores were 29-28 (3x), all in favor of Eduardo.

Northern Virginia’s own Kamal Shalorus (7-3-2) was looking to put on a showcase in front of his home crowd, but a left kick to the head from Brazil’s Rafael Dos Anjos (16-6) sent him crashing to the canvas, followed by a tight rear-naked choke to seal the deal. With another explosive first round win, Anjos again keeps himself relevant in the lightweight picture.

GRANT OUTHUSTLES PRATER

In a collision of two seasoned combatants, Nova Scotia’s TJ Grant (18-5) emerged victorious after out-working Brazil’s Carlo Prater (30-11-1) over three rounds. Grant worked the clinch early on, but the Brazilian defended well against the cage. After a quick scramble, Grant secured the top position and transitioned to side control seconds before the round had ended. Grant gained side control again in the second and landed some punches and elbows in a crucifix-like position. The Canadian quickly went for the takedown in the third but got caught in a guillotine choke. The choke was not fully sunk in and Grant was able to pop his head out. Prater’s back was then exposed and Grant went in for a rear naked choke and later, an arm bar, but to no avail. In the end, Grant’s superior work rate and dominant grappling earned him the unanimous nod. Scores were 30-27 (3x).

MCKENZIE STUNS LEVESSEUR

The anticipated UFC debut of former NCAA standout Marcus LeVesseur (21-6) turned out to be disastrous as Cody McKenzie (13-2) survived a furious onslaught in the opening minutes before turning the tide to claim victory in the first round. A determined McKenzie charged across the cage as soon as the bout began, but LeVesseur demonstrated his wrestling prowess with an immediate takedown to retaliate. Levesseur also displayed quickness on his feet, tagging his awkward foe with hard shots and got on top before going for a modified guillotine choke. McKenzie weathered the storm and moved to full guard and locked in a guillotine of his own, forcing the former unbeaten four time NCAA champion to tap.

‘He was really strong. It’s a fight. I kind of blacked out. ‘, said the jubilant McKenzie in the post fight interview.

Nate Diaz scored a second round choke out over Jim Miller in a scheduled three round Lightweight bout at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Guillotine Choke came at 4:09 of round two for Diaz, 156 lbs of Stockton, CA and is now 16-7. Miller, 156 lbs from nearby Whippany, NJ is now 21-4.

Johny Hendricks scored a three round split decision over Josh Koscheck in a Welterweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on two cards for Hendricks while Koscheck took a card 29-28.

Hendricks, 170 1/2 lbs of Dallas, TX is now 13-1. Koscheck, 170 1/2 lbs of Fresno, CA is now 19-6.

Alan Belcher scored a first round stoppage over Rousimar Palhares in a three round Middleweight bout.

The two traded submission attempts on the ground when Belcher turned it around and punched out Palhares with some great “Ground and Pound” work and the bout was stopped at 4:18 of round one.

Belcher, 186 lbs of Biloxi, MS is now 17-5. Palhares, 186 lbs of Rio De Jinearo, BRA is now 23-4.

Levar Johnson scored a first round stoppage over Pat Barry in a scheduled three round Heavyweight bout.

It was exciting while it lasted as Barry gained ground control until Johnson came back and got to his feet and threw and landed (most of) the thirty-six unanswered punches and kicks and referee Dam Mirgliotta stopped the bout at 4:38 of round one.

Johnson, 253 lbs of San Jose, CA is now 17-5. Barry, 244 lbs of Alexandra, MN is now 7-5.

MAIN EVENT:

JOSE ALDO:

“This is the spirit I wanted to come out with tonight. The fans here gave me so much energy. We knew Chad was going to try to take me off my feet. We prepared for that and I had a chance to land the knee. It connected and I finished the fight. I was so overcome with emotion that I wanted to celebrate with my people.”

CHAD MENDES:

“Jose is a great champion and he was the better man tonight. He showed why he’s one of the best fighters in the world. I knew it would be hard to take him down, but I kept trying. I tried to keep the pressure, but he is just so tough and his takedown defense is great. I wanted the title so bad.”

BOUT EIGHT: PALHARES SUBMITS MASSENZIO

ROUSIMAR PALHARES:

“What a great victory! It’s what I always say when I get in there…if it’s God’s will then it is God’s will. I went in there and got it done. I like submissions and I got another one tonight.”

MIKE MASSENZIO:

“That’s a world-class athlete who was the better fighter tonight. I had the best camp of my career. I just got stuck. It wasn’t my night. I’m really disappointed.”

BOUT SEVEN: PRATER def. SILVA by DQ

CARLO PRATER:

“I’m not a judge. I didn’t stop the fight. All I know is that he hit me and it sent a shock of pain through my body unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I don’t know if the shots were legal. I just know it was unlike anything I’ve ever felt.”

ERICK SILVA:

“Everyone here knows that wasn’t intentional. I don’t know what else to say.”

BOUT SIX: BARBOZA def. ETIM by KNOCKOUT

EDSON BARBOZA:

“When you fight in Brazil, it’s unlike fighting in any other place in the world. In a fight, you try things and hope they work. Tonight, it (the kick) worked. It’s something I’ve practiced a lot and I finally was able to land it hard. I’m happy with this outcome and you can expect more of that soon.”

TERRY ETIM:

*Transported to local hospital for medical care following the fight and was unavailable for comment*

BOUT FIVE: TAVARES def. STOUT by DECISION

THIAGO TAVARES:

“Sam Stout was the toughest opponent I’ve ever faced and this is the biggest win of my career. I thought about this fight for a long time. I have to be honest: of all the ways I saw this fight going, I never expected to beat him striking. I tried to take the fight to the ground, but he has great takedown defense. The fight stayed on the feet and I was able to win there. I want another big name next.”

SAM STOUT:

“This was my first fight without Shawn (Tompkins). It was definitely an adjustment not having him in my corner. I hope Shawn would be proud.”

“I thought I took rounds two and three, but I just struggled to find my rhythm. My head wasn’t in it in the first round. I had a slow start and I have no one to blame but myself for that.”

Gonzaga submits Oliveira

BOUT FOUR:

GABRIEL GONZAGA:

“It felt great to be back in the Octagon. I showed that I still have my BJJ skills in there tonight. My time away from the UFC was good for me. I dealt with some personal business in my life and came back refocused. Before, I was training well, but my mind just wasn’t in it. Now, I’m back, I feel great. I’m focused and I showed that by beating a 13-0 fighter.”

EDNALDO OLIVEIRA:

“Part of me is sad and part of me is angry. I left an opening and Gabriel capitalized. I wanted to win badly and this is not a good feeling.”

BOUT THREE: ALCANTARA def. OMIGAWA by UNANIMOUS DECISION

YURI ALCANTARA:

“This was like the World Cup for me tonight. To fight against a veteran like him was a true honor. I hope this win proved to the UFC that I’m ready for the main card. I felt like a complete fighter in there tonight.”

MICHIHIRO OMIGAWA:

*Suffered an injury during the contest and was transported to a local hospital for further examination. Thus, he was unavailable for comment.*

BOUT TWO: MIKE PYLE def. RICARDO FUNCH by TKO

MIKE PYLE:

“After my last fight, I took a step back and readjusted some things in my training. I knew that I had to really take a look at my whole MMA game and I think you saw some of the adjustments and improvements tonight. My striking and my overall game have evolved. This was an important fight for me in my career and I appreciate Ricardo taking this fight on short notice.”

RICARDO FUNCH:

“I’m disappointed. I don’t have any excuses. He caught me with a good shot and it was over.”

Felipe Arantes def. Antonio CARVALHO by UNANIMOUS DECISION

FELIPE ARANTES:

“I’m very happy with this win because I went out there and proved to the people of Brazil that I belong in the Octagon. He was a very tough opponent. I had a tough camp and battled some injuries, but I was able to get in there tonight and control the striking and win.”

ANTONIO CARVALHO:

“I expected the crowd to be against me, but I’m not sure it played a big factor. They were definitely loud. In the end, Felipe listened to his corner very well. I wish I would have had more efficient shots (for takedowns) because they worked in the first round. I went for a few too many submissions and tired myself out.”

Hate him or love him, Jon Jones is here to stay. Proving the evolution of mixed martial arts, Jon Jones (14-1) established himself as the current and future of this ever growing sport. Displaying an array of diverse striking, defense, and grappling to complete tonight’s mission, Jones impressively retained his light heavyweight crown over the charismatic Quinton Jackson at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO.

In the opening seconds, Jones crouched down and crawled, attempting to go for the single leg. Jackson, weary of his opponent’s grappling strength averted and tried to force a boxing contest. It didn’t matter however, as Jones’ freakishly long reach allowed him to strike from the distance, landing a variety of leg kicks from all angles to keep his stalking opponent at bay.

In the third, Jones was able to take Jackson down and secure a full mount, followed by devastating elbows to the head. Jackson was cut above the eye and looked visibly worn out. Jones, aided by his plethora of tools, had his way by the fourth round. Again, securing a takedown, Jones went for the rear naked choke, and successfully sunk it in, forcing the former champion to tap at the 1:14 mark of the round.

It was another flawless performance by the young champion, who has now dominated Rampage, Shogun Rua, and Ryan Bader in his last three outings. With the win, the twenty-four year old former junior college wrestling champion moves on to face yet another tough opponent in Rashad Evans possibly slated for early 2012.

Jackson (32-9) was humble in defeat, crediting and recognizing his conqueror as a great fighter.

Two welterweights collided in hopes to rebound from their disappointing losses in previous bouts, but it was Josh Koschek (16-5) who got back on the winning track, stopping welterweight legend Matt Hughes in the first round. Both wrestlers kept the fight standing from the start of the bell and Hughes seemed to have the advantage in the early going. However, Koschek, the former NCAA Division-I champion began to find his mark, repeatedly landing hard right hands to buckle the hall of famer. Hughes valiantly fought back and went for a knee, but fell down, which cost him dearly as Koschek jumped on him immediately to land unanswered punches to the ear and temple area prompting the ref to call a halt to the fight.

With another knockout loss, it’s unclear where the former two time welterweight champion’s career stands. In the post fight interview, Hughes, now 45-9, refused to announce his retirement.

The effects of the Colorado altitude clearly showed in the heavyweight slugfest between Mark Hunt (7-7) and Ben Rothwell (39-8), as two big men somehow finished the grueling battle in three exhausting rounds. Rothwell’s takedown attempts were denied by Hunt, the former K-1 Grand Prix winner, who was able to utilize his superior boxing throughout the fight. In round two, Hunt, who’s notoriously known for his lack of grappling skills, managed to force takedowns against his tiring challenger and also landed blows that cause a cut above the eye. The Super Samoan pursued for the knockout in round three and nearly pulled it off with several hard shots, but Rothwell, seemingly out on his feet, somehow managed to survive and finished the fight. Hunt won unanimously on all three judges’ scorecards.

Faded veteran and former Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi (33-8) suffered yet another loss, this time by the hands of Stockton’s Nate Diaz, who was able to outstrike his shorter opponent and then later finishing the living legend with a modified arm bar in the first round. Gomi , who hasn’t had much to offer since his arrival in the UFC, looked sloppy as he did against Clay Guida back in UFC 125 and succumbed to another submission loss. With the win, Diaz breaks his two fight losing streak and improves his ledger to 14-7.

According to multiple sources, Nick Diaz has been scratched from UFC 137 and will not be challenging Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight crown. Diaz failed to show up to for the press conference in support of promoting the October 29th event, which led to Dana White’s decision in nixing the fight. It’s unknown whether or not Diaz would be cut from the organization altogether, but things certainly don’t look good for one of the premiere welterweights in the world today. Stepping in as a replacement is Carlos Condit, who is coming off a very impressive stoppage win over Korea’s Dong Hyun Kim back in UFC 132. Condit, who was originally penciled in to take on B.J. Penn on the main undercard of the event, now gets a title shot, hoping to become the first former WEC welterweight champion to win the UFC belt. That also leaves Penn without a dance partner and his potential replacement opponent has not yet been announced. On another interesting note, both St. Pierre and Condit share the same trainer in Greg Jackson.