HONG KONG - World-renowned action film super star and mixed martial artist Donnie Yen
headlines a star-studded list of celebrities headed to Macao on Saturday,
November 10 forUFC® MACAO: FRANKLIN vs.LE.
Set to take place at the
CotaiArena™at The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel in Macao,
the event marks the first ever on Chinese soil for the Ultimate Fighting
Championship, the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization.
Yen and
fellow action hero and MMA enthusiast Daniel Wu will be there to cheer on the
action-packed 10-bout fight card, topped by an epic middleweight fight pitting
former UFC champion Rich Franklin against former Strikeforce® champion Cung Le.
Lehas himself become a superstar in Asia - especially in China, due to his
mastery of Sanshou and his skyrocketing film career. Le’s acting credits include famous Hong Kong
Kung Fu movies such as Bodyguards and
Assassinsalso starring Donnie Yen, the just-released Hollywood thrillerThe Man With the Iron Fistsalso starring Daniel Wu, and the
yet-to-be-released movie Grandmastersdirected by Wong KarWai.
Le will
take on Rich “Ace” Franklin, a former high-school teacher, who has faced the
best talent of the UFC over the course of his 13-year career, notching epic wins
against former champs Chuck Liddell and Wanderlai Silva. The UFC® Macao line-up also pits
South Korean MMA pioneer Stun Gun Dong Hyun Kim against Brazil’s Paulo
Thiago, Japanese star TakanoriGomi against American veteran Mac Danzig, and the
first Chinese fighter ever to compete in the Octagon ™, Tiequan Zhang.
The UFC
has furthermore unveiled that Hong Kong-based celebrity model Jessica Cambensy
(better known as Jessica C) will be making a special appearance at UFC Macao as
the first-ever Octagon Girl® to represent China. The 24-year-old will be joined by Korea’s first
Octagon Girl®, Kang Ye-bin, at the Saturday night fight. Other stars expected to attend include
actress Selena Li Sze Wan, and Bill Kong, co-producer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
"The high-quality experience and excitement of
live UFC fights attracts superstars from the worlds of entertainment, sports,
and society everywhere we go -- from London to Rio, Tokyo to Vegas,” saidUFC President Dana White. “Now that we are coming to China – birthplace of traditional martial arts
-- for the first time, it’s only fitting that the top Kung Fu action stars in
the world today, like Donnie Yen and Daniel Wu, will be at the Octagon for our Macao event. We’re delighted to host them and the other
celebrities joining us for this groundbreaking occasion."
Le also added his support for the UFC’s China debut.
"This is an equally big opportunity for the UFC as it is for Asia. China
is the birthplace of martial arts and UFC is the premiere platform for MMA in
the world. It's a honor to be a part of this event because it will give me a
chance to show my talents to all the Chinese fans."
Tickets
for UFC® MACAO: FRANKLIN VS LE are on sale to the general public priced
at HKD3880 (Silver), 2280 (Bronze), 1280 (A Reserve), 980 (B Reserve), 880 (C
Reserve), 680 (D Reserve) and 380 (E Reserve).
Tickets can be booked online at www.CotaiTicketing.com, or by phone at
+853 2882 8818 (Macao)
/ +852 6333 6660 (HK), and are also available at Tom Lee Outlets and through
Hong Kong Ticketing (customer service fee applies) online at
www.HKTicketing.com or by phone at +852 3128 8288.
For more
information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com (English) or UFC.cn
(Chinese). All bouts live and subject to change.
About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally
recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of
the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the
world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by
Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with
offices in London, Toronto
and Beijing,
UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View
event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a
landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group in the USA. The
agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with
additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX
properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports
reality show on television, The Ultimate
Fighter®, which now airs on FX.
In
addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in 150 countries and
territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages.
The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website,
UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana
White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in
sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses
include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV
offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the
best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ
and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club
affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and
trading cards.