UFC Fan Expo - Toronto April 29 & 30 *Updates*

[keithlewis]

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® CONFIRMS FIGHTERS
FOR UFC® FAN EXPO IN TORONTO APRIL 29 & 30

(LAS VEGAS, NV --- March 23, 2011) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® continues to add firepower to its first-ever trip to Ontario, announcing today the UFC® Fan Expo will feature the largest collection of UFC® athletes to ever appear in Canada. The UFC® Fan Expo invades the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto on April 29 and 30.

The following fighters will participate in autograph sessions and a variety of other fan activities: newly-crowned UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie, former UFC two-division champion BJ Penn, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Josh Koscheck, Ryan Bader, Stephan Bonnar, Shane Carwin, Matt Mitrione, Brendan Schaub, Jon Fitch, Miguel Angel Torres, Anthony Pettis, Clay Guida, Joe Lauzon, Cole Miller, Sam Stout, Carlos Condit and Jonathan Brookins.

“We’re excited to bring some of our top stars to Toronto for the UFC Fan Expo,” UFC President Dana White said. “This is going to be the biggest weekend not only in UFC history, but in the history of our sport. I’m looking forward to giving our fans once-in-a-lifetime access to our fighters at the Fan Expo.”

All the UFC® Fan Expo activities will be planned in conjunction with the sold out UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS event, which takes place in front of 55,000 fans at Rogers Centre on Saturday, April 30. Headlined by a welterweight title bout between champion Georges St-Pierre of Montreal and challenger Jake Shields, UFC 129 also features Jose Aldo defending the featherweight crown against tough Ontarian Mark Hominick. The event has already broken all UFC attendance and gate records, while also setting the highest gate mark for a single-day event in Rogers Centre history.

For more information on UFC Fan Expo and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter visit http://www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com. Don’t wait, space is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fans can bypass the autograph lines at the event by purchasing an Ultimate VIP Ticket at http://www.ufcfanexpo.com/VIP. A limited number of these exclusive packages are still available and grant fans a wide variety of incentives all tailored around enhancing their Ultimate Fan Experience at the premiere event. Standard VIP packages and general admission tickets are also available online at http://www.ufcfanexpo.com. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets now and save, as ticket pricing will increase at the door.

[keithlewis]

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCES THREE TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS FOR UFC FAN EXPO

FANS GIVEN THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN WITH LIDDELL, PENN AND PETTIS


(LAS VEGAS, NV --- March 30, 2011) – The chance to train alongside a UFC Hall of Famer, a former two-division champion and one of the most dynamic strikers in history is presented at the UFC® Fan Expo at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto on April 29 and 30. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, former UFC two-division champion BJ Penn and the last WEC lightweight champion, Anthony Pettis will host Training & Development sessions at the festivities in Ontario.

“This is the ultimate opportunity for fans to train alongside three of the UFC’s biggest stars,” UFC President Dana White said. “Liddell, Penn and Pettis are some of the most gifted athletes we’ve ever seen in the Octagon and we’re really excited to give fans the chance to learn from them at the UFC Fan Expo.”

Liddell’s session, which will focus on takedown defense and striking techniques, will be held on Friday, April 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, “The Prodigy” BJ Penn will lead students through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts training on Saturday, April 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.

Pettis, who gained worldwide recognition in December for landing one of the most devastating and acrobatic kicks in the sport’s history, will be joined by renowned coach Duke Roufus in a Training & Development session on Saturday, April 30 from 2 p.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET. The fighter nicknamed “Showtime” will teach attendees the exciting and effective kickboxing skills that helped him earn the WEC lightweight championship.

Space for each Training & Development Session is limited and tickets will be sold to the first 100 registrants at $150.00* (CAD) per session. *Note: Pricing is inclusive of all local sales tax.

All the UFC® Fan Expo activities will be planned in conjunction with the sold out UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS event, which takes place in front of 55,000 fans at Rogers Centre on Saturday, April 30. Headlined by a welterweight title bout between champion Georges St-Pierre of Montreal and challenger Jake Shields, UFC 129 also features Jose Aldo defending the featherweight crown against tough Ontarian Mark Hominick. The event has already broken all UFC attendance and gate records, while also setting the highest gate mark for a single-day event in Rogers Centre history.

For more information on UFC Fan Expo and to purchase tickets, visit www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter visit www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com. Don’t wait, space is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fans can bypass the autograph lines at the event by purchasing an Ultimate VIP Ticket at www.ufcfanexpo.com/VIP. A limited number of these exclusive packages are still available and grant fans a wide variety of incentives all tailored around enhancing their Ultimate Fan Experience at the premiere event. Standard VIP packages and general admission tickets are also available online at www.ufcfanexpo.com. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets now and save, as ticket pricing will increase at the door.

[keithlewis]

Diego “The Dream” Sanchez is already a force in the UFC welterweight division and has his sights set on the title currently held by Canadian superstar Georges St-Pierre. Now, the red-hot contender is out to prove that he is among the world’s most elite grapplers. The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced today that Sanchez will be among four competitors vying for the UFC Fan Expo grappling tournament title at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto on April 29 and 30.

Sanchez will meet number-one ranked Canadian grappler Andrew McInnes in the opening round, while world-renowned jiu jitsu ace Ryan Hall, who defeated Hermes Franca at the UFC Fan Expo in Boston last August, will take on Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Jorge Britto. Britto has trained under the likes of Helio Gracie, Royler Gracie, Saulo Ribeiro and Xande Ribeiro.

Opening round bouts will take place on Friday, April 29 at 1:30 p.m. ET. The respective winners of the opening round bouts will meet in the finals on Saturday, April 30 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

If that wasn’t enough, a grappling superfight pits Fabio Holanda, head instructor of Brazilian Top Team – Montreal, against seven-time Grappler’s Quest champion Nolan Dutch. The superfight will take place on Saturday, April 30 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

“The UFC Fan Expo will feature some great matches between some of the best grapplers in the world,” UFC President Dana White said. “I’m really excited to see Diego Sanchez compete and try to win the tournament. He’s always really tough on the ground and he has a ton of heart.”

The four-man tournament and the grappling superfight are presented by Grapplers Quest.

All the UFC® Fan Expo activities will be planned in conjunction with the sold out UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS event, which takes place in front of 55,000 fans at Rogers Centre on Saturday, April 30. Headlined by a welterweight title bout between champion Georges St-Pierre of Montreal and challenger Jake Shields, UFC 129 also features Jose Aldo defending the featherweight crown against tough Ontarian Mark Hominick. The event has already broken all UFC attendance and gate records, while also setting the highest gate mark for a single-day event in Rogers Centre history.

For more information on UFC Fan Expo and to purchase tickets, visit www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter visit www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com. Don’t wait, space is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fans can bypass the autograph lines at the event by purchasing an Ultimate VIP Ticket at www.ufcfanexpo.com/VIP. A limited number of these exclusive packages are still available and grant fans a wide variety of incentives all tailored around enhancing their Ultimate Fan Experience at the premiere event. Standard VIP packages and general admission tickets are also available online at www.ufcfanexpo.com. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets now and save, as ticket pricing will increase at the door.

[keithlewis]

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCES FEATURED Q&A PARTICIPANTS FOR UFC FAN EXPO


FRIDAY, APRIL 29 – BRUCE BUFFER, DANA WHITE, JOE ROGAN, CHUCK LIDDELL


SATURDAY, APRIL 30 – HERB DEAN, TOM WRIGHT, HERSCHEL WALKER



(LAS VEGAS, NV --- April 20, 2011) – The chance to ask questions to some of the top executives, officials and personalities associated with the sport of mixed martial arts is presented at the UFC® Fan Expo at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto on April 29 and 30. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® confirmed the following Q&A sessions taking place on the main stage over the course of the two-day festivities:



Friday, April 29 (all times Eastern)

10 a.m. – UFC Octagon® announcer Bruce Buffer

12:30 p.m. – UFC President Dana White

2 p.m. – UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan, hosted by UFC broadcaster Mike Goldberg

4:30 p.m. – Chuck Liddell, UFC Hall of Famer and Executive Vice President of Business Development, hosted by UFC broadcaster Mike Goldberg



Saturday, April 30

11 a.m. – Rules and Judging Seminar with respected referee Herb Dean

12:30 p.m. – UFC Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright

2 p.m. – STRIKEFORCE® star Herschel Walker, hosted by commentator Todd Harris


“I always enjoy interacting with the fans and I’m excited to host a Q&A at the UFC Fan Expo,” UFC President Dana White said. “I’m glad that fans will have the chance to talk to Buffer, Rogan, Chuck, Herb, Tom and Herschel as well. This is a cool opportunity for fans to connect with the top names in this sport and it’s all a part of delivering the ultimate experience.”

All the UFC® Fan Expo activities will be planned in conjunction with the sold out UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS event, which takes place in front of 55,000 fans at Rogers Centre on Saturday, April 30. Headlined by a welterweight title bout between champion Georges St-Pierre of Montreal and challenger Jake Shields, UFC 129 also features Jose Aldo defending the featherweight crown against tough Ontarian Mark Hominick. The event has already broken all UFC attendance and gate records, while also setting the highest gate mark for a single-day event in Rogers Centre history.

On the heels of the biggest weekend in the history of UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts, tickets for the UFC Fan Expo are still available on a limited basis. In order to prevent missing out on the UFC’s ultimate experience, fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. For more information on UFC Fan Expo and to purchase tickets, visit www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter visit www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com. Don’t wait, space is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

[keithlewis]

FIRST-EVER PUBLIC GATHERING OF ALL SEVEN UFC CHAMPIONS SET FOR TORONTO

A Truly Unique Media and Fan Experience Set for Friday, April 29 at 3:15 p.m. ET at Ricoh Coliseum



Las Vegas, Nevada –The biggest weekend in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® and the sport of mixed martial arts will now feature another truly memorable event. For the first-time ever, all seven UFC® world champions will gather for a presentation at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto on Friday, April 29 at 3:15 p.m. ET. The event brings together the “Super 7” reigning UFC champions for a truly unique media and fan experience.

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, featherweight champion Jose Aldo, lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, middleweight champion Anderson Silva, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will take part in a media photo opportunity and participate in a special presentation on stage.

“We wanted to give fans a truly once-in-a-lifetime chance to see all seven UFC champions gathered together and we couldn’t think of a better place to do it than in Toronto,” UFC President Dana White said. “The entire week is going to be crazy. From the community events to the Fan Expo to 55,000 people at Rogers Centre for UFC 129, I am really looking forward to taking over the city of Toronto.”

The “Super 7” presentation will be streamed live on UFC.com. It will be immediately followed by weigh-ins for UFC® 129 at 4 p.m. ET.

UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS, which is presented by TapouT®, is the first major mixed martial arts event to ever be held in Ontario. The event doubles the largest gate and attendance records in UFC history and is also the largest single-day event gate in the history of Rogers Centre, which has played home to some of the world’s top entertainment and sporting events.

UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on UFC.tv, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, 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.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com.