Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® is pleased to confirm the full card for its first-ever trip to Seattle on Saturday, March 26. UFC®Fight Night™ Live, which will be held at KeyArena and broadcast live on Spike TV at 10 p.m. ET/PT, features a highly-anticipated light heavyweight main event battle between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and undefeated Phil Davis.
An exciting co-main event fight pits welterweight striker Dan Hardy against Anthony Johnson, while fellow 170-pound competitors Amir Sadollah and DaMarques Johnson are also set to lock horns. Plus, featherweights Leonard Garcia and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung collide in a rematch of their 2010 clash, which was nominated for Fight of the Year.
If that wasn’t enough, UFC officials formally announced the following bouts for this Saturday’s undercard:
Jon Madsen vs. Mike Russow, Alex Caceres vs. Mackens Semerzier, John Hathaway vs. Kris McCray, Michael McDonald vs. Edwin Figueroa, Sean McCorkle vs. Christian Morecraft, Johny Hendricks vs. TJ Waldburger, Mario Miranda vs. Aaron Simpson and Waylon Lowe vs. Nik Lentz.
Madsen vs. Russow and Caceres vs. Semerzier will air live on Facebook.com/UFC at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
A Florida native, Alex Caceres (fighting out of Miami, Fla. / 5-2) makes his long-awaited UFC debut after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter® season 12 as a member of Georges St-Pierre’s team. “Bruce Leeroy”, as he is commonly referred, is hoping that his unpredictable style leads him to victory in this featherweight contest. He will take on former WEC fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Mackens Semerzier (fighting out of Virginia Beach, Va. / 7-3). “Da Menace” is an aggressive and well-rounded fighter, who most recently battled Cub Swanson in a WEC Fight of the Night in November.
Heavyweight Jon Madsen (fighting out of Alexandria, Minn. / 7-0) is hoping to leave Seattle with his perfect professional record intact. Having beaten four UFC heavyweights, most recently earning a TKO victory over Gilbert Yvel at UFC 121, the former Division II National Wrestling Champion plans on using his solid experience on the mat to control the fight and make his name known in the division. Mike Russow (fighting out of Chicago, Ill. / 13-1, 1NC) will be the man standing in his way, and he has his own plans of staying undefeated in the UFC. Though he is coming off of a stunning knockout victory over Todd Duffee at UFC 114, the former collegiate wrestler may seek to get back to what he knows best and look for a quick submission victory.
John Hathaway (fighting out of Brighton, Sussex, England / 14-1) steps back into the Octagon motivated as ever to climb the divisional ladder. “The Hitman” is fighting for the sixth time overall in the UFC and is expecting to show off the form that put him on the map in the welterweight division. The 23-year-old will get that chance when he takes on TUF 11 finalist Kris McCray (fighting out of Woodbridge, Va. / 6-2). Known for his solid takedowns and powerful slams, “Savage” seeks his first win in the UFC.
Hot prospect Michael McDonald (fighting out of Modesto, Calif. / 11-1) debuts in the UFC and is fighting for the first time since defeating Clint Godfrey in the WEC. This bantamweight standout nicknamed “Mayday” is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt with knockout power. His opponent, Edwin Figueroa (fighting out of McKinney, Texas / 7-0), is a hard-hitting, undefeated striker with his sights on finishing his eighth straight fight.
Having lost just once in his career, heavyweight Sean McCorkle (fighting out of Indianapolis, Ind. / 10-1) steps back into the Octagon ready to battle the division’s toughest competitors. At 6’7”, McCorkle has developed a knack for finishing his fights via submission, and he’ll look to do the same to his next opponent, heavyweight Christian Morecraft (fighting out of Ithaca, N.Y. / 6-1). Originally from Washington, D.C., Morecraft stands 6’6” and has secured finishes in all six of his professional victories.
Welterweight Johny Hendricks (fighting out of Dallas, Texas / 9-1) heads to Seattle aiming to put on a Fight of the Night performance. A former Oklahoma State collegiate wrestler, Hendricks hopes to use his elite grappling skills to derail TJ Waldburger (fighting out of Belton, Texas 13-5). The 22-year-old is coming off of a decision victory over David Mitchell in September and seeks a second straight UFC victory when he meets Hendricks at KeyArena.
Exciting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and middleweight Mario Miranda (fighting out of Kirkland, Wash. / 12-2) will have the Washington fans behind him on March 26 when he takes on former Arizona State collegiate wrestler Aaron Simpson (fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz. / 7-2). Simpson, nicknamed “A-Train” works out alongside rising stars CB Dolloway and Ryan Bader in Arizona and plans to showcase his wrestling prowess and heavy hands against Miranda.
A winner of two straight, Waylon Lowe (fighting out of Philadelphia, Pa. / 10-3) hopes to keep his streak alive in his next lightweight battle. After defeating Willamy Freire and Steve Lopez in back to back fights, Lowe hopes to extend his streak against Nik Lentz (fighting out of Eden Prairie, Minn. / 22-3-2). “The Carny” has not lost in his UFC career, going 4-0-1 since UFC 103, and his takedown defense and strong kicks may help him keep it that way when he battles Lowe.
For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Ultimate Fighting Championship® – www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s VERSUS network. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, reaching 354 million homes worldwide, in 19 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a bimonthly magazine.
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, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.
About KeyArena at Seattle Center
Opened in 1995, KeyArena at Seattle Center is Seattle’s premier venue for sports, concerts and family entertainment. The facility has entertained over 15 million guests and is home to 2010 WNBA champions Seattle Storm, Division One Seattle University Men’s Basketball and flat track Rat City Rollergirls. The venue, ranked among the top 100 venues in the world, provides a broad range of live music, entertainment, family shows and community programming for the City of Seattle.