UFC goes to Boston for first time with UFC 118: Penn vs. Edgar 2

UFC® HEADS TO BOSTON FOR FIRST TIME EVER WITH UFC 118: EDGAR vs. PENN 2 PRESENTED BY TAPOUT®

Main Event – UFC Lightweight Championship

FRANKIE EDGAR (Champion) vs. BJ PENN (No. 1 contender)

Co-Main Event

UFC GREAT RANDY COUTURE vs. BOXING LEGEND JAMES “LIGHTS OUT” TONEY

Also featuring

ROUSIMAR PALHARES vs. NATE MARQUARDT

GRAY MAYNARD vs. KENNY FLORIAN

Live from TD Garden, Saturday August 28, 2010 – Tickets on sale Friday, June 25 at 10 a.m. ET

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – For a city that has developed many Ultimate Fighting Championship® fighters and that is steeped in sports history, finally Boston will get to witness world-class mixed martial arts in its own backyard. After a back-and-forth instant classic at UFC® 112 in April, which saw Frankie Edgar shock the mixed martial arts world and take the UFC lightweight strap from around BJ Penn’s waist, the two will square off again on Saturday, August 28 at UFC 118: EDGAR VS. PENN 2, which is live from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts and presented by TapouT®.  Also featured on this stacked card, UFC legend Randy Couture takes on boxing legend James Toney in a true grappler vs. striker matchup as Toney makes his highly anticipated mixed martial arts debut. It will be a matchup of two impressive Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts as dangerous foot-lock specialist Rousimar Palhares takes on the well-rounded Nate Marquardt, and in a battle for the next top lightweight contender spot, Gray Maynard will be swimming in shark-infested waters as he fights Boston-product Kenny Florian.

“Without a doubt, August 28th will be one of the highlights of my career, I’m thrilled to bring the UFC to Boston for the first time in our history,” said Dana White, UFC President.  “Boston is one of the world’s greatest fight towns, fans only expect the best, and we are bringing it with the rematch between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, and the Octagon-debut of boxing legend James Toney vs. one of the greatest UFC heavyweights of all-time, Randy Couture.”

Tickets for UFC 118: EDGAR vs. PENN 2 will go on sale Friday, June 25 at 10am ET and will be priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $75. Fans can purchase tickets via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000, online at Ticketmaster.com, or at the TD Garden Box Office. Tickets are subject to applicable service charges and event time and date are subject to change.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, June 23 at 10 a.m. ET via the website ufcfightclub.com.  A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, June 24 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.

UFC 118 will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10pm ET/7pm PT on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

Winner of four in a row, including a shocking unanimous decision victory over the seemingly unbeatable lightweight legend, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (fighting out of Toms River, N.J. / 12-1 professional record) was a relentless force at UFC 112 and is the new UFC lightweight champion. The Summit, New Jersey native has won seven out of his eight fights in the UFC and has put away some big names such as Penn, Sean Sherk, Tyson Griffin, Spencer Fisher and Hermes Franca and now the 28-year-old former college wrestler looks to add Penn to that list one more time.

“Frankie pulled off the upset of the year when he beat BJ in April, and I know that both of these guys are coming to Boston with something to prove – Frankie wants to cement his place at the top of the division, and BJ wants to show that his loss was just a fluke – so this is going to be one to remember,” said White.

"I'm going to have to bring the same intensity I did in the first fight because I know BJ will be bringing the big guns for this one,” Edgar said. "It's going to be great fighting on the east coast. These are fantastic fans and I know how passionate they are about MMA. I'm training for every possible scenario and I know BJ is too."

A true legend in the sport and a man that has been influential in the success of mixed martial arts, BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (fighting out of Hilo, Hawaii / 15-6-1) is regarded by many as the greatest lightweight to ever step into the Octagon™. A former champion in two weight classes (lightweight and welterweight), the 31-year-old holds wins over Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, among many others. Now “The Prodigy” looks to get the lightweight championship strap back when he takes on “The Answer”.

“Frankie fought a great fight the first time and I’m expecting him to come back at me just as hard in this rematch,” said Penn. “But I’m more determined than ever, and I hope he’s ready for me because I just have one goal in mind – getting my belt back.”   

A man that needs no introduction to the MMA community, Randy “The Natural” Couture (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 18-10) is a living legend that continues to shock and awe fans, experts as well as his opponents. Winner of two in a row, including a unanimous decision victory against the very versatile Brandon Vera and a submission win against Mark Coleman at UFC 109, the 46-year-old shows no signs of slowing down and looks to welcome in the UFC’s newest high-profile addition and see if he’s been working his takedown defense.

James Toney (fighting out of Sherman Oaks, Calif. / 0-0) is respected throughout the boxing world for his old-school approach to the fight game. But now the multi-division world champion will take off his boxing gloves and try on a pair of four-ouncers, which could mean trouble for Couture if he decides to stand-and-trade with the highly- acclaimed pugilist in this heavyweight bout.

“Toney is a real fighter, a future Hall of Famer, and the most accomplished boxer ever to fight in the UFC, and I think everyone’s curious to see what he can do against Couture’s wrestling and ground and pound attack. Toney promised me that he’s coming to win, and knowing him like I do, I would never count him out,” said White.

Winner of three in a row in the UFC, including two devastating leg-lock victories over game opponents, Rousimar Palhares (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / 20-2) is a well-versed submission expert that can leave an unprepared opponent in a bad way. The 30-year-old Brazilian middleweight submitted Lucio Linhares at UFC 107 and then followed that up with a 45-second heel hook that left Tomasz Drwal in pain at UFC 111. Now the ground expert takes on his most formidable opponent yet in Marquardt.

A former No. 1 contender to Anderson Silva’s 185-pound belt, Nate Marquardt (fighting out of Denver, Colo. / 32-9-2) has won three of his last four fights, including three knockout victories over Martin Kampmann, Wilson Gouveia and Demian Maia. A veteran of over 40 fights, “The Great” looks to get back to that No. 1 contender spot and a win over Palhares can propel him right back up the division.

An undefeated fighter who has seven wins in the UFC, Gray Maynard (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 10-0-0, 1 NC) has successfully parlayed his NCAA Division I Michigan State wrestling background into positive results inside the Octagon. With wins over Nate Diaz, Roger Huerta, Jim Miller and even current champion Frankie Edgar, Maynard’s time looks to be now. But first he has to get past lightweight contender Kenny Florian.

Fighting in his own backyard for the first time in the UFC, Kenny Florian (fighting out of Boston, Mass. / 13-4) is well known for finishing fights. The Boston-area fighter has three submission victories in his last four fights over Joe Stevenson, Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi and has finished 10 fights inside the Octagon. But he will definitely have the crowd on his side once he takes on Maynard in a fight that will decide the next No. 1 lightweight contender.

UFC® Fan Expo™ to Hit Boston for the First Time on UFC 118 Fight Weekend

In conjunction with UFC 118: EDGAR vs. PENN 2, the UFC is pleased to hold its third UFC Fan Expo at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts on Friday, August 27 and Saturday, August 28, 2010.

As the world’s premier MMA event, the UFC Fan Expo provides millions of fans the opportunity to experience, celebrate, learn and rub shoulders with some of the most exciting athletes in sports today. Fans will take advantage of all the UFC has to offer through a jam-packed weekend of events including exhibitions, training &

development sessions with elite fighters and iconic MMA coaches, fan-inspired special events and competitions, meet & greets with top fighters and demos of various fighting techniques.

Exhibitors at the event will now reach a new demographic of fans living on the East Coast. The third UFC Fan Expo is expected to attract over 150 leading vendors covering roughly 200,000 gross square feet of space. The packed exhibit floor will feature apparel, electronic gaming, food & beverages, fight gear, fitness equipment and supplies, nutritional supplements, lifestyle products and much more. Building off the successes of the first two Las Vegas UFC Fan Expos and paired with a highly anticipated fight card, the UFC Fan Expo Boston 2010 will bring an exciting and unique opportunity to the region.

For more information on UFC Fan Expo and to purchase tickets, visit www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter visit www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com. Don’t wait, space is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.