Penn vs. Sanchez - UFC 107 Card Updates!

[keithlewis]

PENN AND SANCHEZ TO MEET FOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE AT UFC 107® IN MEMPHIS

PLUS: FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION FRANK MIR vs. CHEICK KONGO AND THIAGO ALVES VS PAULO THIAGO


Live from FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., Saturday, December 12


Las Vegas, NV (USA) – After April’s memorable UFC Fight Night™ in Nashville, The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is headed back to the great state of Tennessee to give the fans another night of world class mixed martial arts action as UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn faces possibly his toughest test at 155 pounds in the relentless Diego Sanchez at UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez, live from FedExForum in Memphis on Saturday, December 12th.

“In this sport it sometimes takes years for fighters to find the weight class where they’re at their best,” UFC President Dana White said. “I don’t think there’s any question that BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez have finally found their homes at 155 pounds, making the UFC 107 main event a fight between the best Penn and Sanchez we’ve ever seen. BJ hasn’t lost in this weight class in years, and Diego has looked unstoppable in his lightweight fights, and when these two meet in the center of the Octagon, it’s going to make our first trip to Memphis one fight fans will never forget.”

“Thanks to the vision of our owner, Michael Heisley and the diligence and hard work of our staff, the help of state legislators and the UFC, we have cleared a path for UFC to make its way to the state of Tennessee and the city of Memphis,” said Steve Zito, Senior Vice President, Arena Operations and Entertainment for FedExForum. “By helping to bring UFC to the state of Tennessee we will have the opportunity to continue to showcase the city of Memphis and FedExForum as a world-class arena.”

Tickets for UFC 107: PENN vs. SANCHEZ, priced at $350, $250, $150 $100, $75 and $50, go on sale Saturday, October 24 at 10 a.m. CT and are available online at ticketmaster.com or UFC.com, at all Ticketmaster locations, the FedExForum Box Office or by phone at (800)745-3000. Tickets are subject to additional fees and service charges.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, October 22 at 10 a.m. CT via the website UFCFIGHTCLUB.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, October 23 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC 107 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

Unbeaten at 155 pounds for nearly eight years with nine finishes in his 10 lightweight victories, BJ Penn (fighting out of Hilo, Hawaii) has ruled the 155-pound division with an iron fist, finishing top contenders Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk, and Kenny Florian along the way. The refocused 30-year-old lightweight champion and former welterweight champion came into his title defense against Florian at August’s UFC 101 in the best shape of his brilliant career, and Penn (14-5-1) combined a flawless game plan and world-class conditioning to submit his fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a rear naked choke in the fourth round of his third fight in 2009. Now the champion’s conditioning will be put to the ultimate test when he faces the new No. 1 contender.

“I can’t wait to defend the title,” Penn said. “I know what kind of competitor Diego Sanchez is and I am training very hard. This will be a good test.”

“The Prodigy” will face a challenger as willing as he is to leave it all on the line in The Ultimate Fighter™ Season One winner Diego Sanchez (fighting out of San Diego, Calif.), who has reinvented himself as a unstoppable cardio machine that won’t quit moving forward until he wears the UFC championship belt around his waist. The 27-year-old Albuquerque, N.M. native with the 23-2 professional record is on a four-fight win streak and is 2-0 since dropping down to lightweight with exciting wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida. This will mark Sanchez’s first title fight, and if the former welterweight, who won his first 19 professional fights, tops Penn, he will join Matt Serra, Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans as the fourth The Ultimate Fighter™ show winner to earn a UFC title.

“I’ve always wanted to face the best,” Sanchez said. “I’ve worked so hard for this and now I finally have a shot at the title. I’m training like I’ve never trained before and I expect an all-out war.”

Plus, in the UFC 107 co-main event, two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) returns to the Octagon to begin his quest for a third title, and to move back up the ladder in one of the sport’s toughest divisions. With finishing wins in three of his last four fights against names such as Brock Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Antoni Hardonk, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace with the 12-4 record will need all of his elite level experience to thwart the devastating attack of his next opponent.

“Cheick Kongo is one of the best strikers in the UFC,” Mir said. “I’m coming off a loss and I definitely want to get back on the road to the title. I think this will be a difficult challenge.”

Another heavyweight with finishing wins in three of his last four fights, 6-foot-4, 240-pound Cheick Kongo (fighting out of Paris, France) combines power and superior striking skills every time he steps into the Octagon™. The imposing 34-year-old, who has seven UFC wins, holds a 24-5-1 record and knows that a win over a superstar like Mir will move him ever closer to his first title opportunity.

“In the UFC, you can’t take any opponents lightly,” Kongo said. “But when you face a former champion such as Frank Mir, you’re expecting one of the toughest fights of your career. It’s going to be a classic.”

Also added to the stacked UFC 107 main card is a welterweight showdown between fellow Brazilians Thiago “Pitbull” Alves and Paulo Thiago, two of the division’s top competitors.

One of the most feared strikers in the sport today, Fortaleza-born Thiago Alves (22-5) is a Muay Thai wrecking machine whose fists and feet have sent the likes of Tony DeSouza, Chris Lytle, Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck to defeat. Now fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida, the 26 year old banger will look to rebound from his courageous five round loss against champion Georges St-Pierre in July by stopping the rise of Paulo Thiago and getting back on the road to another title shot.

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with multiple titles to his name, Brasilia’s Paulo Thiago surprisingly made his name in the UFC with a spectacular one punch knockout of Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 in February, showing the world that he is as dangerous standing as he is on the mat. On December 12th, the 11-1 fighter and member of Brazil’s special operations police force – who is coming off a hard-fought battle with Jon Fitch - will look to lay down the law to Thiago Alves.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com, GERMANY.UFC.com, UFCJapan.jp or UFCEspanol.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

[keithlewis]

[NWOWolfpack]

Sanchez will take the belt...............................

[keithlewis]

The full UFC 107 fight card:

Main Card:
B.J. Penn (14-5-1) vs. Diego Sanchez (21-2)
Frank Mir (12-4) vs. Cheick Kongo (14-5-1)
Kenny Florian (11-4) vs. Clay Guida (25-10)
Jon Fitch (19-3) vs. Mike Pierce (10-1)
Todd Duffee (5-0) vs. Paul Buentello (27-10)

Undercard:
Wilson Gouveia (18-6) vs. Alan Belcher (14-6)
Shane Nelson (12-4) vs. Matt Wiman (10-5)
Johny Hendricks (6-0) vs. Ricardo Funch (7-0)
Rousimar Palhares (9-2) vs. Lucio Linhares (13-4)
DaMarques Johnson (12-7) vs. Edgar Garcia (7-1)
Kevin Burns (10-3) vs. T.J. Grant (14-3)

[keithlewis]

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP CONFIRMS REMAINING BOUTS FOR UFC 107


MIKE PIERCE VS. JON FITCH
CLAY GUIDA VS. KENNY FLORIAN
STEFAN STRUVE VS. PAUL BUENTELLO
WILSON GOUVEIA VS. ALAN BELCHER
SHANE NELSON VS. MATT WIMAN
RICARDO FUNCH VS. JOHNY HENDRICKS
LUCIO LINHARES VS. ROUSIMAR PALHARES
EDGAR GARCIA VS. DAMARQUES JOHNSON
TJ GRANT VS. KEVIN BURNS


Las Vegas, NV (USA) – If an explosive lightweight title clash between champion BJ Penn and challenger Diego Sanchez, and a heavyweight tilt between former champ Frank Mir and devastating striker Cheick Kongo weren’t enough, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® is proud to confirm nine other phenomenal bouts for UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez, live from FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday, December 12th.

A phenomenal wrestler who honed his craft at Purdue University, welterweight Jon Fitch (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) heads into UFC 107 riding back-to-back victories over Akihiro Gono and Paulo Thiago. The 31-year-old hopes to extend that streak to three and climb one step closer to the world title when he meets ground-and-pound specialist Mike Pierce (fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) at FedExForum. Boasting a six-fight winning streak, including a 1-0 mark in the UFC, Pierce (9-2) looks to impose his will on Fitch (23-3, 1 NC) and prove that he belongs among the welterweight elite. The 29-year-old believes a win over Fitch on Dec. 12 will launch him into immediate contention in the stacked 170-pound division.

Two of the lightweight division’s most exciting fighters lock horns when Clay Guida (fighting out of Johnsburg, Ill.) meets Kenny Florian (fighting out of Brookline, Mass.) at UFC 107. After competing in a torrid “Fight of the Year” candidate against Diego Sanchez in June, the 28-year-old Guida (25-7) returns to the Octagon™ with his sights set on derailing “Ken-Flo.” Having trained for this fight under the tutelage of renowned trainer Greg Jackson in New Mexico, Guida believes he has refined all of the tools needed to best his seasoned opponent. A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who also possesses some of the most dangerous elbow strikes in all of MMA, Florian (13-4) has shown a knack for finishing fights in his 12-bout UFC career. The 33-year-old has won six out of his last seven fights, including five by way of stoppage.

Heavy-handed striker Paul Buentello (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) returns to the UFC for the first time since 2006 to take on 21-year-old rising star Stefan Struve (fighting out of Beverwijk, the Netherlands) in heavyweight action. Owning a 3-1 mark with three knockouts inside the Octagon, Buentello (25-10) looks to reinsert himself in the title picture with a win over his 6’11” opponent. The task may be easier said than done for “The Headhunter.” An outstanding kickboxer and submission artist, Struve (22-3) has submitted his last two opponents and is on a meteoric rise in the division. Known for his smooth transitions and slick grappling, “Skyscraper” plans to spoil Buentello’s homecoming and take a giant leap toward his goal of one day wearing UFC gold.

A terrific Muay Thai striker with an advanced ground game, Alan Belcher (fighting out of Biloxi, Miss.) is an exciting fighter with a “go-for-broke” style of fighting. The 25-year-old, nicknamed “The Talent,” is hungry to make a statement in the middleweight division and believes a win over gifted grappler Wilson Gouveia (fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) will propel him into pivotal bouts in 2010. Equally determined to end the year with a bang is the American Top Team product Gouveia (12-6). A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who trains alongside the likes of Luiz Cane and Thiago Alves, the 31-year-old has earned 11 of his 12 professional wins by stoppage. He’ll look for another dominant performance when he clashes with Belcher (13-5) on Dec. 12.

A purple belt in jiu jitsu under BJ Penn, Shane Nelson (fighting out of Hilo, Hawaii) has steadily become one of the lightweight division’s most promising prospects. With wins in eight out of his last nine bouts, the 26-year-old Nelson (13-4) faces a stiff test in Memphis when he battles Matt Wiman (fighting out of Dallas, Texas). Known for his aggressive, gritty performances inside the Octagon, “Handsome” seeks his fifth win in the organization against the Hawaiian. Having already fought some of the best fighters in the lightweight class, Wiman (10-5) thinks his experience will play a key role in the bout with Nelson.

Riding the momentum of a first round stoppage victory over Amir Sadollah in August, Johny Hendricks (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) looks to remain unbeaten when he touches gloves with newcomer Ricardo Funch (training out of Ludlow, Mass.) in welterweight action. A four-time Division I All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Hendricks (6-0) boasts heavy hands and powerful takedowns. He’ll look to impose his will on the undefeated Funch in Tennessee. Holding a record of 7-0, “Golden Boy” Funch trains alongside UFC heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga and the 29-year-old, who originally hails from Lencois-Bahia, Brazil, believes he’ll become an impact player at 170 pounds with a win over Hendricks later this month.

Training under the guidance of former UFC middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante, submission ace Rousimar Palhares (fighting out of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil) is one of most feared grapplers in the sport. With five of his last six wins coming by way of submission, “Toquinho” will put his grounds skills on display when he battles fellow Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Lucio Linhares (fighting out of Helsinki, Finland). A winner of five consecutive fights, Linhares (13-4) has a solid grappling game, but doesn’t mind slugging it out on the feet. With nine stoppage victories in his career, the fighter nicknamed “The Spartan” is ready to test his mettle in the UFC when he battles Palhares (18-2) in a 185-pound contest.

A contestant on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter®, Damarques Johnson (fighting out of Salt Lake City, Utah) believes he can one day rule the welterweight division. Johnson (14-7), who is trained by UFC vet Jeremy Horn, continues his quest for the title on Dec. 12 when he takes on heavy-handed Edgar Garcia (fighting out of Yuma, Ariz.). A close friend and training partner of lightweight star Efrain Escudero, Garcia (7-1) owns five wins by way of knockout. Also a state wrestling champion in his native Arizona, the 25-year-old looks to demonstrate his versatility when he battles Johnson inside the Octagon.

Having only gone the distance once in his 11-fight career, Kevin Burns (fighting out of Des Moines, Iowa) is a relentless competitor with a strong desire to finish fights. The Iowan, who has ended all eight of his wins before the final bell, seeks another impressive victory when he battles TJ Grant (fighting out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) at UFC 107. Equally dominant in ending fights, the 25-year-old Canadian Grant (14-3) owns 12 submission victories and one knockout win since launching a professional career in 2006. He seeks his 15th victory when he takes on Burns (8-3) in “The Volunteer State.”