ufc venue information
ufc venue information
Staples Center
Around 20,000 can bear witness to one of the most violent spectator sports in existence at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. Tickets to the UFC fights have become increasingly difficult to purchase. Keep your eyes peeled for Chuck Liddell, a double-tough mixed-martial arts fighter who combined kickboxing and wrestling styles to take the light heavyweight UFC title. Get this: after losing a 2003 title fight, Liddell took it easy by competing in the PRIDE championship circuit in Japan. Compare that to the break Michael Jordan took from basketball, when he did little more than wipe his rear with hundred-dollar bills and pierce his ear. His current record includes 19 wins (12 by knockout, with 2 KO’s by kick to the head) and only 3 losses. Still more impressive might be the rumors that he was romantically linked to pop-hottie Willa Ford (a knockout in her own right). At 6’2 and 205 lbs, Liddell has brought a ferocity to UFC fighting paralleled by the fighting prowess of…well…few others.
Arco Arena
With a seating capacity of more than 17,000, Sacramento’s Arco Arena beckons championship fighters such as Matt Hughes, whose only loss since 2001 has made him a force to be reckoned with. The welterweight champ has a whopping 40 wins and only 4 losses in his entire career. Tickets to Arco Arena UFC fights are easy to come by, but act fast—Hughes-caliber fights draw their share of devoted fans. Action junkies world-wide clamor to see fights that see underdogs like the Illinois native take down legends such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu icon Royce Gracie and the Quebecois superstar combatant Georges St-Pierre. With a rematch set between St-Pierre and Hughes in late 2006, Arco Arena is sure to draw fights of gargantuan proportion. With title fights abound, Arco is sure to make you thank your lucky stars you weren’t born tough enough to fight in the UFC.
Hard Rock Hotel
With its retro feel and natural appeal to the younger crowd, tickets to the Hard Rock’s UFC bouts will be hard to come by. With a seating capacity of 1,400, the hotel’s fighting audience capacity is kept to such a minimum that you’ll actually be able to hear bones snap. Located in the heart of Sin City, the Hard Rock will play host to such fighters as Tim Sylvia, whose 6’8, 265-lb. stature dominated the UFC heavyweight division in 2006. If ever there was a test of severity, Sylvia is the definitely the litmus test. Following a 2002 suspension due to alleged anabolic steroid abuse and a subsequent stripping of his UFC title, Sylvia lost a comeback shot when his radius bone was snapped in a lock he tried to escape. That’s right—his arm was in a submission hold, meaning he willingly fought back despite the pressure against his bone. As if that wasn’t enough, the tough-as-a-coffin-nail Sylvia wanted to continue after the ref heard the bone snap. The man actually moved his arm around and touched it at the fracture point to prove it was still functioning. And to think that you cried like a baby when the 3rd grade bully gave you an atomic wedgie — hang your head in shame.
