UFC 76: KNOCKOUT

UFC 76: KNOCKOUT
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Distributed by Canadastar Boxing Inc.
To Canadian Commercial Establishments
On Closed Circuit-Pay Per View

THE BOUT

"THE ICEMAN" Vs. "THE DEAN OF MEAN"
MAURICIO "SHOGUN" RUA Vs. FORREST GRIFFIN

Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell is wasting no time returning to the Octagon" to fight his way back to a title shot, and he has made his mission clear; he wants his title belt back. But standing in his way, with the power to stop the former UFC® 205-pound champion, is "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine, who awaits him for a light heavyweight main event showdown at UFC 76. As a special feature, former PRIDE FC phonomenon Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will enter the Octagon for the first time to take on Forrest Griffin in one of the two light heavyweight "knockout" fights of the night.

"After Jardine knocked out Forrest Griffin, Chuck and Keith were on course to fight each other. Keith lost his last fight and so did Chuck, so now they face each other not for the title, but to get back in the race," said Dana White, UFC President. "Shogun is coming into the UFC because he wants the same thing, to get in the race and ultimately prove he is the best light heavyweight in the world -- so UFC 76 is going to have a huge impact on the 205-pound division and who we could eventually see fight Dan Henderson or Rampage for the title."

Liddell (20-4), considered by many to be the greatest light heavyweight fighter of all time, reigned as the 205-pound UFC champion for over three years. He knocked out seven opponents in seven consecutive fights, including Randy Couture (twice), Vernon White, Jeremy Horn, Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Tito Ortiz (twice), before he was defeated by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 71 in May. Liddell now makes his return to the Octagon with the mission to once again reign as UFC light heavyweight champion. And on September 22nd, Liddell feels that he will once again show the world why he has earned international recognition as one of the best mixed martial artists ever.

"This is going to be a good standup fight, and it will be a very exciting fight for the fans," said Liddell. "But I will beat him. I'm going to knock him out --I'll go in there and pound on him until he goes down -- I want to knock him out as fast as I can, win the fight, and then go get my belt back."

Jardine (12-4-1) has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most feared 205-pounders on the planet. Despite his upset loss to Houston Alexander at UFC 71, "The Dean of Mean" has the power and explosiveness to dereail any fighter's game plan at any moment during the fight. Jardine displayed that skill when he stopped Forrest Griffin in a single round at UFC 66 last December. Like Liddell, he combines power and strength with exceptional wrestling and kickboxing, which makes him 100 percent capable of scoring a fast knockout. Jardine knows Liddell is his greatest challenge to date, but he also knows the the former champion considers him a danger.

"For me, I think this is a great fight and people shouldn't underestimate me -- I know Chuck Liddell won't underestimate me," said Jardine. "I think he knows this will be similar to my fight with Forrest, a good, exciting, stand up fight ... that ends with a knockout. It will be a real honor to fight Chuck, he's the greatest light heavyweight champion ever, and I'm excited to fight him at UFC 76."

In a special feature, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, fighting out of Brazil, will take on Forrest Griffin in his Octagon debut at UFC 76. The PRIDE 2005 Middleweight (205 pound) Grand Prix Champion is known for his aggressive style, and despite his willingness to stand and trade with anyone, he also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He holds victories over current UFC Champion Quinton Jackson, who he defeated by first round KO, as well as Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira, Ricardo Arona, and Kazuhiro Nakamura. Currently riding a four-fight win streak in PRIDE, Shogun enters the UFC with an eagerness to introduce himself as a new contender in the organization's ultra-competitive 205-pound division.

Griffin (14-4) has faced serious opposition in the Octagon, and is respected for having never backed down from a challenge. He is a well rounded fighter whose aggressive style and warrior's heart propelled him to become the Light Heavyweight winner of the Ultimate Fighter® Season 1. He has fought Tito Ortiz, Stephan Bonnar, Elvis Sinosic, Keith Jardine, and most recently, Hector Ramirez at UFC 72. Griffin battled Ramirez for three rounds and won by unanimous decision, not only scoring a vitory, but reclaiming his status as a rising 205-pound contender. He would like nothing more than to stop "Shogun" in his transition to the Octagon and continue his ascent up the light heavyweight ranks.