Iceman & Axe Murderer Confirmed for UFC 79: NEMESIS

CHUCK LIDDELL vs. WANDERLEI SILVA

UFC 79: NEMESIS

SATURDAY, DEC. 29
LIVE FROM MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER

Tickets on Sale Now

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – For years, UFC® fight fans have speculated about the outcome of a historic dream matchup between two legendary figures in the sport of mixed martial arts, Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. Tonight, on Spike TV’s 2007 Scream Awards, UFC President Dana White announced that this dream will finally become a reality when UFC and PRIDE former champions Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva face each other at UFC 79: NEMESIS live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, December 29, 2007.

“Chuck and Wanderlei – two legends in the sport – will face off in the most important match of their careers at UFC 79,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Chuck and Wanderlei have both wanted this fight for as long as they can remember, and this is definitely the fight that fans have waited for years to see. Finally, PRIDE’s most dangerous striker will face the UFC’s most dangerous striker, and the world will know after years of speculation who will win and who will lose this fight.”

Tickets for UFC 79: NEMESIS are on sale now and are priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $200 and $100. Tickets are available through any Mandalay Bay box office and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Macy’s West at the Fashion Show Mall and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call the Mandalay Bay box office at (702) 632-7580 or Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ufc.com, www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

A special Internet ticket pre-sale is available now to UFC newsletter subscribers. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.ufc.com.

There also will be a special auction for Octagon-side floor seats available only through www.ticketmaster.com starting Wednesday, October 24 and ending Monday, November 5.

UFC 79: NEMESIS is available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95 ($39.99 CAD) and $49.95 for HD where available.

Liddell (20-5), considered by many to be the greatest light heavyweight fighter of all time, reigned as the 205-pound UFC champion for over three years. He knocked out seven opponents in seven consecutive fights, including Randy Couture (twice), Vernon White, Jeremy Horn, Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Tito Ortiz (twice), before he was defeated by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 71 in May. Chuck now returns to the Octagon to face the fighter he has wanted to fight for years – Wanderlei Silva.

“I’m excited this fight with Wanderlei is finally happening,” said Liddell. “I’ve been saying for a long time that, given the chance, I would knock Wanderlei Silva out. I think this will be a great fight for the fans, and one that lives up to their expectations, because I’m going to hit him until he falls down and stays down.”

The 31-year old Silva (31-7-1), known by fight fans as “The Axe Murderer” for his ultra-aggressive style and finishing ability, began his career almost 11 years ago in his native Brazil,

fighting in Vale Tudo bouts that pushed him to the limit as he honed the skills that would soon make him one of the most feared fighters on the planet. He met great success by winning the PRIDE organization’s middleweight championship and defeating the likes of current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson (twice), Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba (three times), Ricardo Arona, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Kazuyuki Fujita, while engaging in some of the most memorable fights in MMA history. Well-rested after his February PRIDE fight against Dan Henderson, Silva is ready to take on Liddell and secure the most important victory of his mixed martial arts career.

“I’ve wanted to fight Chuck for a long time,” said Silva. “I think about this fight a lot, our styles are very similar – we are both great strikers. I’m training very hard, because I want to give my next victory to my fans. After I beat Chuck, then I want to fight the champion.”

In addition to Liddell vs. Silva, UFC 79 features the main event welterweight championship matchup between UFC champion Matt Serra (16-4) and former UFC champion Matt Hughes (43-5).

Current UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra, fresh off his knockout victory over Georges St-Pierre in April, looks to defend his title for the first time against the legendary Hughes and secure his own legacy in the UFC 170-pound division. Hughes, a two-time UFC champion with seven combined title defenses to his name, has a deadly ground game that has earned him wins over St-Pierre, BJ Penn, Chris Lytle, Royce Gracie, and Frank Trigg (twice).

For more information about UFC 78, The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, UFC 79 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® 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 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 MAIN EVENT in Australia, Globosat in Brazil and Bravo and Setanta PPV in the United Kingdom. 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.