FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 1, 2009
The world’s best, including Japanese legend Rumina Sato, hit the mat to cap off the largest submission grappling tournament in history
Las Vegas, NV – Rumina Sato. Fredson Paixao. Joe Stevenson. Vinicius Magalhaes. Jeff Glover. Ulysses Gomez. Bill Cooper. To those in the grappling world, the names represent the best of the best. To have them in the same hall together at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center is electrifying enough. To see them competing against each other in four Superfights that cap off the largest Submission Grappling tournament in history is something that could only be held at the UFC® Fan Expo™ on Friday, July 10th and Saturday, July 11th, just hours before the lights go down for the biggest event in mixed martial arts history, UFC 100.
In the headline Superfight on Friday, July 10th, mixed martial arts pioneer Rumina “Moon Wolf” Sato faces Ulysses “Useless” Gomez. Also in action on Friday, July 10th, against an opponent to be determined, will be The Ultimate Fighter 8’s Vinicius Magalhaes. On Saturday, July 11th, the action continues with a match pitting four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and WEC contender Fredson Paixao against 22-time Grapplers Quest champ Jeff “Pipelayer” Glover, and an intriguing showdown between UFC lightweight contender Joe “Daddy” Stevenson and Bill “The Grill” Cooper. The Superfight doubleheaders on both days begin at 1pm.
“For fans of the ground game, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of the world’s premier grapplers in one place competing against each other,” said UFC President Dana White.
Tickets for the first-ever UFC Fan Expo - which leads up to the historic UFC 100 event that takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday, July 11th - are limited, but are still on sale and can be bought exclusively at www.ufcfanexpo.com. V.I.P. Passes sold out quickly, but fans can still buy tickets to the Expo, and Customers that purchase in advance will receive $10 off the two-day pass.
About The Competitors:
Perhaps Japan’s most influential mixed martial artist ever, Rumina “Moon Wolf” Sato has inspired countless fighters to not only take up the sport, but to take it to new levels. A pro since 1994, Sato has fought the world’s best, including John Lewis, Yves Edwards, Caol Uno, Takanori Gomi, Javier Vazquez, Alexandre Nogueira, Joachim Hansen, and Gilbert Melendez. And when it comes to his grappling prowess, suffice to say that the Shooto legend and master of the flying armbar can do it all on the mat, making this rare United States appearance a must see for fight fans.
A native of Los Angeles who now makes his home in Las Vegas, Ulysses “Useless” Gomez has been training in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since 2001, and this purple belt has learned his lessons well, winning championships in Grapplers Quest, Desert Quest, IGJJF, NAGA, and the Mt. Sac Submission Open. Gomez was also the first American to win a Gold medal in the FILA Pankration World Championships. Currently 3-1 in MMA, this member of Marc Laimon’s Cobra Kai team is eager to perform on the big stage against the world-renowned Rumina Sato.
If you wanted to list Fredson Paixao’s accomplishments in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you would probably need at least this entire page. Suffice to say that the 30-year old from Parintins – a four-time world champion – is one of the best grapplers of this era. Now competing in MMA for the WEC, Paixao – who is only the second person in the world to go from purple to black belt in just four years – will get back to his roots by grappling competitively during the UFC Fan Expo.
With 22 Grapplers Quest titles to his name, California’s Jeff Glover has taken the jiu-jitsu world by storm. Add in accolades as a 2008 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship-Silver Medalist, 2008 PacSun Hawaii Absolute/No-Gi/Gi Champion, 2007 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship-Gold Medalist, and it’s clear why seeing Glover’s name on the marquee means some high-level jiu-jitsu. Rated to have the number one rated guard in the United States by Gracie Magazine, Glover will put all his skills to the test against world champion Fredson Paixao.
Winner of 35 MMA fights, including a recent victory over Nate Diaz, UFC lightweight contender Joe Stevenson is one of the top fighters in the world, but what some may not know is that he’s also a skilled grappler. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under BJJ superstar Robert Drysdale, Stevenson has ended four MMA fights with his devastating guillotine choke, and he will be looking to test it against Bill Cooper on July 11th.
22-year old jiu-jitsu phenom Bill “The Grill” Cooper earned his black belt from Ricardo Miller at the age of 20, and he’s done his teacher proud to the tune of 24 Grapplers Quest titles from around the country. Now teaching in Thousand Oaks, California, Cooper will face one of the toughest tests of his young career in Joe Stevenson this July.
Rio De Janeiro’s Vinicius “Pezao” Magalhaes first came to the attention of UFC fans in 2008, when he finished three opponents in the first round en route to a spot in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter’s eighth season. But to those in the jiu-jitsu community, Magalhaes’ reputation was already rock solid. Winner of eight medals at the BJJ World Championships (four Gold, one Silver and three Bronze), this black belt under Vinicius Aieta and Royler Gracie will show UFC fans even more dimensions of his game when he steps on the mat on July 10th.
Please note that all rings of the UFC Fan Expo tournament will be stopped during these Superfights, and that while fans will get to see all the tournament and Superfight action, seating will be limited and handled on a first come, first served basis.
For more UFC Fan Expo information and to purchase tickets, visit UFCfanexpo.com. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com.
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, Bell ExpressVU, SaskTel Max™, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Viewers Choice, and WOWOW in Japan, and Premiere Combate and SporTV in Brazil, 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 ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or 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.
About Reed Exhibitions
The UFC Fan Expo is operated by Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading events organizer, with over 470 events in 37 countries. In 2008, Reed brought together over seven million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today, Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organized by 38 fully staffed offices.
Reed organizes a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses, and meetings. Its portfolio of over 470 events serves 44 industry sectors, including: Aerospace & aviation, automobiles, broadcasting, building & construction, electronics, energy, oil & gas, engineering, manufacturing, environment, food service & hospitality, gifts, healthcare, interior design, IT & telecoms, jewelry, life science & pharmaceuticals, machinery, medical education, printing & graphics, property & real estate, security & safety, sports & recreation, and travel. Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations, and government departments, Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.
Source: Ultimate Fighting Championship
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