The Ultimate Fighting Championship®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, announced today that it will return to Atlanta with a championship card at Philips Arena on Saturday, April 21. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones will defend his 205-pound crown in the night’s main event.
The event marks UFC’s first time back in the city since UFC 88 on Sept. 6, 2008, when nearly 15,000 fans packed Philips Arena to watch Rashad Evans knock out UFC legend Chuck Liddell.
“Fans in Atlanta have been tweeting me and telling me over and over again to bring the UFC back to their city,” UFC President Dana White said. “Well guess what Atlanta? The UFC is coming back to Atlanta with the sport’s fastest-rising star, Jon Jones, defending his light heavyweight title!”
“We are thrilled to welcome the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization back to Philips Arena for UFC 145,” stated Trey Feazell, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Philips Arena. “The 2008 UFC 88 event featuring Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans was an incredible night and remains a highpoint in Philips Arena’s 13 year history.”
Tickets for UFC®145, presented by MetroPCS, go on sale Friday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone (800) 745-3000, at all Ticketmaster Outlets, and the Philips Arena Box Office. Ticket prices will be announced in the days to come.
UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers on Thursday, Feb. 16, starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
Official UFC VIP packages are also available at http://vip.ufc.com. These packages include tickets to UFC 145, official event merchandise, as well as special VIP experiences with backstage tours and meet and greets with top UFC stars. Get closer to the action than ever before with this unique UFC VIP opportunity.
UFC®145 will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.
For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.