Rivals Rampage and Rashad clash at UFC 114

SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010

BITTER RIVALS AND FORMER CHAMPIONS RAMPAGE AND EVANS CLASH AT UFC® 114

Live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena – Tickets on Sale Saturday, March 27 at 10am PT

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Finally, these two former Ultimate Fighting Championship® light heavyweight champions get a chance to let their fists do the talking. After multiple back-and-forth verbal exchanges on the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter®, former UFC® light heavyweight champions Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “Suga” Rashad Evans are set to headline UFC 114, presented by THQ’s “UFC Undisputed 2010” and live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 29.

“It’s no secret that Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans don’t like each other, and this rivalry has gotten more and more intense in the last few months,” said UFC President Dana White. “I can guarantee you that neither one of these guys wants to lose to each other, this fight is going to be insane.”

Tickets for UFC 114 are priced at $650, $450, $300, $200, $125 and $75, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Saturday, March 27 at 10 a.m. PT at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at UFC.com, www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, March 25 at 10 a.m. PT via the website UFC.com.  A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, March 26 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC 114 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).

As quick with his fists as he is with his wit, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (fighting out of Irvine, Calif., 30-7) hammered the competition on his way to the title with a stunning KO victory over then champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell at UFC 71. With knockout wins over Wanderlei Silva, Liddell and Marvin Eastman and a decision victory over Dan Henderson, the 31-year-old Memphis, Tennessee native has picked up wins against some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts. Most recently earning a unanimous decision win over Keith Jardine at UFC 96, Jackson has won two in a row and now faces Jardine’s friend and training partner.

“I really want to knock this guy out,” Jackson said. “I’ve never, ever wanted to knock someone as cold as I want to knock Rashad Evans out. He’s disrespected me so much, for so long. I am so motivated to train my ass off. I’ve moved my coaches into my house already - Rashad should be prepared to see a brand new Rampage in May. I saw him in Sydney a few weeks back and we picked up right where we left off. I can’t stand him. He’s a disrespectful person and I didn't even want to beat Wanderlei as much as I want to beat this guy.”

A former All-American college wrestler turned successful mixed martial artist, “Suga” Rashad Evans (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M., 19-1-1) put himself back on the championship track with an impressive decision victory over knockout artist Thiago Silva at UFC 108. With an outstanding 9-1-1 record in the UFC, Evans has fought and beaten the best, including wins over former UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin. Now the 30-year-old former Michigan State wrestler and Niagara Falls, New York native will get his chance to exchange blows with the man he’s been exchanging words with.

 “I don’t like all the pre-fight talking, so I can’t wait until I finally get my chance to shut him up,” said Evans. “There were a lot of times on the show when I wanted to hit him right there. When Keith [Jardine] was training for his fight with Rampage, I had to mimic Rampage’s style. I can probably beat Rampage as Rampage now. Plus, he’s gotten fat. He needs to get in shape just to get in shape. I may come to the Octagon with Mr. T just to get in his head.”

Second Annual UFC Fan Expo Taking Place During Fight Weekend

This past July, the first-ever UFC Fan Expo took the sports world by storm, as fans celebrated the past, present, and future of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. So by popular demand, the UFC, in partnership with Reed Exhibitions, has announced that the second UFC Fan Expo will take place May 28-29 back in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

The jam-packed two-day event, occurring during Memorial Day Weekend 2010, will provide fans with the opportunity to experience a number of special events, fighter appearances, autograph signings, and training & development sessions with elite fighters and industry leaders.

Over 200 leading companies are expected to exhibit, covering 200,000 gross square feet of space, and will feature apparel, electronic gaming, food & beverages, fight gear, fitness equipment and supplies, nutritional supplements, lifestyle products, and much more.

"I was blown away by the response to the first UFC Fan Expo. We have the greatest fans in the world," said UFC President Dana White. "Our next Fan Expo is going to be another incredible event, we are taking it to the next level, and offering even more exciting ways to experience UFC."

“We’re excited to be coming back to Vegas and next year’s event is going to be bigger and better than the first time around,” said Ed Gallo, Event Director for UFC Fan Expo.

The inaugural UFC Fan Expo took place in July 2009 during the historic UFC 100 weekend, providing more than 15 hours of keynote addresses, special events, and training & development sessions.  It was also the site for the first Grappling Tournament ever held in conjunction with a UFC event.  With so much in store for the second UFC Fan Expo, organizers expect the event to be taken to the next level.

For more information on UFC Fan Expo and to purchase tickets, visit www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter visit www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com.

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.