| |
 |
|
(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Ultimate Fighting
Championship®(UFC®) announced today that the bout between former UFC
light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans and Brazilian knockout
artist Thiago Silva will headline UFC 108 as Antonio Rodrigo
“Minotauro” Nogueira today was forced to pull out of his fight with
Cain Velasquez due to a severe injury to his left elbow. UFC 108,
which is presented by “Bayonetta” and live on pay-per-view from the
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, will take place on
Saturday, January 2, 2010.
“The bout between Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva is a fight we always
talked about as a main event, and now these guys have the chance to
headline UFC 108 and kick off the new year in impressive fashion,"
said UFC President Dana White. "At the same time, we wish Antonio
Nogueira a speedy recovery and can't wait for his return.”
Tickets for UFC 108 are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and
$50, not including applicable service charges, are on sale and are
available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s
Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to
eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card,
call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for
purchase at UFC.com,
www.mgmgrand.com or
www.ticketmaster.com.
UFC 108 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 ($49.95/Canada)
for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where
available).
Ready to get his UFC light heavyweight title back, Rashad Evans
(fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) has notched wins over some big
names in the division, including consecutive knockout victories over
Chuck Liddell and then-champion Forrest Griffin. The Niagara Falls,
New York native and former Michigan State University wrestler has
won 18 of his 20 pro fights, including a draw against former UFC
light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. A skilled grappler that has
tremendous knockout power, Evans will need all of his well-rounded
abilities when he takes on Thiago Silva, the man who knocked out his
teammate and training partner Keith Jardine.
“Being able to get right back in the mix and right back into a main
event is an honor,” Evans said. “This is the first step in getting
my title back. Thiago is a dangerous fighter standing up and on the
ground and I always relish an opportunity to fight the best and put
on a great show for the fans.”
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt that can get the knockout as easy
as the tap out, Thiago Silva (fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) has
won 14 of his first 15 pro fights. His 95 second KO victory over
Jardine at UFC 102 was his fifth win in the UFC, with four coming
via KO/TKO and one by submission. The 26-year-old has put away his
opponents within two rounds in all of his UFC wins and he looks to
throw his name in the UFC title contention hat with a win over
former world titleholder Rashad Evans.
“I feel that the bigger the fight, the better I do,” Silva said.
“Being in the main event for a UFC card has always been a goal of
mine. Rashad is a great fighter, but he’d better come prepared in
all aspects of mixed martial arts.”
Nogueira was forced to withdraw from UFC 108 due to a staph
infection on his left elbow, the same injury he incurred prior to
his fight with Frank Mir at UFC 92. The infection was previously
treated in Brazil, however his physicians have determined the virus
was never eradicated, and as a result, attacked his system at some
point within the past week, leaving his elbow severely swollen.
Nogueira’s physicians stated he must undergo treatment for at least
three weeks, and that the virus is so aggressive that it may require
an intravenous antibiotic to ensure a full recovery.
“I am so disappointed,” Nogueira said. “I am sorry to my fans, but I
have learned from my mistakes, and I’m not going into a fight unless
I can give 100 percent my best performance. I have to be in top
form, and then I can guarantee an exciting fight, a battle like what
they saw at UFC 102. I appreciate all the fans around the world who
are supporting me right now so much, and my next fight, a great
fight, I give to them.”
Nogueira is currently in the United States and receiving medical
care at a facility in San Diego.
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.
About The Ultimate Fighting Championship®
UFC is the largest live pay-per-view event content provider in the
world and the fastest growing main stream sports organization in
history. Owned and operated by Zuffa™, LLC, and headquartered in Las
Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve live pay-per-view events
annually that are distributed residentially through North American
cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV,
DISH Network, Avail-TVN Entertainment, BellTV, SaskTel Max™, Shaw
Pay-Per-View, and Viewers Choice. International distributors include
WOWOW in Japan, Rede TV and Globosat’s Combate Channel and SporTV in
Brazil, ESPN in United Kingdom, Televisa in Mexico and throughout
Central America, with worldwide distribution via the Internet on
UFC.com and Yahoo! Sports. UFC content is distributed commercially
through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada.
UFC programming is distributed in 132 countries, territories and
jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different
languages.
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.
|
