UFC 144: The Return to Japan - Card Updates & News!

[keithlewis]

UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson
February 26, 2012
Saitama Super Arena
Saitama, Japan



UFC Lightweight Championship:
Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson


Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields
Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami



- “Verbal agreements are in for a match between two of the most exciting lightweights in the sport as Joe ‘J-Lau’ Lauzon will face Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis February 26th in Saitama, Japan,” confirmed UFC president Dana White today.

Rumors of the matchup surfaced after Lauzon's 47-second blitz win over then-top contender Melvin Guillard at UFC 136. Pettis told an interviewer he'd welcome a chance to fight Lauzon; shortly thereafter, Lauzon posted a video blog in agreeing to the bout.


- Middleweight contender Yushin Okami will get a home game in his first bout since his UFC 134 clash with Anderson Silva when he takes on Tim Boetsch in UFC 144 action on February 26th.

“Undefeated since dropping down to middleweight, Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch has verbally agreed to face top three ranked Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami February 26th in Saitama, Japan,” said UFC President Dana White.


- Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama will have plenty of support from his home country fans on February 26th, when he makes his welterweight debut in UFC 144 action against 170-pound contender Jake Shields at Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

“Verbal agreements are in for a welterweight matchup in Saitama, Japan between former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields and Asian superstar ‘Sexyama’ Yoshihiro Akiyama February 26th,” said UFC President Dana White.

[keithlewis]

The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced the full fight card today of the organization’s return to the birthplace of mixed martial arts. This highly anticipated event, the first in Asia under Zuffa ownership, features an epic lightweight title fight pitting champion Frankie Edgar against former WEC Champion Benson Henderson. UFC JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON will take place at the Saitama Super Arena, in suburban Tokyo, on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

UFC Japan – or UFC 144 – will also feature the return to Land of the Rising Sun of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, one of the biggest stars in the sport, in a bout which will mark the 6th anniversary to the day of his last fight in Japan. Jackson faces rising star Ryan Bader, whose most recent win came just two weeks ago at UFC 139 in San Jose. Other key matchups feature Mark Hunt, a veteran of Japanese kickboxing, versus French heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo; and Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama dropping a weight division to meet the always dangerous Jake Shields at welterweight. Rounding out the main card will be a lightweight bout pitting the underrated Joe Lauzon, coming off a stunning 67-second submission over Melvin Guillard, against former WEC champion Anthony Pettis.

The above-mentioned fighters Edgar, Jackson, Akiyama, Henderson, Bader and Shields, as well as Japan’s own top middleweight Yushin Okami, all appeared in the press conference at the Ritz Carlton Roppongi in Tokyo today along with other top Japanese fighters Hatsu Hioki, Takanori Gomi, “Kid” Yamamoto, Riki Fukuda and Takeya Mizugaki. UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC International Managing Director Marshall Zelaznik, and Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer unveiled the complete card and discussed the upcoming event to be held at the Saitama Super Arena.



Full fight card:

Main event (UFC Lightweight Championship):

Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson


Main Card:

Rampage Jackson vs Ryan Bader
Mark Hunt vs Cheick Kongo
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Jake Shields
Anthony Pettis vs Joe Lauzon


Preliminary Card:

Yushin Okami vs Tim Boetsch
Takanori Gomi vs George Sotiropoulos
Hatsu Hioki vs Bart Palaszewski
Kid Yamamoto vs Vaughan Lee
Riki Fukuda vs Steve Cantwell
Takeya Mizugaki vs Chris Cariaso
Leonard Garcia vs Tiequan Zhang



“Japan is the spiritual home of martial arts – the world has learned from the Japanese many aspects of how to compete in hand-to-hand combat with respect and honor,” said Fertitta. “But Japan also has a proud history of modern mixed martial arts and I am excited to bring the Ultimate Fighting Championship back here, and to begin the build-up today to one of the most highly anticipated events of the year -- not just for Japanese UFC fans, but for sports fans all over the world.”

“To mark this historic occasion of UFC’s return to Japan and Zuffa’s first event in Asia, we are bringing a truly stacked card, topped with a World Championship title bout,” noted UFC Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer. “Frankie Edgar is one of the top pound-for-pound and toughest guys in the sport, and Benson Henderson is a former WEC champion who earned his title shot with three consecutive wins including most recently over Clay Guida in one of the best fights of 2011”

[keithlewis]

MMAWeekly.com is reporting that Leonard Garcia is injured and that he will not fight Tiequan Zhang at UFC 144.


UFC 144 Japan: Edgar vs. Henderson
February 26, 2012
Saitama Super Arena
Saitama, Japan

Main Card:

Frankie Edgar (14-1-1) vs. Benson Henderson (15-2)
Quinton Jackson (32-9) vs. Ryan Bader (13-2)
Mark Hunt (7-7) vs. Cheick Kongo (17-6-2)
Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-4) vs. Jake Shields (26-6-1)
Anthony Pettis (14-2) vs. Joe Lauzon (21-6)


Preliminary Card:

Yushin Okami (26-6) vs. Tim Boetsch (14-4)
Takanori Gomi (32-8) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (18-7-2)
Hatsu Hioki (25-4-2) vs. Bart Palaszewski (36-14)
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (18-5) vs. Vaughan Lee (11-7-1)
Riki Fukuda (17-5) vs. Steve Cantwell (7-5)
Takeya Mizugaki (15-6-2) vs. Chris Cariaso (12-3)
Tiequan Zhang (15-2) vs. Issei Tamura (6-2)

[keithlewis]

Issei Tamura replaces the injured Leonard Garcia and will face Tiequan Zhang.

[broncofan]

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Japan later this month with UFC 144, headlined by lightweight champ Frankie Edgar putting his belt on the line against Benson Henderson. But not only is the UFC trying to make a splash in Japan with its return, the promotion is also upping the ante for UFC fans across the globe.

The UFC 144 pay-per-view will be a special four-hour long, seven-bout broadcast. UFC pay-per-views are typically three hours long and feature five fights.

The start time for the pay-per-view will remain the usual 10 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. PT.

In addition to the seven-bout main card, the UFC 144 preliminary bouts will all be broadcast as well. There is a four-bout preliminary telecast on FX with the event’s first bout, featuring Tiequan Zhang vs. Issei Tamura, streaming live on Facebook.



UFC 144 Japan Full Fight Card and Start Times

Main Bouts (on Pay-Per-View):
-Frankie Edgar (14-1-1) vs. Benson Henderson (15-2)
-Quinton Jackson (32-9) vs. Ryan Bader (13-2)
-Mark Hunt (7-7) vs. Cheick Kongo (17-6-2)
-Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-4) vs. Jake Shields (26-6-1
-Yushin Okami (26-6) vs. Tim Boetsch (14-4)
-Hatsu Hioki (25-4-2) vs. Bart Palaszewski (36-14)
-Anthony Pettis (14-2) vs. Joe Lauzon (21-6)

Preliminary Bouts (on FX):
-Takanori Gomi (32-8) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (18-7-2)
-Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (18-5) vs. Vaughan Lee (11-7-1)
-Riki Fukuda (17-5) vs. Steve Cantwell (7-5)
-Takeya Mizugaki (15-6-2) vs. Chris Cariaso (12-3)

Preliminary Bout (on Facebook):
-Tiequan Zhang (15-2) vs. Issei Tamura (6-2)

UFC Japan (UFC 144) Start Times:
Prelims on Facebook: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT (Live)
Prelims on FX: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT (Live)
Main Card on PPV: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT (Live)