THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE SUNDAY, JULY 12 AT MGM GRAND

May 26, 2015

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Las Vegas – One of the most intense rivalries in the history of The Ultimate Fighter® will be settled once and for all as powerhouse gyms American Top Team (ATT) and the Blackzilians battle it out for South Florida bragging rights. The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians finale will take place Sunday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to close out the 2015 International Fight Week activities.

The main event will feature two of the welterweight division’s top strikers as ninth-ranked Jake Ellenberger (30-9, fighting out of Lake Forest, Calif.) clashes with standup sensation Stephen Thompson (10-1, fighting out of Simpsonville, S.C.). Ellenberger has 20 knockouts including 13 first-round finishes on his resume, in addition to a stellar wrestling pedigree to help in countering Thompson’s 52-0 professional kickboxing record.

Additionally, hard-hitting No. 15 lightweight contender Jorge Masvidal (28-9, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) will move up to welterweight and welcome The Ultimate Fighter Brazil season 1 winner, Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Cezar Ferreira (9-4, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, Brazil) to the 170-pound division.

Also, former Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle Waterson (12-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) will make her promotional debut against The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned competitor Angela Magana (11-7, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand).

Also scheduled for the card:

· Looking to make it five consecutive wins, Caio Magalhaes (9-1, fighting out of Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil) takes on Josh Samman (11-3, fighting out of Tallahassee, Fla.), a winner of back-to-back second-round knockout victories.

· Plus, submission specialist Trevor Smith (12-6, fighting out of Tukwila, Wash.) meets Dan Miller (14-7, 1NC, fighting out of Whippany, N.J.) as he makes a return to the Octagon for the first time since 2013.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Tickets for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: AMERICAN TOP TEAM vs. BLACKZILIANS go on sale Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $178, $128, $93, and $78. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call (888) 929-7849. Tickets also are available at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, May 27 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, May 28 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: AMERICAN TOP TEAM vs. BLACKZILIANS will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 12, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

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 134 countries and territories to over 700 million 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 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 Hotel & Casino

MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is “The Entertainment Authority,” creating the ultimate Las Vegas experience. The hotel features the astonishing KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club; master illusionist David Copperfield and world-class entertainment at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. MGM Grand offers signature restaurants by celebrity chefs including Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, Michael Mina’s PUB 1842, Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans Fish House, Wolfgang Puck’s Bar & Grill and Michelin three star and Forbes Five-Star restaurant, Joël Robuchon. The resort recently remodeled all rooms and suites in its main tower and launched the industry’s first-ever STAY WELL Collection. MGM Grand is home to many of today’s hottest DJs including Tiësto, Calvin Harris and Steve Aoki who share residencies between Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub and WET REPUBLIC, The Strip’s hottest day life destination. The hotel also features a state-of-the-art, non-smoking Five Green Key conference center, the Grand Spa, Cristophe Salon and an inviting six-acre pool complex. Upscale accommodations include SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand, an exclusive boutique luxury hotel within the hotel and The Signature at MGM Grand, a luxury all-suite, non-gaming hotel located adjacent to the main resort. 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.