UFC® BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION DOMINICK CRUZ TO DEFEND TITLE AGAINST RED-HOT DEMETRIOUS ‘MIGHTY MOUSE’ JOHNSON IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON OCT. 1
UFC® LIVE: CRUZ vs. JOHNSON
Saturday, Oct. 1 at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, AUG. 12 at 10 A.M. ET
UFC FIGHT CLUB PRESALE STARTS WEDNESDAY, AUG. 10 at 10 A.M. ET
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – UFC® bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will put his world title and nine-fight winning streak on the line on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. when he meets the red-hot Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that the 135-pound title clash will headline the organization’s stacked card heading to the nation’s capitol this fall.
“Dominick Cruz has been on a tear in the bantamweight division and he just beat Urijah Faber in an incredible fight,” UFC President Dana White said. “He’s on a mission to run through the division. Demetrious just beat Kid Yamamoto and Miguel Torres in back-to-back fights and he wants that belt. We’re excited to get to D.C. with a world title fight and a great card.”
UFC’s trip to Verizon Center will also include an explosive heavyweight fight pitting Pat Barry against 6’11” Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve, as well as a welterweight tilt between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and the streaking Charlie Brenneman. Plus, lightweights Matt Wiman and Mac Danzig collide in a pivotal fight in the deep 155-pound division.
Tickets for UFC® LIVE: CRUZ vs. JOHNSON at Verizon Center go on sale on Friday, Aug. 12 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $250, $150, $75 and $50 (plus applicable service charges). Tickets will be available through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Verizon Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or via Phonecharge at 202-397-SEAT, 703-573-SEAT and 410-547-SEAT. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 202-661-5065. Visit www.verizoncenter.com for more information.
UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Aug. 11, starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter via the "Join Newsletter" field at the top of this page.
UFC® LIVE: CRUZ vs. JOHNSON will be broadcast live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.
Possessing one of the sport’s best combinations of striking and wrestling, champion Dominick Cruz (fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) is undefeated since dropping to bantamweight in 2008. The 26-year-old owns key victories over Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez (twice) and Scott Jorgensen and is eager to end the rise of Johnson in D.C. With his dynamic footwork and unsurpassed conditioning, Cruz (18-1) believes his reign over the division is just beginning.
“I have a lot of goals for myself and I’d be lying if I said cleaning out the division wasn’t one of them,” Cruz, who trains jiu-jitsu under D.C.-based coach Lloyd Irvin, said. “It’s a goal because it’s such a hard thing to accomplish. Demetrious has a lot of heart and you can tell he’s a hard worker. He’s the next opponent I’ll need to beat in order to achieve my goal. I’m excited to get to D.C., where half of my team is located, and put on a great show for the fans.”
An explosive wrestler known for pushing opponents with his unparalleled pace, Demetrious Johnson (fighting out of Parkland, Wash.) is riding back-to-back wins over Japanese superstar Kid Yamamoto and former bantamweight kingpin Miguel Angel Torres. Now, the 24-year-old has his sights locked on the bantamweight title and he believes he has the right ingredients to upend the unorthodox champion.
“Dominick is the top dog in the division and he’s earned the right to be called champion with his nine-fight winning streak,” Johnson, who owns a record of 14-1, said. “I need to be the best Demetrious Johnson possible on Oct. 1. I think Dominick has gotten used to people standing in front of him, which has allowed him to use his great footwork and dance around people. But on fight night, we’re going to dance and I plan on bringing it to him like he hasn’t seen before.”
One of the most lethal strikers in the heavyweight division, Pat Barry (fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) can change the outcome of a fight with one turn of the hips. Thus, expect the kickboxing ace to come out firing at Verizon Center when he locks horns with 6’11” rising star Stefan Struve (fighting out of Beverwijk, The Netherlands). Barry (6-3) owns victories over Joey Beltran and Antoni Hardonk, while Struve (25-5) holds wins over Sean McCorkle, Christian Morecraft and Paul Buentello.
A welterweight contender will emerge when Anthony Johnson (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) takes on Charlie Brenneman (fighting out of Holidaysburg, Pa.) on Oct. 1. Johnson (9-3) has built a reputation for being a heavy-handed finisher, with five of his six UFC wins coming by way of knockout. He’ll be put to the test in his next fight when he meets Brenneman (14-2), who is fresh off upsetting Rick Story in June.
Lightweights Matt Wiman (fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) and Mac Danzig (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) step inside the Octagon® with the winner moving up the ladder in the UFC’s crowded 155-pound division. The 27-year-old Wiman (13-6) has won three out of his last four fights, while the 31-year-old Danzig (21-8-1), winner of The Ultimate Fighter® season six, knocked out Joe Stevenson in his last fight at UFC 124.
All bouts live and subject to change.
