Brock is back! Lesnar to defend belt against Carwin at UFC 116

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010 - Live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena – Tickets on Sale Thursday, May 13, at 10am PT
 
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – One day before America watches fireworks to celebrate their independence, the biggest heavyweight title fight ever will go off in Las Vegas. Ultimate Fighting Championship® heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar returns to defend his heavyweight championship against interim title holder Shane Carwin as Bud Light Presents UFC® 116: LESNAR vs CARWIN, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, July 3.

“When people wonder why the heavyweights capture the imagination of all fight fans, it’s because of guys like Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin,” said UFC President Dana White. “Not only are they great athletes and former national wrestling champions, but they both have the ability to end a fight with one punch. This is one of those fights that you won’t be able to turn away from because it can be over in a split second, and when it’s over, only one will walk away as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion of the world.”

Tickets for UFC 116 are priced at $1000, $750, $500, $300, $200 and $100, not including applicable service charges, and go on sale Thursday, May 13, 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 http://www.ticketmaster.com/.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Tuesday, May 11, at 10 a.m. PT via the website UFC.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Wednesday, May 12, starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC 116 will be available live on Pay-Per-View on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

Winner of three in a row against Frank Mir, Randy Couture and Heath Herring, Brock Lesnar (fighting out of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., 4-1 professional record) has finished his last two opponents and stands atop of the UFC heavyweight division. The former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler and four-time All-American earned the title with an impressive second-round TKO over Couture at UFC 91. Then, the 6-foot-3, 265-pound fighter made his first successful title defense by stopping Frank Mir at UFC 100, but now Lesnar faces his most dangerous opponent to date when he takes on Shane Carwin.

“I can’t wait to get back in the Octagon and defend my UFC heavyweight title,” Lesnar said. “July 3rd can’t come soon enough. I’m ready to fight. At UFC 116, Shane Carwin is going to face the REAL UFC heavyweight champion. I’m going to end Shane’s perfect record and walk out of the Octagon with my championship belt around my waist.”

Speaking of dominant heavyweight fighters – nobody has seen the second round against Shane Carwin (fighting out of Denver, Colo., 12-0). His impressive win over Frank Mir in his last fight at UFC 111 secured Carwin the interim heavyweight title and at 3:48 was the longest any professional fighter has gone with the former NCAA Division II national champion wrestler. Carwin is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC with three of his four finishes coming under two minutes, and now the Greeley, Colo. native looks to stay undefeated and earn the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship.

“I have wanted a chance to compete against Brock since my college wrestling days,” Carwin said. “He is an elite athlete who is always dangerous. His college wrestling background makes him extremely tough. I will be the first fighter he has faced who is equal in size. He won’t be able to bully me or hold me down as he has others in the past. This is the biggest fight of my life. I think it can go down as one of the greatest fights in UFC history. I expect to have my hand raised and to become the REAL UFC heavyweight champion.”