ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® ANNOUNCES REMAINING BOUTS FOR UFC 84: ILL WILL

Courtesy of the Ultimate Fighting Championship:

For Immediate Release:
May 7, 2008

TERRY ETIM vs. RICH CLEMENTI
YOSHIYUKI YOSHIDA vs. JON KOPPENHAVER
DONG HYUN KIM vs. JASON TAN
SHANE CARWIN vs. CHRISTIAN WELLISCH

SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2008, LIVE FROM MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization today announced the remaining fights for the upcoming UFC 84: ILL WILL which features the long-awaited battle for the title of the undisputed king of the 155 pound division between UFC Lightweight Champion BJ “The Prodigy” Penn and former champion Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk. The Ultimate Fighting Championship organization presents UFC 84: ILL WILL live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, May 24, 2008.

Just confirmed on the undercard are exciting match-ups between Terry Etim vs. Rich Clementi; Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Jon Koppenhaver; Dong Hyun Kim vs. Jason Tan; and Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch.

Tickets for UFC 84: ILL WILL are SOLD OUT, but fans can still buy and sell tickets to this event on StubHub.com, the “Official Fan to Fan Ticket Marketplace of the UFC.”

UFC 84: ILL WILL is available live on pay-per-view at 10pm EST/7pm PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

Terry Etim (10-1-0) 6’1/155 lbs., was expected to be a little nervous in his first UFC bout at UFC 70 in April of 2007. But the Liverpool, England native fought like an old pro, submitting Matt Grice in a single round and earning submission of the night honors from the organization for his fight-ending guillotine choke. In his second fight at UFC 75, he lost a hard fought battle to Gleison Tibau. He now gets an opportunity to move back into the win column against Rich “No Love” Clementi. With five wins in a row including victories over rising stars Sam Stout, Melvin Guillard, and Anthony Johnson, Clementi (38-12-1) 5’9/155 lbs., has gone from gatekeeper after season four of The Ultimate Fighter® to legitimate 155-pound contender. Now, Slidell, Louisiana’s “No Love” gets to face the British Etim.

Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (9-2-0) 5’11”/170 lbs., fighting out of Japan, is owner of a fourth-degree black belt in judo and numerous titles in the art. The 33-year old Yoshida has made a smooth transition to the world of MMA. After retiring from judo, “Zenko” felt he had something left to do in the world of martial arts. Since his debut in 2005, he has won nine of 11 pro fights, including eight in a row over the last two years. Hoping to continue his hot win streak he takes on The Ultimate Fighter season 6 competitor Jon Koppenhaver in what should be a barnburner. Koppenhaver (6-1-0) 5’11”/170 lbs., fights out of San Diego, Calif. Every fighter who comes off The Ultimate Fighter’ reality show wants to make a strong impression in his UFC debut. Few have done it like Koppenhaver though, as the Californian went toe-to-toe with season six castmate Jared Rollins for two plus rounds last December until he scored a classic come from behind victory in the final frame. Now Koppenhaver wants to solidify his spot in the organization against Octagon newcomer Yoshida.

Dong “The Stun Gun” Hyun Kim (9-0-1) 6’3”/170 lbs., fighting out of South Korea, enters the Octagon™ with an unbeaten record, one that he hopes to improve when he takes on England’s Jason Tan. A longtime standout in Japan’s DEEP organization, the “Stun Gun” is equally excited about his UFC debut and hopes to make a statement against Tan. Fighting out of Liverpool, England, Tan (5-1-0) 5’10”/170 lbs., graduated from college with a Mathematics degree in 2004. These days, the only numbers he’s interested in are the ones he counts as wins as a mixed martial artist. Just 26 years old, Tan has been training in martial arts for over a decade, and he is known for his endless cardio and finishing ability. He’ll need to be on top of his game when he meets South Korean standout, Kim.

Shane Carwin (8-0-0) 6’4”/265 lbs., fighting out of Denver, Colo., is an athlete who has made a lot of noise in the MMA world since his 2005 debut. Carwin was an All-American in football and wrestling for Western State whose acumen on the gridiron earned him a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles. Undefeated in MMA competition, Carwin recently scored a first round TKO over UFC veteran Sherman Pendergarst, and now he’ll be pitted against AKA’s Christian “The Hungarian Nightmare” Wellisch. A native of Hungary now making his home in Sacramento, California, multi-faceted heavyweight Wellisch is ready to make his move in the crowded UFC heavyweight division. Standing at an imposing 6 foot 3 and 237 lbs., the 32-year old Wellisch fell short in his Octagon debut in 2006 against Cheick Kongo. With the UFC jitters out of the way, he rebounded with an impressive three round win over Australia ’s Anthony Perosh, and an even more impressive first round submission of Scott Junk last September. He looks for his third straight UFC win when he takes on Carwin.

For more information about UFC 84, UFC 85, UFC 86 or any upcoming UFC event, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship 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., UFC produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Bell ExpressVU, Viewers Choice, SaskTel Max™ and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or www.ufcespanol.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.