The UFC Returns to Brazil in January with Belfort vs. Bisping

THE UFC KICKS OFF 2013 CALENDAR WITH VITOR BELFORT VS. MICHAEL BISPING IN BRAZIL *Scheduled for January 19th, this will mark the second year in a row a Brazilian event kicks off the UFC’s calendar worldwide.

*In the main event of the evening, Brazilian legend Vitor Belfort faces TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping; fans will also get a chance to watch the debuts of Daniel Sarafian, Godofredo Pepey and Thiago Bodao as official UFC fighters

*Details on city and venue are expected to be announced in the following weeks

One of the biggest legends of MMA, Vitor Belfort will return to the Octagon on January 19th, facing off against TUF 3 light heavyweight winner Michael Bisping in the main bout of the first Brazilian event of 2013. In a venue yet to be defined, fans will also witness the debuts of three of the first The Ultimate Fighter Brasil stars as official UFC fighters: Daniel Sarafian, now fully recovered from the injury that forced him out of the show’s big finale, faces C.B Dollaway; Godofredo Pepey, featherweight finalist, faces fellow Brazilian Miltinho Vieira; and Thiago Bodao goes up against Michael Kuiper.
Brazilian audiences will also get a chance to see up close Brazilian standouts such as Edson Barboza, Thiago Tavares, Diego Nunes, Gabriel Napao, Wagner Caldeirao, Ronny Markes, Francisco Masaranduba and Iuri Marajó. All bouts have been verbally agreed to and will be aired live in Brazil exclusively by Canal Combate.

“As we had anticipated, 2013 will be a very busy year for the Brazilian fans. We are very happy about this January 19th event, which will kick off our calendar for this year like UFC Rio 2 did in 2012”, says Marshall Zelaznik, UFC’s Managing Director of International Development. “There are still a few details to be settled before we decide the host city. We expect to announce the venue over the next weeks”.

The 19th January event will be the fifth one held in Brazil. The country has hosted three events in Rio de Janeiro and one in Belo Horizonte since August of 2011. Apart from the events, 2013 will also bring the second edition of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter Brasil to Brazilian fans.

Official card*

Main Card

Vitor Belfort vs Michael Bisping
C.B. Dollaway vs Daniel Sarafian
Ben Rothwell vs Gabriel Napao
KhabibNurmagomedov vs Thiago Tavares

Preliminary Card

Godofredo Pepey vs Miltinho Vieira
Andrew Craig vs Ronny Markes
Nik Lentz vs Diego Nunes
Justin Salas vs Edson Barboza
Michael Kuiper vs Thiago Bodao
George Roop vs Iuri Marajó
Roger Hollett vs Wagner Caldeirao
C.J. Keith vs Francisco Massaranduba

*All bouts live and subject to change

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship® Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

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