WHO: ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP
WHEN: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2018
DOORS OPEN – 2:30 P.M. / UFC FIGHT PASS® – 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: AMWAY CENTER | ORLANDO, FLORIDA
ON SALE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018 | 10 A.M.
UFC® RETURNS TO ORLANDO WITH AN ACTION-PACKED CARD
ORLANDO, FLORIDA [January 9, 2018] – Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) returns to the Sunshine State with a thrilling fight card, featuring a battle between two exciting middleweight contenders, as number one-ranked Yoel Romero looks to get back into the title picture when he clashes with number 10-ranked David Branch. UFC FIGHT NIGHT® takes place at Orlando’s Amway Center on Saturday, February 24. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, January 12 at 10 a.m.
In his most recent outing, Romero (12-2, fighting out of Coconut Creek, FL by way of Pinar del Rio, Cuba) came close to realizing his dream of being UFC champion. The 2000 Olympic silver medalist wrestler dropped a close and captivating decision to Robert Whittaker last summer, earning Fight of the Night honors in the process. Prior to the bout, Romero was undefeated at middleweight and scored stunning knockout wins over Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida and Derek Brunson.
Looking to play spoiler and resume his climb up the middleweight rankings is dangerous grappler and boxer, Branch (21-4, fighting out of Brooklyn, NY). A two-division champion outside the UFC, Branch returned to the world’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization last year with a win over ranked Krzysztof Jotko. Throughout his career, he has earned victories over Yushin Okami, Jesse Taylor and Paulo Filho. Following a recent setback against Luke Rockhold, Branch aims to use Romero as a stepping stone into the division’s top five.
Also at UFC FIGHT NIGHT®, top strawweight contenders collide when number two-ranked Jessica Andrade faces number five-ranked Tecia Torres.
A former strawweight title challenger, Andrade (17-6, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) put on the most dominant performance of her career last September when she won a spectacular decision against Claudia Gadelha. During her stint in the UFC’s 115-pound weight class, she has also netted impressive victories over Angela Hill, Joanne Calderwood and Jessica Penne. Andrade hopes an emphatic win will propel her into another title shot.
Torres (10-1, fighting out of Colorado Springs, CO) is gunning for a rubber match with newly- minted strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas. The two originally met under the Invicta FC banner in 2013, with Torres winning a unanimous decision. Namajunas returned the favor in April 2016. Since then, Torres has gone on a three-fight winning streak, picking up victories against Bec Rawlings, Juliana Lima and Michelle Waterson.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Hometown welterweight Ben Saunders (21-8-2, fighting out of Orlando, FL) looks to blow the roof off the Amway Center when he takes on Alan Jouban (15-6, fighting out of Los Angeles, CA)
- Number eight-ranked bantamweight contender Sara McMann (11-4, fighting out of Gaffney, SC) welcomes Invicta FC champ Yana Kunitskaya (10-3, fighting out of Saint Petersburg, Russia)
- Light heavyweight standout Gadzhimurad Antigulov (20-4, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) looks for his 15th consecutive win when he faces hot prospect, Aleksandar Rakic (8-1, fighting out of Vienna, Austria)
- In a battle of submission aces, Gilbert Burns (12-2, fighting out of Boca Raton, FL by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets Olivier Aubin-Mercier (11-2, fighting out of Montreal, Canada)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT® airs live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, February 24, with prelims kicking off on FS1 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT and on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. ET via ufcfightclub.com. A special internet-only pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, January 11starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
TICKETS: $55, $65, $75, $85, $95, $110, $135, $160 & $195 (prices subject to change and sales limited to eight (8) per person). Buy tickets at amwaycenter.com, Chase Box Office at Amway Center, Ticketmaster retail, charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com. Limited on-ice seating is available upon request. Group discounts are available for parties of 10 or more. All dates, act(s) and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges. For Amway Center box office and ticket information, visit amwaycenter.com (phone purchases are not available through the Amway Center box office). The Amway Center is located at 400 West Church Street and the box office is located on the north side of the Amway Center, near the intersection of Church Street and Hughey Avenue.
ABOUT UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in
Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 163 countries and territories to more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in 35 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.
ABOUT AMWAY CENTER
The Orlando Magic served as the developer of the Amway Center, which hosts major national events, concerts and family shows. Opened in the fall of 2010, the facility is owned and operated by the City of Orlando on behalf of the Central Florida community. The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando. The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one facade. A 180-foot tall tower serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline. The 875,000 square foot, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified building features a sustainable, environmentally-friendly design and unmatched technology, including 1,100 digital monitors, the tallest high-definition video board in an NBA venue and multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building. Amway Center was recently honored with the International Association of Venue Managers’ 2017 Venue Excellence Award which is bestowed upon facilities that excel in the management and operation of public assembly venues. Amway Center was the only arena to garner this distinction. Additionally, the arena has earned numerous awards which most notably includes TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and was named SportsBusiness Journal’s 2012 Sports Facility of the Year. For more information about the Amway Center, visit www.amwaycenter.com.