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  (Macao, November 5, 2012) - The10-boutNovember 10Ultimate Fighting Championship^® (UFC^®) event at The Venetian^® Macao-Resort-Hotel’s CotaiArena™ is just around the corner, and two top mixed martial artists from the United States are gearing up for their headline match in the Octagon^®. Former UFC middleweight champion Rich “Ace” Franklin and Asian-American Cung Le will go head-to-head, putting their individual styles to the test, as each seeks to take home the glory in what is sure to be an exciting five-round middleweight contest.

Franklin and Le have their own unique approaches to training. “I feel good; I'm in shape, healthy and ready to go,” says Franklin, of Cincinnati, Ohio. “I’ll finish my final two weeks of training in Singapore, and will head to Macao the week of the fight. I train six out of seven days per week. I typically wake up, do a three-mile run on an empty stomach, eat and then head to the gym. My first workout consists of either drilling or conditioning. After a few hours of break, I head back to the gym for my second session for grappling, sparring or pad work.

“I know every fighter is different, but I'm very disciplined in my routine. I get eight hours of sleep each night, often take naps, rarely stay out late, never drink alcohol and my nutrition is impeccable. Since I train so much, I make sure I spend time stretching, icing and anything else I can do to take care of my body,” Franklin notes.

Le, who combines many styles including Sanda (also known as Sanshou), wushu, wrestling and taekwondo in the ring, likewise has been training hard as he prepares to face Franklin. “I feel good about my training so far. I’ll lighten my training up when I get to Hong Kong on the 30th and just maintain my condition till the fight,” he says. “My routine is different in one way or another everyday. It all depends on how I feel after a hard training session. It usually starts with strength and conditioning in the morning and Sanda or MMA ground and standing work in the evening. I drink lots of water and eat small meals throughout the day and I try not to eat junk food, but I enjoy one cheat day where I eat anything I want!”

It may come as a surprise to fans that Franklin, formerly a high school teacher, hadn’t intended to pursue MMA as a career. His father enrolled him in karate as a young boy, and after playing sports throughout high-school, Franklin rekindled his passion for martial arts. While training during his university days, he fought during his last year because of a dare from a friend. He explains, “During my fourth year of teaching, I realized I had a chance to pursue a dream. I resigned from my high school teaching position and this career fortunately paid off.” Franklin’s 13-year professional MMA record has to-date earned him 29 wins with only 6 losses.

Having retired from Sanda fighting in 2005, Le started MMA because he felt he wanted a new challenge. Like Franklin, Le’s introduction to martial arts goes back to his childhood. “My mother put me into a taekwondo program when I was in elementary school to help me deal with the bullies that were picking on me because of my race,” he says. He’s come a long way since those days – he owns a gym (Cung Le's Mixed Martial Arts), and has several film and television credits, including the just-released The Man with the Iron Fists, expected to be an American box office hit. Le has recorded eight wins and two losses during his six-year professional MMA career, and was undefeated in his eight-year kickboxing career.

Franklin and Le both understand the significance of fighting in the region’s first UFC event. “It is always an honour to be the first to fight in a new country,” Franklin says. “I'm excited to see how the fans react to the event. This is the first time I have been to China and I expect to gain perspective on a culture that is new to me. After the fight, I plan to fly to Beijing for a couple of days.”

“I am so honoured and excited to be fighting in the main event in greater China’s first-ever UFC event and I am really focused on my fight,” says Le.

Those looking to get a taste of this exciting combat sport ahead of the November 10 event can visit the UFC Experience zone at The Venetian Macao, which features exhibition panels introducing the origin of MMA and the game rules, free MMA video games and other interactive games, and a kiosk selling UFC signature merchandise such as t-shirts, caps and boxing gloves.

Universally recognized for its action-packed, must-see events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, UFC, the world’s premier MMA organization, brings its phenomenal event to greater China – and to Macao – for the first time at The Venetian Macao’s 15,000-seat CotaiArena, the top live entertainment destination in southern China, on November 10. In addition to the headline match between Franklin and Le, the 10-bout event includes fighters like the only Chinese UFC fighter – Zhang Tiequan, Korea’s Dong Hyun Kim, Brazil’s Paulo Thiago, Bulgarian Stanislav Nedkov, and Brazilian Thiago Silva.

UFC^® MACAO: FRANKLIN vs. LE will air live on numerous UFC broadcast partners across Asia and globally, as well as on FUEL TV in North America on Sunday, November 11.

The first bout of “UFC^®MACAO: FRANKLIN vs. LE” kicks off at 8 pm on November 10, with the main card scheduled to start at 10 pm. Tickets are on sale now at all Sands China box offices* and can be booked online at www.CotaiTicketing.com, or by phone at +853 2882 8818 (Macao) / +852 6333 6660 (HK). Tickets are also available at Tom Lee Outlets and through Hong Kong Ticketing (customer service fee applies) at www.HKTicketing.com, or by phone at +852 3128 8288.  Tickets are available in seven categories: HKD/MOP 3,880 (Silver), 2,280 (Bronze), 1,280 (A Reserve), 980 (B Reserve), 880 (C Reserve), 680 (D Reserve) and 380 (E Reserve).

Visitors from mainland China can purchase tickets through one of two participating travel agents: China International Travel Service (CITS), via phone at 400-600-0853 and online at www.cits.mo/ufcmacao; and Yong Le, via phone at 4006-228-228 and online at www.228.com.cn/ufcmacao. The booking deadline for both is Monday, November 5.

For more information about the event, including the full fight card, visit www.ufc.com/event/FUEL6#/fight.