UFC 129 Ticket Info Announced

UFC® ANNOUNCES TICKET INFORMATION FOR HISTORIC UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS IN TORONTO

Press Conference and Free Fan Event Planned at Rogers Centre on Wednesday, Feb. 9

Tickets on Sale to the Public on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. ET

Toronto, Ontario, Canada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® has announced ticket information for UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS scheduled for Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Saturday, April 30.

Tickets for UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS, which is presented by TapouT®, range from $300-$800 on the floor and from $50-$225 in the stands. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. ET. UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the first chance to buy tickets on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. ET, followed by UFC newsletter subscribers on Friday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. ET. Fans can sign up for the UFC® Fight Club™ at www.ufcfightclub.com.

Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations and at the Rogers Centre Box Office – Gate 9. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-5000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.ca.

Approximately 42,000 tickets will be made available to UFC fans, with nearly a quarter of them costing $100 or less.

“We are really excited to bring a UFC event to Rogers Centre and want to create the ultimate experience for fans,” Tom Wright, UFC’s Director of Canadian Operations, said. “We are working on specialized fan zones and other unique features that will make this a can’t-miss event. With this card and the level of energy we expect inside Rogers Centre on April 30, UFC 129 is going to be off the charts.”

In advance of tickets going on sale, UFC confirmed that it will hold a press conference and free fan event at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Wednesday, Feb. 9. Participants from the UFC 129 main card are expected to attend. Further details will be announced shortly.

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UFC Fight Night 24 Announced; Garcia-Phan Rematch Official

Leonard Garcia | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

As expected, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will make its first ever trip to Seattle on March 26, as the promotion will hold UFC Fight Night 24 at Key Arena.

The UFC today made the event official and announced the first signed bout on the card: a featherweight rematch between Leonard Garcia and Nam Phan.

The event, which airs live on Spike TV, is likely to be headlined by a light heavyweight matchup between former champion Tito Ortiz and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

The controversial first meeting between Garcia and Phan took place at “The Ultimate Fighter 12” finale in December. Although Phan consistently beat Garcia to the punch, out-striking the Greg Jackson product as tallied by both CompuStrike and Fight Metric, Garcia was awarded a split decision victory in what was deemed Sherdog.com’s 2010 “Robbery of the Year.”

Prior to that contest, Phan had competed on Season 12 of “TUF,” losing in the semifinals to eventual runner-up Michael Johnson. Phan began his fighting career in 2001 and has fought some of the best lightweight and featherweight competitors in the world, including Josh Thomson, Michihiro Omigawa and Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante. The 27-year-old has lost four of his last six fights.

Known for his wild offense and gutsy performances, Garcia has earned “Fight of the Night” honors in three of his last four performances. After fighting George Roop to a split draw in March, Garcia took part in a “Fight of the Year” candidate against Chan Sung Jung at WEC 48 in April, edging out another much-debated split decision. He came up on the wrong end of the judges’ scorecards in his next outing, however, as he was out-pointed by the more accurate Mark Hominick at WEC 51.

Also rumored for UFC Fight Night 24 is a welterweight scrap between former title challenger Dan Hardy and the returning Anthony Johnson, as well as a heavyweight tilt pitting Mike Russow against Jon Madsen.

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Week-in-Review: List of UFC & Strikeforce Matchups Announced

Randy Couture | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

A complete list of significant new fights reported in the past week.

Forrest Petz vs. Herbert Goodman, Ultimate Cage Battles “Pride and Glory,” Jan. 15, Parma, Ohio

Mike Thomas Brown vs. Rani Yahya, UFC “Fight for the Troops 2,” Jan. 22, Killeen, Texas

Will Campuzano vs. Chris Cariaso, UFC “Fight for the Troops 2,” Jan. 22, Killeen, Texas

Jason High vs. Rudy Bears, Titan Fighting Championship 16, Jan. 28, Kansas City, Kan.

Germaine de Randamie vs. Stephanie Webber, Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg,” Jan. 29, San Jose, Calif.

Eric Lawson vs. Ron Keslar, Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg,” Jan. 29, San Jose, Calif.

Nate Moore vs. Nathan Coy, Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg,” Jan. 29, San Jose. Calif.

Donald Cerrone vs. Paul Kelly, UFC 126 “Silva vs. Belfort,” Feb. 5, Las Vegas

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva, Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Silva,” Feb. 12, East Rutherford, N.J.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov, Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Silva,” Feb. 12, East Rutherford, N.J.

Shane del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson, Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Silva,” Feb. 12, East Rutherford, N.J.

Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo, Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Silva,” Feb. 12, East Rutherford, N.J.

Dwayne Lewis vs. Ryan Jimmo, MFC 28 “Supremacy,” Feb. 25, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Thomas Denny vs. Sheldon Westcott, MFC 28 “Supremacy,” Feb. 25, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Kajan Johnson vs. Richie Whitson, MFC 28 “Supremacy,” Feb. 25, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Razak Al-Hassan vs. Rodney Wallace, MFC 28 “Supremacy,” Feb. 25, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Matt Brown vs. Mark Scanlon, UFC Live 3 “Sanchez vs. Kampmann,” March 3, Louisville, Ky.

Jens Pulver vs. TBA, Chicago Cagefighting Championship, March 5, Villa Park, Ill.

Nate Marquardt vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama, UFC 128, “Shogun vs. Evans,” March 19, Newark, N.J.

Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus, UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Evans,” March 19, Newark, N.J.

Dan Miller vs. Nick Catone, UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Evans,” March 19, Newark, N.J.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland, UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Evans,” March 19, Newark, N.J.

Jon Madsen vs. Mike Russow, UFC Fight Night 24, March 26, Seattle

John Hathaway vs. Kris McCray, UFC Fight Night 24, March 26, Seattle

Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Phil Davis vs. Matt Hamill, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Benson Henderson vs. Mark Bocek, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Daniel Roberts vs. Claude Patrick, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Jonathan Brookins vs. John Makdessi, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Rory MacDonald vs. James Wilks, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Brian Foster vs. Sean Pierson, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Pablo Garza vs. Yves Jabouin, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ivan Menjivar vs. Charlie Valencia, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Jason MacDonald vs. Ryan Jensen, UFC 129, April 30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Quinton Jackson vs. Thiago Silva, UFC 130, May 28, Las Vegas

Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson, UFC 130, May 28, Las Vegas

Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne, UFC 130, May 28, Las Vegas

Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum, Strikeforce “TBA,” April, TBA

Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers, Strikeforce “TBA,” April, TBA

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TUF 13 Coaches Announced

The big men of mixed martial arts are back on The Ultimate Fighter, but this time, they will be coaching, not competing. UFC President Dana White announced today that former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and number one contender Junior dos Santos will match wits as the coaches of season 13 of the hit Spike TV reality series.

Following the season, which begins filming later this month and begins airing on March 30, Lesnar and dos Santos will then match fists in the Octagon at a date and location to be announced in June. The winner will face current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, who is currently sidelined with a torn rotator cuff.

“It’s gonna be a very interesting six weeks of filming,” said White during a media teleconference Tuesday. “These two will coach, then they’ll fight, and the winner of the fight will fight Cain Velasquez when he’s healthy.”

This will be the first time either fighter has appeared on The Ultimate Fighter, which began airing on Spike in 2005. The last time heavyweights coached the show was during season eight in 2008, when dos Santos’ mentor, “Minotauro” Nogueira, faced off against former champion Frank Mir. This season, the two will coach a host of welterweight hopefuls looking to secure a UFC contract.

One of the biggest success stories of recent years, Brock Lesnar’s rise to the top of the UFC has been well-documented. A former NCAA Division I wrestling champion for the University of Minnesota, Lesnar brought size, speed, and power to the Octagon in 2008, and in only his fourth professional fight, he defeated Randy Couture for the heavyweight crown. After successful defenses against Mir and Shane Carwin, Lesnar lost his belt to Velasquez at UFC 121 last October. Determined to get his championship back, Lesnar knows the quickest way to do so is through dos Santos.

“The guy’s a former world champion, he’s beat guys and held the title,” said White of Lesnar. “No matter what his record is, what the guy has accomplished in the short amount of time that he’s been in MMA is incredible. He’s obviously got a lot that he can teach, and not only him, but the staff that he has around him have a lot to teach young, up and coming guys, and that’s what it’s really all about.”

Unheralded Brazilian prospect Junior dos Santos turned into a contender overnight in 2008 when he knocked out highly-regarded veteran Fabricio Werdum in the first round. This spectacular debut was followed by finishes of Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop, Gilbert Yvel, and Gabriel Gonzaga before earning a shot at the heavyweight title with a three round win over Roy Nelson. Yet instead of choosing to wait for Velasquez to return to action, dos Santos will risk his number one contender’s spot by coaching against - and then fighting - Lesnar later this year.

“Junior dos Santos is a young, up and coming guy,” said White of dos Santos. “He’s been knocking everybody out, comes off a three round war with “Big Country” (Roy Nelson) and I love when guys do that because it’s good for them, it’s good experience, it gets them in better shape and it takes them to another level. And to put this guy on the shelf for a long time is ridiculous, and much credit to him for not wanting to go on the shelf.”

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Week-in-Review: List of UFC, WEC & Strikeforce Matchups Announced

Jon Fitch: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com

A complete list of significant new fights reported. Some may be repeated from previous sections:

• Tyler Toner vs. Ian Loveland (replacing Leonard Garcia), The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale, Dec. 4, Las Vegas (Sherdog.com)

• Josh Grispi vs. Dustin Poirier (replacing injured Jose Aldo), UFC 125 “Resolution,” Jan. 1, Las Vegas (Heavy.com)

• Paul Kelly vs. Sam Stout, UFC 126 “Silva vs. Belfort,” Feb. 5, Las Vegas (Fighters Only)

• Spencer Fisher vs. Ross Pearson, UFC 127, Feb. 26, Sydney, Australia (MMAJunkie.com)

• George Sotiropoulos v. Dennis Siver, UFC 127, Feb. 26, Sydney, Australia

• B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch, UFC 127, Feb. 26, Sydney, Australia

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Week-in-Review: List of UFC, WEC & Strikeforce Matchups Announced

Jorge Rivera file photo: Sherdog.com

A complete list of significant new fights reported. Some may be repeated from previous sections:

• Dave Herman vs. Yoshihiro Nakao, Sengoku Raiden Championship “Soul of Fight,” Dec. 30, Tokyo (MMAFighting.com)

• Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya, K-1 “Dynamite!! Power of Courage 2010,” Dec. 31, Tokyo

• Rolles Gracie vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz, Shine Fights “TBA,” Jan. 8, TBA. (MMAWeekly.com)

• Cole Miller vs. Matt Wiman, UFC “Fight for the Troops 2,” Jan. 22, Killeen, Texas. (MMAJunkie.com)

• Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera, UFC 127, Feb. 27, Sydney, Australia. (MMAFighting.com)

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Filho-Sasaki Announced for Bitetti Combat 8

Paulo Filho (center): Marcelo Alonso | Sherdog.com

Brazilian promotion Bitetti Combat has announced three bouts for its eighth edition on Dec. 4, a tribute card celebrating the 100th anniversary of Sao Paulo soccer club Sport Club Corinthians Paulista at the team’s home arena, Alfredo Schurig Stadium.

Wednesday, promoter Amaury Bitetti and his new partner, Fernando Chacur, announced a pair of Brazil-versus-Japan middleweight bouts, as Brazilian 185-pounders Paulo Filho and Thiago “Jambo” Goncalves meet Grabaka teammates Yuki Sasaki and Eiji Ishikawa, respectively.

In a lightweight affair, Cristiano Marcello will look to avenge his controversial May loss to Costa Rica’s Alejandro “Mandarina” Solano Rodriguez.

“We’ll put much more out there,” said Bitetti. “We'll announce more fights with international athletes and of course, with fighters from Sao Paulo.”

The Filho-Sasaki match-up was originally slated for Feb. 25’s Bitetti Combat 6 card. In a bizarre twist of events, the embattled Filho reportedly failed to appear at the weigh-ins, resulting in the cancellation of the bout.

Filho, 32, is coming off of an Oct. 23 unanimous decision loss to hot light heavyweight prospect Marcos Rogerio “Pezao” de Lima in Sao Paulo. In his first bout of 2010, the 34-year-old Sasaki was knocked out on Nov. 5 by South African Xavier Lucas in Sydney, Australia.

Goncalves is coming off a July loss to Canadian Cory MacDonald by split decision, the Brazilian’s only loss in his last 12 bouts. Ishikawa, winner of five of his last six fights, defeated South Korean A Sol Kwon in Deep in July.

Marcello and Rodriguez met at Bitetti Combat 7 in May. Marcello dominated early proceedings, but in round two, was staggered by a Rodriguez flurry. Referee Osiris Maia stopped the fight with Marcello still on his feet, seemingly unhurt, igniting controversy and paving the way for a rematch.

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TUF 12 Finale Co-Features Announced

Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac and Kendall Grove vs. Demian Maia. Airs Live on Spike TV Saturday, Dec. 4 at 9:00pm ET/PT-Tickets on sale Friday, Oct. 8 at Noon PT Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Two of “The Ultimate Fighter’s”® most celebrated alumni, Stephan Bonnar and Kendall Grove, will be featured in separate co-featured fights in the live finale of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck” on Saturday, December 4 at 9:00pm ET/PT.  Emanating from The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Bonnar (Season 1) takes on Croatian contender Igor Pokrajac while Grove (Season 3) battles one of the top middleweights in the division, Demian Maia.

Tickets for The Ultimate Fighter® Season 12 Finale are $425, $300 and $200, plus any additional box office or service fees, and go on-sale Friday, October 8 at Noon PT.  Please visit any Ticketmaster location, call 800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to The Ultimate Fighter® Season 12 Finale Thursday, October 7 at 10 a.m. PT to 1 p.m. PT via the website UFCFIGHTCLUB.com (non-members can join at Ticketmaster by purchasing a ticket/membership bundle). A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, October 7 starting at 1 p.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Stephan Bonnar (15-7) is no stranger to “The Ultimate Fighter” finale.  The “American Psycho,” fighting out of Las Vegas, fought Forrest Griffin in the first “The Ultimate Fighter” finale in April 2005 in one of the most memorable bouts in the history of mixed martial arts.  The veteran light heavyweight is coming off of a 2nd round TKO victory over Canadian slugger Krzysztof Sosznyski at UFC 116 in July where he earned “Fight of the Night” honors.  Outside of the Octagon, Bonnar hosts the popular “The Ultimate Fighter Aftermath” on Spike.com.

Igor Pokrajac (22-7), fighting out of Zagreb, Croatia, was a longtime training partner for UFC star Mirko Cro Cop, but is rapidly making a name for himself in the UFC.  Pokrajac is coming off of the biggest win of his career, a first round submission of James Irvin this past August, but the veteran light heavyweight needs a victory over Bonnar in front of a national television audience to establish himself as a viable contender in the division.

Brazilian mixed martial arts star, Demian Maia (13-2) returns to the Octagon® on a quest for another shot at the UFC middleweight crown as he takes on Kendall Grove.  Maia recently defeated Mario Miranda at UFC 118 in August.  Prior to that, filling in for the injured Vitor Belfort, Maia went the distance in a decision loss to UFC champ Anderson Silva in the UFC’s first fight in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates at UFC 112.  Maia, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Sao Paolo, won his first five fights in the UFC, each one via submission against such notables as Chael Sonnen, Jason McDonald, and Nate Quarry.  Maia also rebounded from a tough knockout loss to Nate Marquardt at UFC 102 last August with an impressive decision victory over Dan Miller at UFC 109 in February.
“The Ultimate Fighter 3” victor Kendall Grove (14-7, 1 NC) is coming off of one of the most important victories of his career, a split decision win over Goran Reljic at UFC 116 in July that reignited his hopes for an eventual shot at the middleweight crown. And after the recent win over Reljic, “Da Spyder” looks to use his impressive Muay Thai skills to defeat Maia.
More fights to be announced at a later date.  “The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck” airs Wednesday nights at 9:00pm ET/PT.

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

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