(PRESS RELEASE) -- Centennial, Colo. – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) returns to movie theaters nationwide on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m. PT as NCM Fathom Events and UFC bring UFC® 167: ST-PIERRE vs. HENDRICKS to the big screen. Fight fans will get a front-row view of all the pulse-pounding action when longest-reigning champion in the UFC, welterweight king Georges St. Pierre (also known as “GSP”), returns to the Octagon® to face No. 1 contender Johny Hendricks. GSP will take on his most dangerous challenger to date in the sledge-hammer handed Hendricks. Broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, audiences will witness all the excitement as the undisputed champion in the UFC welterweight division is determined during the UFC’s 20th anniversary event.
“UFC fans will want to experience GSP and Hendricks go head to head in UFC 167 on the big screen,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “Audiences will feel like they have a ringside seat with every move these fighters make. The only way to get closer to the action would be to get in the Octagon.”
Montreal’s finest, Georges St. Pierre (24-2), the UFC welterweight champion since April 2008, has posted an impressive 11-fight win streak during his reign atop the 170-pound division. The dynamic GSP holds black belts in both Kyokushin karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The two-time champion’s historic and unrivaled reign includes wins over UFC’s toughest including Matt Hughes, B.J. Penn and Jake Shields.
The hard-hitting Johny Hendricks (15-1), fighting out of Dallas, Texas, is the top-ranked challenger in the 170-pound division. He earned his shot at GSP by putting together a six-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC. A two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion with one punch knockout power, “Bigg Rigg” is set on derailing St-Pierre’s march to the Hall of Fame. He is known for his extensive wrestling background and powerful punches, particularly from the left hand, which has earned him three Knockout of the Night bonuses and one Fight of the Night award.
The event features an exciting co-main light heavyweight bout between former UFC champion Rashad Evans and former two-division title challenger Chael Sonnen.
The old school will also meet the new breed at UFC 167, as the resurgent "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler meets Canada's Rory MacDonald. After returning to the UFC in 2013 following a more than eight year absence, Lawler has looked better than ever in knocking out Josh Koscheck and Bobby Voelker. The 24-year-old MacDonald is currently sporting a five-fight winning streak that includes wins over B.J. Penn and Jake Ellenberger, but he has yet to face someone with the power of Iowa's Lawler, making this a must-see welterweight battle.
For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
About National CineMedia (NCM) National CineMedia (NCM) operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom Events present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 183 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes approximately 19,600 screens (approximately 18,800 digital). During 2012, over 710 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place. The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is comprised of approximately 750 locations in 173 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 37 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 47.0% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com. (NCMI-E)
About the Ultimate Fighting Championship® Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group for live events and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2, including the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, now in its eighteenth season on FOX Sports 1.
In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to 882 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.5 million followers on Twitter. UFC businesses also include over 90 UFC GYM® locations in 28 US states and Australia, UFC FIT™ an in-home fitness and nutrition program, UFC 360 internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new videogame franchise with EA Sports, DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, branded apparel and trading cards.