UFC 70: NATIONS COLLIDE ON SPIKE TV!
STAR-STUDDED CARD FEATURES
HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDERS MIRKO CRO COP AND ANDREI ARLOVSKI AND
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS FORREST GRIFFIN AND MICHAEL BISPING
FIGHTS TO AIR ON SPIKE TV SATURDAY, APRIL 21 at 9:00 PM
FROM MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
New York, NY — March 13, 2007 — Mirko Cro Cop (22-4-2) came to the UFC with heavyweight title ambitions, and the Croatian native will try and continue his ascension to the top of the division as he squares off against Gabriel Gonzaga (7-1-0) at UFC 70: NATIONS COLLIDE. This star-studded, pay-per-view-quality fight card will telecast on Spike TV on Saturday, April 21 at 9:00 PM, ET/PT from the MEN Arena in Manchester, England.
Former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, The Ultimate Fighter 1 light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, and The Ultimate Fighter 3 light heavyweight champion and British native Michael Bisping will also appear on the fight card.
“Manchester is the home of sporting legends, so what better place to launch the UFC in the UK,” said Dana White, UFC President. “The city always appreciates a great sporting event and we know that is exactly what UFC 70 will give them.”
“We’re excited to be able to bring the UFC’s first foray into Europe to our viewers in the United States in this extraordinary event,” said Spike TV General Manager Kevin Kay.
Fresh off his dominant win against Eddie Sanchez in his UFC debut on February 3 at UFC 66, Cro Cop will try and utilize his heralded striking ability to neutralize the jiu-jitsu advances of his opponent, rising heavyweight Gonzaga. A black belt under Wander Braga, Gonzaga has won his first three UFC fights in convincing fashion. The fight will determine number one title contender status in the UFC heavyweight division, with the winner receiving a shot at the title against newly crowned heavyweight champion Randy “The Natural” Couture.
Also on the card, is former heavyweight champion “The Pit Bull” Arlovski (12-5-0) as he looks to pick up his second consecutive victory and get back into the heavyweight title picture against Fabricio Werdum (9-2-1). A jiu jitsu expert training out of Brazil, Werdum is making his UFC debut.
The card will also feature light heavyweight Griffin (13-4-0) as he attempts to bounce back from his defeat at the hands of Keith Jardine at UFC 66, by going head-to-head with undefeated Ryoto “Lyoto” Machida (9-0-0). Machida is coming off a victory against Sam Hoger at UFC 67 and his matchup with Griffin is a meeting of strikers that will certainly lead to fireworks inside the Octagon.
The event will also mark the homecoming for Britain’s own “The Count” Bisping (12-0-0). A Liverpool native, Bisping, fresh off an impressive victory against Eric Schaefer at UFC 66, puts his undefeated record on the line against the Australian born Elvis “The King of Rock n Rumble” Sinosic (8-9-2).
Spike TV is available in 91 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc.
About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship brand is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC organization produces approximately twelve to fourteen live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are distributed throughout the world including broadcast on WOWOW, Inc. in Japan, Globosat in Brazil and Bravo in the United Kingdom. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com.
Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ultimate Fighting, UFC, The Ultimate Fighter, Submission, As Real As It Gets, Zuffa, The Octagon and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.
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