A quick look inside the HSBC Arena, site of UFC 142 “Aldo vs. Mendes” on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ...
Built: July 2007
Seating Capacity: 15,000
Operator: GL Events
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to its roots for the second time in five months with UFC 142 “Aldo vs. Mendes” on Saturday at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A five-round featherweight title bout pairing champion Jose Aldo with unbeaten challenger Chad Mendes will anchor the event, which will air on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Four other fights will round out the main card, as Vitor Belfort meets Anthony Johnson, Rousimar Palhares locks horns with Mike Massenzio, Edson Barboza faces Terry Etim and Erick Silva collides with Carlo Prater.
GL Events operates the HSBC Arena, a 15,000-seat, multi-purpose facility with retractable bleachers and other amenities one would expect in a modern sports venue. Opened in July 2007, it will host the basketball and gymnastics events at the 2016 Summer Olympics and the wheelchair basketball events at the 2006 Summer Paralympics.
The HSBC Arena was at the heart of UFC 134 in August, as the world’s most prominent mixed martial arts promotion touched down in Brazil for the first time in more than a decade. Before a raucous pro-Brazilian crowd, middleweight champion Anderson Silva retained his title with a second-round technical knockout over Yushin Okami in the show’s headliner. The event also marked the victorious return of Brazilian icon Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, as he upset “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 finalist Brendan Schaub in his first appearance in more than a year.