ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® CONFIRMS REMAINING BOUTS FOR UFC 107

MIKE PIERCE VS. JON FITCH

CLAY GUIDA VS. KENNY FLORIAN

STEFAN STRUVE VS. PAUL BUENTELLO

WILSON GOUVEIA VS. ALAN BELCHER

SHANE NELSON VS. MATT WIMAN

RICARDO FUNCH VS. JOHNY HENDRICKS

LUCIO LINHARES VS. ROUSIMAR PALHARES

EDGAR GARCIA VS. DAMARQUES JOHNSON

TJ GRANT VS. KEVIN BURNS

Live from FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., Saturday, December 12

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – If an explosive lightweight title clash between champion BJ Penn and challenger Diego Sanchez, and a heavyweight tilt between former champ Frank Mir and devastating striker Cheick Kongo weren’t enough, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® is proud to confirm nine other phenomenal bouts for UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez, live from FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday, December 12th.

Tickets for UFC 107: PENN vs. SANCHEZ, priced at $350, $250, $150 $100, $75 and $50, are on sale now and available online at ticketmaster.com or UFC.com, at all Ticketmaster locations, the FedExForum Box Office or by phone at (800)745-3000. Tickets are subject to additional fees and service charges.

UFC 107 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

A phenomenal wrestler who honed his craft at Purdue University, welterweight Jon Fitch (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) heads into UFC 107 riding back-to-back victories over Akihiro Gono and Paulo Thiago. The 31-year-old hopes to extend that streak to three and climb one step closer to the world title when he meets ground-and-pound specialist Mike Pierce (fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) at FedExForum. Boasting a six-fight winning streak, including a 1-0 mark in the UFC, Pierce (9-2) looks to impose his will on Fitch (23-3, 1 NC) and prove that he belongs among the welterweight elite. The 29-year-old believes a win over Fitch on Dec. 12 will launch him into immediate contention in the stacked 170-pound division.

Two of the lightweight division’s most exciting fighters lock horns when Clay Guida (fighting out of Johnsburg, Ill.) meets Kenny Florian (fighting out of Brookline, Mass.) at UFC 107. After competing in a torrid “Fight of the Year” candidate against Diego Sanchez in June, the 28-year-old Guida (25-7) returns to the Octagon™ with his sights set on derailing “Ken-Flo.” Having trained for this fight under the tutelage of renowned trainer Greg Jackson in New Mexico, Guida believes he has refined all of the tools needed to best his seasoned opponent. A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who also possesses some of the most dangerous elbow strikes in all of MMA, Florian (13-4) has shown a knack for finishing fights in his 12-bout UFC career. The 33-year-old has won six out of his last seven fights, including five by way of stoppage.

Heavy-handed striker Paul Buentello (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) returns to the UFC for the first time since 2006 to take on 21-year-old rising star Stefan Struve (fighting out of Beverwijk, the Netherlands) in heavyweight action. Owning a 3-1 mark with three knockouts inside the Octagon, Buentello (25-10) looks to reinsert himself in the title picture with a win over his 6’11” opponent. The task may be easier said than done for “The Headhunter.” An outstanding kickboxer and submission artist, Struve (22-3) has submitted his last two opponents and is on a meteoric rise in the division. Known for his smooth transitions and slick grappling, “Skyscraper” plans to spoil Buentello’s homecoming and take a giant leap toward his goal of one day wearing UFC gold.

A terrific Muay Thai striker with an advanced ground game, Alan Belcher (fighting out of Biloxi, Miss.) is an exciting fighter with a “go-for-broke” style of fighting. The 25-year-old, nicknamed “The Talent,” is hungry to make a statement in the middleweight division and believes a win over gifted grappler Wilson Gouveia (fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) will propel him into pivotal bouts in 2010. Equally determined to end the year with a bang is the American Top Team product Gouveia (12-6). A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who trains alongside the likes of Luiz Cane and Thiago Alves, the 31-year-old has earned 11 of his 12 professional wins by stoppage. He’ll look for another dominant performance when he clashes with Belcher (13-5) on Dec. 12.

A purple belt in jiu jitsu under BJ Penn, Shane Nelson (fighting out of Hilo, Hawaii) has steadily become one of the lightweight division’s most promising prospects. With wins in eight out of his last nine bouts, the 26-year-old Nelson (13-4) faces a stiff test in Memphis when he battles Matt Wiman (fighting out of Dallas, Texas). Known for his aggressive, gritty performances inside the Octagon, “Handsome” seeks his fifth win in the organization against the Hawaiian. Having already fought some of the best fighters in the lightweight class, Wiman (10-5) thinks his experience will play a key role in the bout with Nelson.

Riding the momentum of a first round stoppage victory over Amir Sadollah in August, Johny Hendricks (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) looks to remain unbeaten when he touches gloves with newcomer Ricardo Funch (training out of Ludlow, Mass.) in welterweight action. A four-time Division I All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Hendricks (6-0) boasts heavy hands and powerful takedowns. He’ll look to impose his will on the undefeated Funch in Tennessee. Holding a record of 7-0, “Golden Boy” Funch trains alongside UFC heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga and the 29-year-old, who originally hails from Lencois-Bahia, Brazil, believes he’ll become an impact player at 170 pounds with a win over Hendricks later this month.

Training under the guidance of former UFC middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante, submission ace Rousimar Palhares (fighting out of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil) is one of most feared grapplers in the sport. With five of his last six wins coming by way of submission, “Toquinho” will put his grounds skills on display when he battles fellow Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Lucio Linhares (fighting out of Helsinki, Finland). A winner of five consecutive fights, Linhares (13-4) has a solid grappling game, but doesn’t mind slugging it out on the feet. With nine stoppage victories in his career, the fighter nicknamed “The Spartan” is ready to test his mettle in the UFC when he battles Palhares (18-2) in a 185-pound contest.

A contestant on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter®, Damarques Johnson (fighting out of Salt Lake City, Utah) believes he can one day rule the welterweight division. Johnson (14-7), who is trained by UFC vet Jeremy Horn, continues his quest for the title on Dec. 12 when he takes on heavy-handed Edgar Garcia (fighting out of Yuma, Ariz.). A close friend and training partner of lightweight star Efrain Escudero, Garcia (7-1) owns five wins by way of knockout. Also a state wrestling champion in his native Arizona, the 25-year-old looks to demonstrate his versatility when he battles Johnson inside the Octagon.

Having only gone the distance once in his 11-fight career, Kevin Burns (fighting out of Des Moines, Iowa) is a relentless competitor with a strong desire to finish fights. The Iowan, who has ended all eight of his wins before the final bell, seeks another impressive victory when he battles TJ Grant (fighting out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) at UFC 107. Equally dominant in ending fights, the 25-year-old Canadian Grant (14-3) owns 12 submission victories and one knockout win since launching a professional career in 2006. He seeks his 15th victory when he takes on Burns (8-3) in “The Volunteer State.”

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.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship®

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