The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debuts in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands on Saturday, Jan 4, 2014. Tickets will go on sale today.
The main card will feature a five-round welterweight bout between two world-class fighters-Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger and former Strikeforce champion Tarec “Sponge” Saffiedine. Ellenberger is number four in the division while his opponent Saffiedine who is set for his UFC debut in Singapore after posing four straight wins in Strikeforce.
Saffiedine said “This will be my first fight in Singapore and I am going to train very hard, I expect to win.”
UFC debut performance of long-time Japanese star fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri, after a five-fight winning streak, going up against Brazil’s Hacran Dias at featherweight along with a pair of clashes between up-and-coming Japanese and South Koreans: Kiichi Kunimoto vs. Hyun Gyu Lim in a welterweight bout, and Shunichi Shimizu vs. Kyung Ho Kang at bantamweight.
Rounding up the card is another UFC debutante Katsunori Kikuno of Japan – also on a five-fight winning streak – taking on Quinn Mulhern at lightweight, and other talented MMA fighters from across the continent. More bouts are to be revealed in the coming weeks.
When asked about the line-up of Asian fighters, Mark Fischer at UFC Fight Night Singapore, Managing Director of UFC Asia said, “The MMA Sports is growing, by expanding our event to Asia, we will be able to bring in some of the best events in Asia and it is important to bring in relevant fighters.”
