Las Vegas, NV (USA) – With four of the best fighters in Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) history set to battle at UFC 123: RAMPAGE vs. MACHIDA, which is presented by Bud Light and live on Pay-Per-View on November 20th at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Michigan, the card will also feature a number of top up-and-comers and experienced veterans. To bolster the long-awaited return to Detroit, the UFC confirms that, in addition to Quinton Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida and Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn, the remaining bouts at UFC 123 include the following: George Sotiropolous vs. Joe Lauzon, Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch, Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcao, Matt Brown vs. Brian Foster, Aaron Simpson vs. Mark Muñoz, Karo Parisyan vs. Dennis Hallman, Darren Elkins vs. Edson Barboza, Paul Kelly vs. T.J. O’Brien and Tyson Griffin vs. Nik Lentz
Tickets for UFC 123 are on sale now and are priced at $400, $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50. Tickets are available at Palacenet.com, at The Palace of Auburn Hills box office, Ticketmaster.com, charge-by-phone (800.745.3000) and all Ticketmaster retail locations.
UFC 123 will be available live on Pay-Per-View on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44..99 US/$49.99 CAN for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available). UFC 123 will also be available on Pay-Per-View in Spanish in the United States.
In a lightweight matchup sure to be thrilling, up-and-coming star George Sotiropolous (fighting out of Vancouver, Wash. / 13-2) has been on a tear since his UFC debut in 2008, winning all six of his fights in the Octagon, including 2010 wins over Joe Stevenson and Kurt Pellegrino. Sotiropolous matches up with Joe Lauzon (fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass. / 18-5). “J-Lau” is coming off one of the most dominant performances of recent years, when he pummeled Gabe Ruediger for two minutes before securing a first-round submission victory via armbar at UFC 118. In his eight UFC fights, the always-exciting Lauzon has received three Submission of the Night, two Fight of the Night and one Knockout of the Night award.
Looking to stay undefeated, Phil Davis (fighting out of San Diego, Cali. / 7-0) is seeking his fourth consecutive UFC win. A four-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler and 2008 National Champion for Penn State, “Mr. Wonderful” will face his toughest test yet in a light heavyweight matchup with Tim Boetsch (fighting out of Sunbury, Pa. / 12-3). As a four-year varsity wrestler for traditional powerhouse Lock Haven University, “The Barbarian” will be anything but a pushover. Boetsch has finished 11 of his 12 wins, and, with five knockouts and six submissions, he is a threat wherever the fight goes.
Boasting a ten-fight winning streak that includes knockout victories in each of his three UFC fights, Gerald Harris (fighting out of Tulsa, Okla. / professional record: 16-2) plans to continue working his way up the middleweight ranks. “Hurricane” already has two Knockout of the Night awards to his name and will look to add a third in an attempt to spoil Maiquel Falcao’s (fighting out of Brazil / 25-3, 1 NC) debut in the Octagon®. A member of the legendary Chute Boxe Academy, “Big Rig” has put together an impressive streak as well, with seven straight wins and victories in 11 of his last 12 bouts, none of them making it through the second round.
Welterweight Matt Brown (fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio / 13-9) has battled with many of the UFC’s best throughout his career. Known as “The Immortal”, the well-rounded fighter has been in the Octagon with the likes of Chris Lytle, Dong Hyun Kim and Ricardo Almeida, and he has another tough test ahead of him in Brian Foster (fighting out of Granite City, Ill. / 16-5). Not one for boring fights, Foster has never had a fight go to the judges’ scorecards. Just two months after a knockout victory over Forrest Petz that earned him Knockout of the Night honors, Foster hopes a win over a seasoned veteran like Brown can elevate him in the always tough welterweight division.
One of several Arizona State University All-American-wrestlers-turned-MMA-stars, Aaron Simpson (fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz. / 7-1) plans to follow in the footsteps of fellow Sun Devils Cain Velasquez and Ryan Bader in a sprint up the MMA rankings. In his young career, “A-Train” has already received Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night awards in wins over Tom Lawlor and Tim McKenzie, respectively. Mark Munoz (fighting out of Vallejo, Cali. / 8-2) is a stellar wrestler himself, winning an NCAA Championship at Oklahoma State. “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” is 3-1 in the Octagon since dropping to middleweight, with his only blemish a split decision loss against top contender Yushin Okami. Munoz has also shown excellent power, knocking out Kendall Grove to win Fight of the Night earlier in 2010.
Someone whose talent has never been doubted, Karo Parisyan (fighting out of North Hollywood, Cali. / 27-5, 1 NC) has defeated many of the best 170-pounders in the game. “The Heat” has recorded victories over Chris Lytle, Matt Serra and Nick Diaz, and looks to put himself back into contention in his return to the Octagon with a win over Dennis Hallman (fighting out of Yelm, Wash. / 65-13-2, 1 NC). The submission specialist has unprecedented experience, even tapping out UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes on two occasions. Coming off a win over Ben Saunders, a win for Hallman will continue his career resurgence.
In a lightweight battle that seems destined to end early, Darren Elkins (fighting out of Hobart, Ind. / 12-2) is known for finishing fights. With only two fights ever going to decision, Elkins has the power and grappling to end his opponents. Holding a win over Duane Ludwig in the UFC, “The Damage” is set to take on Edson Barboza (fighting out of Jupiter, Fla. / 6-0). The highly-touted Brazilian prospect is a Muay Thai ace who has used his talents in the art to knock out five of his six opponents, finishing the other by submission.. He has been competing in MMA for just under two years, and hopes his rise will continue in his UFC debut.
Paul Kelly (fighting out of Liverpool, England / 11-3) has become a staple in the Octagon for UFC fans. With seven UFC fights already under his belt, “Tellys” looks to establish himself as a lightweight contender. The 26-year old member of the Kaobon camp will be taking on UFC first-timer T.J. O’Brien (fighting out of Prole, Iowa / 16-3). This submission guru has finished all his victories via tapout, specializing in the triangle choke, which has brought him 11 of his 16 wins. Currently on a six-fight winning streak, “The Spider” has ended five of those wins in the first round.
One of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, Tyson Griffin (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 14-4) has won Fight of the Night in five of his 11 bouts in the Octagon. Griffin has defeated some of the game’s top stars, including Clay Guida, Urijah Faber, Gleison Tibau and Rafael Dos Anjos, while battling Sean Sherk and current champion Frankie Edgar to decisions that earned Fight of the Night honors. Opposing Griffin will be Nik Lentz (fighting out of Eden Prairie, Minn. / 21-3-2). “The Carny” is undefeated in his last 12 fights, including a 3-0-1 record in the Octagon. A former Division I wrestler, Lentz has used his grappling skills to dominate his opponents.
For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com, GERMANY.UFC.com, UFCJapan.jp or UFCEspanol.com. All bouts live and subject to change.