(PRESS RELEASE) -- Las Vegas – On one of the biggest weekends in sports, UFC® heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum makes his first title defense in a rematch against former champion and No. 1 contender Cain Velasquez. Plus, former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks meets surging contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the co-main event. UFC® 196: WERDUM vs. VELASQUEZ 2 takes place Saturday, Feb. 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Considered one of the most dangerous men in UFC history, Velasquez (13-2, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) maintains a furious and relentless pace that is unmatched in the division. With the ability to effortlessly go the distance or end the contest in in the firstround, the former champion looks to settle the score with Werdum and bring another world title back to American Kickboxing Academy’s stable of champions.
In addition, Hendricks (17-3, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) returns to the Octagon® with hopes of earning another shot at the 170-pound world title he feels is rightfully his. A four-time NCAA Div. 1 All-American wrestler, “Bigg Rigg” will need to rely on his wrestling to control the fight if he hopes to avoid the flashy striking of No. 8 Thompson (11-1, fighting out of Simpsonville, S.C.). “Wonderboy” is a five-time kickboxing world champion who has utilized his electrifying stand-up game to quickly climb the welterweight ladder.
Additional bouts:
· No. 6 light heavyweight contender Ovince St. Preux (18-7, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) looks to climb back into the title picture with a win over knockout artist Rafael Cavalcante (12-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).
· A heavyweight battle between heavy-handed Derrick Lewis (13-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas) and UFC newcomer Damian Grabowski (20-2, fighting out of Opole, Poland).
· Josh Burkman (28-12, 1 NC, fighting out of Draper, Utah) moves to the lightweight division to face striking specialist K.J. Noons (12-7, 1 NC, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.).
· Las Vegas’ own Mike Pyle (26-11-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) gets a home game when he meets Dallas’ Sean Spencer (12-4, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) in welterweight action.
Tickets for UFC 196®: WERDUM vs. VELASQUEZ 2 go on sale Friday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $804, $604, $404, $304, $204 and $104 (prices do not include applicable service charges and handling fees). Tickets are available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at the MGM Grand box office. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Jan. 7 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC 196®: WERDUM vs. VELASQUEZ 2 will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on 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.
About UFC®
UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 158 countries and territories to over one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service that is available throughout the world with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.
About MGM Grand
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is “The Entertainment Authority,” creating the ultimate Las Vegas experience. A variety of accommodations serve every need while guests discover signature dining by celebrity chefs including Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, Michael Mina’s PUB 1842, Wolfgang Puck’s Bar & Grill and Michelin three star restaurant, Joël Robuchon. The resort offers a wide-range of world-class entertainment at the MGM Grand Garden Arena; the epic KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; world-famous dance crew Jabbawockeez; master illusionist David Copperfield; Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club; and Hakkasan Las Vegas in addition to a pampering spa and salon and an elaborate 380,000-square-foot conference center. MGM Grand is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit mgmgrand.com, call toll free at (877) 880-0880 or find us on Facebook and Twitter or follow our blog.