Flash Entertainment and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) have confirmed more bouts for UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi as tickets for the hotly anticipated event go on sale tomorrow (14th February).

The three further bouts add to what will be a stacked card at UFC 112 which will see the best line-up ever put together outside of North America with two of the UFC®s best pound for pound fighters – Anderson Silva and BJ Penn – in action in Abu Dhabi.

In addition to the headline fights, The UFC® and Flash have also announced ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ semi-finalist ‘Slick’ Nick Osipczak, 5-0 in mixed martial arts, takes on American Rick ‘the Horror’ Story in a fascinating welterweight clash.

Osipczak, fighting out of London, England, showed great grit and determination in his last bout at UFC 105, outlasting Matt Riddle in a thrilling battle. Story, 9-3 in his career, heads to the Middle East riding on two impressive wins over Brian Foster and Jesse Lennox.

‘The Ultimate Fighter’ season three champion Kendall Grove, 11-6, will fly to Abu Dhabi to face the 7-1 Mark Munoz in a middleweight bout. The 6ft 6inch Grove has defeated contenders Ed Herman, Alan Belcher, Jason Day, Jake Rosholt and former UFC® champion Evan Tanner while former college wrestling superstar Munoz is coming off wins over Nick Catone and Ryan Jenson. This is an important crossroads fight for both men as they look to reaffirm their credentials as contenders in the ultra-competitive middleweight division.

And, 22-7 John Gunderson will take on England’s Paul Taylor, the exciting two-time world kickboxing champion whose non-stop style has earned him an international reputation as one of the most explosive fighters in the world. This will be the 10-5 Taylor’s first fight since moving down to the 155lbs lightweight division.

Penn, meanwhile, will defend his UFC® Lightweight Title against top contender Frankie Edgar while middleweight king Silva faces Demian Maia.

Silva was to have faced Brazilian Vitor Belfort, but the challenger was forced to withdraw due to injury. Silva will now face Demian Maia in the UFC 112 Middleweight Championship Fight. Following a hard-fought three round win over Dan Miller at UFC 109 that showed him to be more than just a submission expert, Demian Maia will jump right back into training camp for the biggest fight of his career.

Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC® Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said:

“UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi is going to be a fantastic event for us. We have witnessed the rapid growth of the sport since its inception in 1993 and it’s great to be able to continue this expansion and bring the sport to new regions. Abu Dhabi is continuing to cement its position as a global sporting hub, and we are proud to be a part of that.

“There is a great buzz around UFC 112 already, thanks to the amazing fight card and the unique setting of the event, and we have no doubt that this will be one of the greatest events in UFC history.”

As well as boasting both the world’s greatest lightweight and greatest middleweight fighters, the UFC’s first venture into the region will also showcase an intriguing battle of legends as UFC® icon Matt Hughes locks horns with MMA pioneer and Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Renzo Gracie at welterweight.

John Lickrish, Managing Director of Flash Entertainment, the company producing the event in Abu Dhabi, said:
“UFC 112 is one of the most anticipated events of 2010. The fight card we have secured is incredible and we’ll be making some more exciting announcements on the action we have lined up shortly. It’s great to be a part of a UFC event of this magnitude - the demand in the region is phenomenal and we’re expecting tickets to sell out fast.”

“With over five hours of action from inside the Octagon and a range of entertainment outside of it, UFC 112 will be one of the biggest events on the 2010 sporting calendar.”

The additional fight card announcement will add further excitement ahead of UFC 112, which takes place on April 10th in the concert arena outside Ferrari World, Yas Island.

Tickets to the UFC’s first ever outdoor event are available from www.boxofficeme.com. Ranging from Upper Grandstand tickets starting from just AED 395 to Octagon-side Platinum Floor tickets priced at AED 3,695, the six pricing categories offer UFC® fans a range of options to choose from at great value for money with over five hours of spectacular entertainment on offer.

The 12,000 seat outdoor custom-built stadium will be constructed in just six weeks and will provide unforgettable views of all the action in the infamous OctagonTM.

Flash Entertainment, which has been behind some of Abu Dhabi’s biggest concerts and entertainment projects, will be confirming further fight card and event information in the coming weeks. In the meantime, more information can be found at www.UFC.com.
 

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