UFC returns to Japan after 12 years with UFC 144 – UFC News
After twelve long years, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is heading back to Japan. The UFC is holding UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan on February 26, 2012 in Saitama, Japan. In November 2011, UFC officials had
announced that UFC 144 would be taking place in Japan. This was exciting news for MMA and UFC fans both in the United States and in Japan as well.
It is interesting to note that the UFC would be heading back to the land of the martial arts after more than a decade. The last time UFC was in Japan hosting a show was at UFC 29 which was held on December 16, 2000. Everything
has changed in the last decade for the UFC and its fans. New fighters have entered into the UFC ring and the taste of UFC fans have changed as well.
As per confirmed reports by the UFC matchmakers and officials, the main card of the UFC 144 event features the UFC Lightweight Championship bout between American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson.
The other fights on the main card include American MMA fighters Quinton Jackson facing Ryan Bader, New Zealand’s MMA fighter Mark Hunt fighting against French MMA fighter Cheick Kongo, Japanese fighter Yoshihiro Akiyama facing American fighter Jake Shields
and American fighters Anthony Pettis locking hands against Joe Lauzon.
The preliminary rounds at the UFC 144 event include seven bouts. Japanese fighter Yushin Okami will face American fighter Tim Boetsch, Japanese fighter Takanori Gomi will have his hands full against Australian fighter George Sotiropoulos,
Japanese fighter Hatsu Hioki going against Polish fighter Bart Palaszewski, English fighter Vaughan Lee fighting against Japanese fighter Norifumi Yamamoto, American fighter Steve Cantwell heading against Japanese fighter Riki Fukuda, American fighter Chris
Cariaso entering the ring against Japanese fighter Takeya Mizugaki and Chinese fighter Tiequan Zhang battling against American fighter Leonard Garcia.
Twelve years ago at UFC 29, the Middleweight Championship bout featured American fighter Tito Ortiz go against Japanese fighter Yuki Kondo. Ortiz won the fight by a submission in the first round. In 2012 when UFC 144 would be held,
it will feature seven Japanese fighters. The Japanese MMA and UFC fans would certainly want these Japanese fighters to win their matches but nothing can be said at this moment as the UFC is an unpredictable world.
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