Jennifer Wenk, UFC PR, 702.221.4790, 702.635.0995, jwenk@ufc.com 

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Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Two of the most dynamic Ultimate Fighting Championship® light heavyweights clash on Sunday, March 21, when Muay Thai ace Brandon “The Truth” Vera takes on dangerous 22-year-old phenom Jon “Bones” at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colo for UFC® on VERSUS. The fight will air live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET marking the debut of the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization on VERSUS and the first time that a live UFC event will air on a national sports cable network.

UFC on VERSUS will feature a card loaded with explosive match-ups such as Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga, Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello,     Duane Ludwig vs. Spencer Fisher, Alessio Sakara vs. James Irvin, Clay Guida vs. Shannon Gugerty, Eliot Marshall vs. Vladimir Matyushenko, John Howard vs. Daniel Roberts, Brendan Schaub vs. Chase Gormley, Mike Pierce vs. Rob Kimmons and Eric Schafer vs. Jason Brilz.

Tickets for UFC on VERSUS are on sale and are available for purchase at www.tickethorse.com and the Pepsi Center Box Office.

Since coming onto the scene in the UFC, Brazilian heavyweight Junior Dos Santos (fighting out of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil / 10-1 professional record) has torn through every opponent in his path. Riding a four fight winning streak in the Octagon™, all by way of stoppage (3 KO/TKO, 1 Submission) against the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop and Gilbert Yvel, Dos Santos looks to continue his dominance against fellow Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga. A veteran of the UFC, Gonzaga (fighting out of Ludlow, Mass. / 11-4) has won three of his last four fights, his most recent victory being a first-round knockout of Chris Tuchscherer. Always dangerous on his feet, Gonzaga looks to assert himself as one of the top heavyweights in the division with a win over Dos Santos on March 21st.

Known for his devastating striking ability, UFC veteran Cheick Kongo (fighting out of Paris, France / 24-6-1) is looking to demonstrate these skills against another powerful puncher. The 34-year-old Frenchman has five TKO victories in the UFC and looks to hunt down “The Headhunter.” Paul Buentello (fighting out of San Jose, Calif. / 25-11) made his first appearance in the UFC since 2006 when he took on Stefan Struve at UFC 107. A mixed martial arts veteran with 25 career wins, Buentello looks to once again prove his standup skills against another top striker.

There are few middleweights with as much experience inside the Octagon as Alessio Sakara (fighting out of Miami, Fla. / 18-7, 1 NC). A nine-fight Octagon veteran, the Rome, Italy native looks to build off of his two-fight winning streak as he squares off against another proven striker. James Irvin (fighting out of Sacramento, Calif. / 14-5, 1 NC) returns to the UFC as a winner of two of his past three fights. Known for his impressive athletic ability and punching power, Irvin is eager to make his 185-pound debut at UFC on VERSUS.

Known for his outgoing personality and frenetic pace in his fights, Clay Guida (fighting out of Johnsburg, Ill. / 25-8) is one of the most exciting fighters the lightweight division has to offer. Winner of three of his last five fights, Guida is looking to continue his exciting brand of fighting as he faces off against tough competitor Shannon Gugerty (fighting out of San Diego, Calif. / 12-4). A west coast standout, Gugerty is the owner of two Octagon wins against Dale Hartt and Matt Grice, and he will be trying to collect his third victory in a lightweight showdown with Guida.

Making his mark as a contestant on the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter®, Eliot Marshall (fighting out of Boulder, Colo. / 8-2) has taken full advantage of his opportunities as he has gone a perfect 3-0 in his post-TUF fights. Marshall, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, faces his toughest match-up yet as he will face off against experienced veteran Vladimir Matyushenko (fighting out of El Segundo, Calif. / 23-4). Winner of three of his last four bouts, with his most recent win coming at UFC 103 against Igor Pokrajac, the Belarusian hopes to use his experience to put together back-to-back victories as he takes on Marshall on March 21st.

In a career that spans back to UFC 42, Duane Ludwig (fighting out of Denver, Colo. / 27-10) is 2-1 in the UFC with a notable 11-second destruction of Jonathan Goulet in 2006. Ludwig will have his work cut out for him as he takes on UFC newcomer Darren Elkins (fighting out of Portage, Ind. / 10-1). A native of Portage, Ind. Elkins is looking to make his first fight in the UFC memorable with a win over Ludwig.

Storming onto the scene with three straight wins, 26 year-old John Howard (fighting out of Boston, Mass. / 13-4) hopes to continue his rise up the ranks of the welterweight division with a win at UFC on VERSUS. Howard’s opponent is UFC newcomer Daniel Roberts (fighting out of San Francisco, Calif. / 9-0.), who brings his perfect record to the UFC as he looks to make an immediate impact in the welterweight division. Born in Rockford, Ill., Roberts is well versed in wrestling and jiu-jitsu and hopes these skills will help propel him to his first win inside the Octagon.

A finalist on The Ultimate Fighter® Heavyweights, former NFL player Brendan Schaub (fighting out of Denver, Colo. / 5-1) looks to begin his post-TUF path to stardom as he squares off with Chase Gormley at UFC on VERSUS. Gormley (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif. / 6-1) is also looking for his first career UFC win, and the former college wrestling All-American hopes it will come at the expense of Schaub on Sunday, March 21st.

Since joining the UFC following a successful stint in World Extreme Cagefighting®, Mike Pierce (fighting out of Vancouver, Wash. / 9-3) has continued to face top-notch competition. Winner of two of his last three fights overall, Pierce has defeated Brock Larson and engaged in a hard-fought three round battle with former No. 1 contender Jon Fitch. Pierce has another tough fight ahead of him as he faces Julio Paulino (fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska / 18-2.) A native of Jersey City, NJ, the “Dominican Demon” looks to establish himself in the welterweight division with a win in his UFC debut.

Winner of two of his last three fights, submission specialist Eric Schafer (fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc. / 13-4-2) will be making his seventh UFC appearance, this time against Jason Brilz (fighting out of Omaha, Neb. / 17-2-1), a native of Bismarck, North Dakota, who owns UFC victories over Brad Morris and Tim Boetsch. Both fighters are looking for their third career UFC win and will do whatever it takes to garner it.

Ultimate Fighting Championship® - www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 130 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.

About VERSUS
VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar® Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

Jennifer Wenk, UFC PR, 702.221.4790, 702.635.0995, jwenk@ufc.com

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“LIGHTS OUT” IN THE OCTAGON™ - UFC® SIGNS TONEY

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – He’s one of the premier boxers of the last 25 years, a future Hall of Famer who has won world titles in three weight classes while taking on a Who’s Who of the sport, including fellow champions Evander Holyfield, John Ruiz, Hasim Rahman, Vassiliy Jirov, Roy Jones Jr., Mike McCallum, Iran Barkley, and Michael Nunn. But there is one more mountain left to climb for James “Lights Out” Toney, and that’s to show if he can defeat the mixed martial arts warriors of the UFC®.

So later this year, UFC President Dana White is prepared to give Toney his shot, signing the boxing superstar to a multi-fight contract this week to compete in the UFC.

“A lot of pro boxers have made a lot of noise about how they would do in mixed martial arts, but nobody on the level of a James Toney has been willing to back up his talk,” said White. “He’s a legend whose boxing record speaks for itself, and he’s a guy who I’ve got a lot of respect for. Now he’s got every intention of matching that success in MMA, and I think he’s got the right attitude – let’s see if he can do it.”

Owner of an amazing 72-6-3 (2 no contests) record that includes 44 wins by knockout, 41-year old James Toney is respected throughout the boxing world for his old-school approach to the fight game. For him, that means fighting anyone at anytime, and doing so by emphasizing all aspects of the sweet science.

31-2 as an amateur, Toney soon turned his sights to the pro game in 1988, and in 1991 he won his first world title at middleweight by knocking out unbeaten champion Michael Nunn in the 11th round. After six successful defenses, he moved up to 168 pounds and defeated Iran Barkley for the super middleweight championship in 1993, but he wasn’t done yet. After a stay at light heavyweight, Toney won the cruiserweight world title by defeating Vassiliy Jirov in 2003’s Fight of The Year, and his success continued at heavyweight, where he defeated Evander Holyfield, Dominick Guinn, and Fres Oquendo. In his most recent bout, on September 12, 2009, Toney – a two-time winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America’s Fighter of the Year award - halted Matthew Greer in two rounds.

Current UFC fighters Marcus Davis, Chris Lytle and Alessio Sakara have competed as professional boxers in the past, but with today’s announcement, Toney becomes the most accomplished boxing veteran to ever compete in the Octagon™.

An opponent and date for Toney’s UFC debut has not been determined, and will be announced at a later date.

Jennifer Wenk, UFC PR, 702.221.4790, 702.635.0995, jwenk@ufc.com

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Ultimate Fighting Championship® Debuts Live
On the Big Screen Nationwide in High Definition
UFC 111: ST-PIERRE VS. Hardy Saturday, March 27th

NCM Fathom and UFC® Announce Partnership in First-Ever
Year-Long Series of In-Theater UFC Events Beginning this March
in More than 300 Select Movie Theaters

Centennial, Colo. – Feb. 22, 2010 – For the first time in UFC® history, UFC fans can head to their local movie theater and take in all the action in the Octagon™, live and broadcast in high definition on the big screen starting with UFC 111: St- Pierre vs. Hardy on Saturday, March 27 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern / 7:00 p.m. Pacific.

Dana White, UFC President, today announced the UFC has closed a deal with NCM Fathom to present a series of live UFC fights in more than 300 select movie theaters nationwide, as well as plans to have UFC fighters host screenings in various markets. Tickets are available to this special in-theater event at www.FathomEvents.com and presenting theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit the web site (theaters and participants are subject to change).

“This is an opportunity to provide our fans with another cool way to watch UFC programming on the big-screen, live, in high-def and in surround sound,” said White. “UFC 111 has a stacked undercard and St-Pierre vs. Hardy and Mir vs. Carwin are both title fights, so this is the perfect event to kick off our new deal with NCM Fathom.”

UFC 111: St- Pierre vs. Hardy features reigning UFC welterweight champion Georges “Rush” St-Pierre vs. British bomber Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy and former heavyweight champion Frank Mir vs. number one contender Shane Carwin for the interim UFC heavyweight title. In addition, theater-goers can watch the entire UFC 111 live card, including welterweights Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves, lightweights Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek and welterweights Ben Saunders vs. Jake Ellenberger.

“Fathom audiences have long been waiting to see UFC events in their local theaters around the country and now, for the first time, fans can experience the action-packed excitement of the UFC on the big screen in pure high definition,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. “Teaming up with the UFC for this series is a major milestone for our alternative program schedule in movie theaters and promises to give fans an intense opportunity to cheer on their favorite fighters, front row center.”

Broadcast live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, UFC 111: St- Pierre vs. Hardy will be shown in more than 300 select movie theaters including AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark USA Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Goodrich Quality Theatres, Hollywood Theaters, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as the Carolina Theatre (Asheville, NC), Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT) and Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA), through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network – North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 19-2 professional record) has been unstoppable since regaining the title in 2008. The 28-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt holds two career wins a piece over the legendary Matt Hughes and current UFC lightweight champion and former welterweight champion BJ Penn. The 170-pound champ defended his crown most recently against feared striker Thiago Alves at UFC 100 last July, and now St-Pierre makes his fourth title defense against one of the fiercest threats to his crown in UK superstar Dan Hardy.

Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy (fighting out of Nottingham, England, 23-6 1 NC) is unbeaten in the UFC and fresh off wins over Marcus Davis and Mike Swick. A black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the brash 27-year-old is looking to extend his seven-fight win streak as he becomes the first British fighter to contend for a UFC title. With 11 wins by KO/TKO and three by submission, the UK fighter with the 4-0 mark in the UFC always looks for the finish.

Winner of four of his last five fights, former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., 13-4) has put on the necessary muscle and weight to face the biggest challengers in the heavyweight division, and he is refocused on earning back the world title. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with immensely improved striking, the 30-year-old knocked down feared striker Cheick Kongo at UFC 107 and then proceeded to submit the French contender with a guillotine choke, putting him firmly back in the title picture.

Originally scheduled to face UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, No. 1 contender Shane Carwin (fighting out of Denver, Colo., 11-0) has been on a tear ever since he stepped foot into the Octagon. A former national wrestling champion with dynamite in his fists, Carwin has made quick work of all three of his UFC opponents, finishing Christian Wellisch, Neil Wain and Gabriel Gonzaga within 91 seconds each. Now he takes the next step in his career against Frank Mir.

About National CineMedia (NCM)
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 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 network covers 171 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes approximately 16,800 screens (15,400 digital). During 2009, approximately 680 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters currently included in NCM’s network (excluding Consolidated Theatres). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing over 35 entertainment-related web sites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 41.5% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.fathomevents.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lauren Leff / Michelle Portillo NCM Fathom (303) 957-1709 / (303) 792-8651
Lauren.leff@ncm.com / michelle.portillo@ncm.com                                              Jennifer Wenk, UFC PR, 702.221.4790, 702.635.0995, jwenk@ufc.com

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UFC® WINS LATEST LEGAL BATTLE

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Zuffa, LLC, doing business as the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (“UFC®”), was awarded a legal victory today against former champion, Ken Shamrock. Shamrock, who claimed Zuffa had violated certain contractual provisions of his final fight agreement, was demanding several hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation he claimed was due and owing from the UFC. Following a trial before the Honorable Susan H. Johnson, the Court entered a sixteen page written decision concluding that Ken Shamrock was to “take nothing by way of its Complaint filed April 15, 2008, and judgment is rendered in favor of Zuffa, LLC dba the Ultimate Fighting Championship.” Specifically, Judge Johnson ruled that Zuffa (1) did not breach the contract;       (2) that the contract should be interpreted in manner advocated by Zuffa; and    (3) that, in any event, Shamrock and his attorney/agent Rod Donohoo waived any purported breach by Zuffa.

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THE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® RETURNS TO MONTREAL FOR UFC® 113: MACHIDA vs. SHOGUN 2 LYOTO “THE DRAGON” MACHIDA vs. MAURICIO “SHOGUN” RUA
UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

  Live from the Bell Centre, Saturday May 8, 2010
Tickets on sale Saturday, Feb 20 at 10 a.m. ET

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – It was so good, the UFC® decided to do it again.
At UFC 104 last October, UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and challenger Mauricio “Shogun” Rua engaged in a five round war that divided the mixed martial arts world when the unanimous decision verdict was rendered in Machida’s favor. On Saturday, May 8, these two warriors will have a chance to do it again and erase any doubt as to who is the best 205-pound fighter in the world, and both are vowing to take matters out of the judges’ hands, and into their own when The Ultimate Fighting Championship® heads back to Montreal for UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2, live from the Bell Centre and only on Pay-Per-View.

“The first fight between Machida and Shogun was very controversial, I think fans are very excited to see them fight again and find out who the best light heavyweight in the world is,” said UFC President Dana White.

Tickets for UFC 113 will go on sale Saturday, February 20 at 10am ET and will be priced at $600, $400, $250, $150, $100 and $50. Tickets are available at the Bell Centre box office, by phone at (514) 790-2525 / 1-877-668-8269 or at www.geg.ca.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, February 18 at 10 a.m. ET via the website ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, February 19 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.

UFC 113 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

With eight fights and eight wins in the UFC, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (fighting out of Belem, Brazil, 16-0 professional record) is cementing his place as one of the most dangerous men in the Octagon™ in any weight class. The 31-year-old Machida Karate black belt turned many heads with his wins over Thiago Silva, Tito Ortiz and Rameau Sokoudjou, but it was his second round knockout over then champion Rashad Evans at UFC 98 last May, that put him at the top of the 205-pound class. But on May 8th, he expects to be pushed to the limit once again as he turns his attention back to the man that gave him his greatest challenge yet.

With TKO victories over Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil, 18-4) re-established himself as one of the premier light heavyweights on the planet. The devastating 28-year-old striker came the closest to putting a blemish on Machida’s undefeated record last October and the former PRIDE® star, who holds wins over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman and Alistair Overeem, now looks to capture the very same title he came so close to winning in 2009.

Contact: Jennifer Wenk, UFC PR, 702.221.4790, 702.635.0995, jwenk@ufc.com

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UFC® President Dana White Reaches One Million on Twitter!

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – As if the battle of Hall of Famers at UFC 109, legalization of the sport in Wisconsin and the first-ever show in Australia at UFC 110 weren't milestones enough for the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, February also set records on Twitter.

Dana White, UFC president, reached 1,000,000 followers on his Twitter account, @danawhite, on Tuesday, February 9th. Fewer than 250 of Twitter's millions of users have broken the one-million mark. White's inclusion in that elite list is testament to the meteoric rise of UFC.

"I love Twitter because I get to talk directly to UFC fans," said White. "Their support is awesome and has made the sport what it is today."

Like many big-name celebrities and brands, White uses his Twitter account to break news and promote events. But White has pioneered innovative uses of Twitter that truly bridge the gap between social interaction and digital marketing. White made national news last year after a series of Tweets promising free tickets to fans drew large crowds in cities from New York to LA.

Amy Martin, founder of Digital Royalty, a social media brand management company, credits White with taking unique advantage of the instant medium. "Through Twitter, Dana uniquely humanizes the UFC brand," she said. "The genuine, two-way communication and interaction he has with his followers is rare among any brand."

In addition to Dana's million-strong following, the @UFC account is poised to break the 100,000 follower mark in February. A Portuguese account, @ufc_brasil was launched in late January, joining @ufchoy (Spanish) and @UFC_JP_Official (Japanese). Other accounts in the Zuffa family include @ufcfightclub, @WEConVersus, @ufcstore and @ufcgym, giving the brand a combined Twitter presence of over 1.3 million followers.

UFC fighters and events routinely surface as top-ten trending topics on fight nights; UFC 100 was one of the top ten Sports topics on Twitter in 2009 -- just below the NFL but above the world champion New York Yankees.

For current UFC news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com, GERMANY.UFC.com, UFCJapan.jp or UFCEspanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa® , The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.

Contact: Jennifer Wenk, UFC PR, 702.221.4790, 702.635.0995, jwenk@ufc.com

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UFC® RETURNS TO CHARLOTTE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 15 YEARS AS FLORIAN FACES GOMI AT UFC® FIGHT NIGHT™ TWO LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSTARS FACE OFF ON SPIKE TV’S UFC FIGHT NIGHT MARCH 31st TICKETS GO ON SALE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6th

LAS VEGAS – Home to two of the first five Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) events, Charlotte, North Carolina will once again host the premier organization in mixed martial arts on Wednesday, March 31st, as the UFC returns to Charlotte for the first time in nearly 15 years with a spectacular card at the Bojangles Coliseum featuring the lightweight showdown between two-time title challenger Kenny Florian and Japanese superstar and former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi. This bout will headline the latest edition of Spike TV’s hit UFC® Fight Night™ series, which airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

“The UFC has a great history with Charlotte, which hosted UFC 3 and UFC 5, and while the sport has changed immensely since then, one thing hasn’t changed and that’s the loyalty and enthusiasm of the fans here,” said UFC President Dana White. “We’re happy to be coming back here, and we brought one of the most highly-anticipated lightweight fights to headline this event. UFC fans know Kenny Florian as a top contender who can do it all in the Octagon, and in Takanori Gomi he’s facing a guy who has dominated in Japan for years and is now looking to do the same thing in the UFC. This is going to be a fight to remember.”
Tickets for this event will go on sale Saturday, February 6 at 10 a.m. ET and are $250, $155, $100, $75, $50 and $35 (plus applicable service charges). Tickets will be available through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Bojangles Coliseum box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, www.bojanglescoliseum.com or via Phonecharge at 1-800-745-3000.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, February 4 at 10 a.m. ET via the website ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, February 5 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.

Winner of seven of his last eight bouts, two-time world title challenger Kenny Florian (fighting out of Brookline, Mass., professional record 14-4) was in top form last December when he submitted fellow contender Clay Guida at UFC 107. The Westwood, Massachusetts native has earned finishes in nine of his 10 UFC wins, and he knows that a submission or knockout of the world-renowned Gomi will propel him right back into the title mix.

For years, the name of Takanori Gomi (fighting out of Tokyo, Japan, 31-5, 1 NC) has been prominently mentioned when the subject of the best fighters in the world, pound for pound, was discussed. And rightfully so, as the knockout artist is a former PRIDE and SHOOTO champion who owns victories over the likes of Jens Pulver, Rumina Sato, and Ralph Gracie. Now making his long-awaited UFC debut on March 31st, “The Fireball Kid” plans on making an immediate impact in the Octagon by defeating one of the division’s top contenders.

Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter® premieres at 10:00pm ET/PT directly following the UFC Fight Night event.
The remaining bouts will be announced in the near future.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship® Inks Deal with SOHU.com

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Hundreds of millions of sports fans in China will now have the opportunity to see UFC superstars like Randy Couture, Georges St-Pierre and “Minotauro” Nogueira fight in the UFC® Octagon™. The Ultimate Fighting Championship organization today announced it has inked a deal with one of the country’s largest web portals, Sohu.com to present UFC pay per view events online. Named the official web partner of the UFC in China, Sohu.com will live broadcast UFC events starting with UFC 109: RELENTLESS in February.

"China is one of the gateways to building UFC into the biggest sport in the world," said Dana White, UFC President. "China is the cradle of martial arts, many of the styles that you see in the UFC were born in this country. With Sohu.com as our web partner, we look forward to presenting world class fights and to bringing the great tradition of martial arts back to its homeland in China."

Larry Jin, Director of Sports, Sohu.com said, “SOHU Kungfu channel is made to comprehensively report and follow-up the many Kungfu fighting related events both in China and overseas. We are looking forward to working with the UFC to create a stronger relationship and to seeing Chinese warriors in the Octagon.”

Sohu.com will present UFC 109: RELENTLESS Saturday, February 6 live from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event pits five-time UFC World Champion and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture vs. UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman in the main event. UFC 109 also features a card loaded with action packed match-ups such as Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen, Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago, Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller, Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg, Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz, Melvin Guillard vs. Ronys Torres, Phillipe Nover vs. Robert Emerson, Brian Stann vs. Phil Davis, Tim Hague vs. Chris Tuchscherer and Mostapha Al Turk vs. Rolles Gracie.

Sohu.com, Inc., (SOHU), is a leading online brand in China. Services provided by the company include news, search, e-mail, games and wireless messaging. Sohu.com was the official web partner for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and is also the official partner of the NBA, ESPN, Adidas and Sports Illustrated in China.

UFC programming debuted in China last summer on Inner Mongolia Television (NMTV), a network broadcast station available in 60 million households, with the potential to reach 240 million viewers throughout all the provinces.

Contact: Jennifer Wenk, UFC PR, 702.221.4790, 702.635.0995, jwenk@ufc.com 

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