Magazine


Ultimate kings of the boxing ring

by Paul R Taylor
21/ 4/2007

BRUTAL mixed martial arts fighting comes to the MEN Arena tomorrow (Saturday) with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

UFC is the world's leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation and the sport is big business in the US - the revenue leader in pay-per-view television ahead of boxing.

More than 14,000 people packed into the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas to watch the last UFC event, twice as many as watched Manchester boxer Ricky Hatton's world title bout against Juan Urango in the same venue a fortnight later.

Fighters compete against each other in a large octagonal cage, punching, kicking and wrestling each other into submission.

The show will feature some of the sport's biggest names, including Brit star Michael "The Count" Bisping, winner of reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter 3.

Bisping was born in Cyprus, moved to Clitheroe as a child and now lives in Liverpool with his wife and two children.

He fights in a style called Vale Tudo - Portuguese for "anything goes". Trained in ju jitsu, kickboxing and karate, he has an impressive record of 12 wins and no losses.

Other fighters scheduled to appear include Russian heavyweight Andre Arlovski and Croatian superstar Mirko Crop Cop.

While still fairly brutal, the UFC has come a long way from its beginnings in 1993 when there were no rules, no judges, no time limits and no gloves. After being banned in most US states, the brand was bought out by current president Dana White.

It now has weight classes, five-minute rounds, light gloves and mouth-pieces and has outlawed more vicious techniques, such as eye gouging, throat strikes, groin strikes and grabbing the clavicle.

White says: "Manchester is the home of sporting legends so what better place to launch Ultimate Fighting in the UK?

"The city always appreciates a great sporting spectacle and we know that is exactly what this line-up of fighters will give them."

Tickets start at £25 and are available from the MEN Arena box office and booking line on 0870 1908000, www.men-arena.com or www.ticketmaster.co.uk, 0871 2305441 (24hrs).


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