GRAY MAYNARD AND NATE DIAZ MEET AGAIN
LAS VEGAS – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) comes to Virginia for the first time in its history on Monday, January 11th for another hard-hitting edition of UFC® Fight Night™ Live on Spike TV. In the main event at The Patriot Center, two of the best fighters to emerge from The Ultimate Fighter® series, Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz, meet again in a rematch of the season five battle won by Diaz. This time the stakes are even higher as these young guns fight their way toward a 155-pound world title shot. In the co-feature, T.U.F. ® season eight winner Efrain Escudero hopes to carry the momentum from his stirring knockout win over Cole Miller into Fairfax, as he engages in another pivotal showdown against fellow lightweight up and comer Evan Dunham.
“The lightweight division is one of the most talent-rich in the UFC, and this card is a prime example of that,” said UFC President Dana White. “Maynard and Diaz are two top contenders with a history between them, and this is one of those fights that could be career-changing for the winner. The stakes are just as high in the Escudero-Dunham fight, as both of these guys are looking to make the jump from prospect to contender.”
Tickets for this event will go on sale Saturday, November 21 at 10 a.m. ET and will be priced at $200, $125, $90, $60 and $40. Tickets are available at the Patriot Center box office and all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.patriotcenter.com.
UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, November 19 at 10 a.m. ET via the website ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, November 20 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.
UFC Fight Night main event features a rematch of lightweight contenders Gray Maynard (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) and Nate Diaz (fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) who first met in the Octagon™ on season five of The Ultimate Fighter. Diaz defeated Maynard on his way to being named “The Ultimate Fighter” that season.
A former teammate of Rashad Evans on the Michigan State wrestling team, Maynard currently trains with UFC legend Randy Couture in Las Vegas. The 30-year-old with the 9-0, 1 NC record is riding one of the most impressive winning streaks in the sport, defeating an impressive array of 155-pound fighters including Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, and, most recently, Roger Huerta this past September.
Diaz has won six of his last eight UFC fights including a win over Melvin Guillard this past September. The pride of Stockton, California and a product of the renowned Cesar Gracie Fight Team, Diaz needs a win over Maynard to continue on his path toward a shot at BJ Penn’s lightweight crown.
Winner of the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, 23-year-old Efrain Escudero (fighting out of Tempe, Ariz.) is coming off of an impressive TKO victory over Cole Miller at UFC 103 in September. At a perfect 13-0, Escudero will look to use his superior grappling skills against another rising star in the division, Evan Dunham.
An Oregon native, Evan Dunham (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) was victorious in his first two fights in the UFC, most recently earning a split decision win over Marcus Aurelio at UFC 102 in August. Now at 9-0 as a professional mixed martial artist, the 27-year-old lightweight fighter is looking for his third win in the UFC.
Coming off a submission win over CB Dollaway at UFC 100, Fall River, Massachusetts’ Tom Lawlor (fighting out of Orlando, Fla.) has already compiled a 6-1, 1 NC record with two consecutive wins in the UFC. A former three-time national wrestling champion for the University of Central Florida, Lawlor uses his superior wrestling skills to dominate his opponents.
Another up-and-coming fighter in the UFC, undefeated Aaron Simpson (fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) is a perfect 2-0 in the UFC and 6-0 as a pro. A former Arizona State University wrestler and two-time NCAA All-American, Simpson scored a TKO win over Ed Herman at UFC 102, his second knockout in as many UFC fights.
The remaining bouts will be announced in the near future.
Related posts:
Hi, just wanted you to know I have added your site to my Google bookmarks because of your beautiful blog layout (LOL). But seriously, I believe your blog has one of the cleanest theme I’ve came across. It honestly makes your blog post easier to read.
Hello,thanks you for this useful blogg, i really find many new things on it and i really loved the design of the blogg. I found it on bing. I also want to wish you a happy new year.
Hm, found your blog on google, glad I did too. Great post